WEST TEXAS WEEKLY

[My dear friend Mercer Black does an excellent job of putting the Big Bend and Texas Mountains Travel Guide together. In my experience, it's one of the most effective ways for local small businesses to advertise to tourists and travelers. In addition to being cost effective and attractive, copies of the guide are circulated to people before they start planning their trip. This makes it especially effective for lodging advertising. It's one of the few print publications I'll advertise with.

Those interested should contact publisher Mercer Black of Marfa Publishing immediately via email to bigbendtravel@gmail.com or by phone to 512-739-4465.]

A Sample of the Layout

Last Chance to Participate in the 2010 Big Bend & Texas Mountains Travel Guide

The Big Bend & Texas Mountains Travel Guide has, for twenty-five years, been the primary free travel directory for the greater Big Bend region – Del Rio to El Paso, Midland/Odessa to the National Park. It covers 16 communities, 2 national parks and 14 state parks. (A full list of these communities and parks is below).

This is a high-quality, full-color magazine, chocked full of beautiful photography and informative content. The 2010 edition features, almost exclusively, the work of David Leggett, a talented photographer who has for years endeavored to capture the grandeur of West Texas skies and landscapes. (See more of his work at www.phlography.com.)

Also new in 2010, the guide will be PERFECT BOUND as opposed to the traditional saddle stitch. Perfect binding dramatically increases the shelf life of a magazine, making it more of a souvenir book than a brochure.

The 2010 guide’s 100,000 copies will be distributed at over 100 locations, including all area chambers and CVBs (Convention & Visitors Bureaus), all 12 TxDOT Travel Information Centers, the El Paso airport, Texas Sate Capital building, State Fair of Texas, San Antonio CVB and over 60 regional convenience stores, grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, hotels and retail establishments.

In addition to the editorial coverage on the aforementioned parks and communities, there are several text directories and suggested interest-specific itineraries. These include: lodging, dining, shopping & services, outdoor recreation & adventure, cycling, birding, RV & camping, and art, museums & galleries.

A text listing in a directory of itinerary (business name, address, phone number, web address/email, and short description) in any of these directories or itineraries is just $125. Display advertising ranges from $475 for a twelfth page ad to $3100 for a full page. You can see a full rate card and spec sheet at 2010 Rates & Specs.

The 2009 edition of the guide was the largest in the guide’s history, with 84 pages and over 200 advertisers. The 2010 edition is on schedule to be equally impressive in size and advertiser participation. It is scheduled to hit the streets on March 5 (just in time for Spring Break travelers), making this the absolute last chance to purchase advertising.

Those interested should contact publisher Mercer Black of Marfa Publishing immediately via email to bigbendtravel@gmail.com or by phone to 512-739-4465. An insertion order can be downloaded by INSERTION ORDER .

What communities does the guide cover?

Alpine

Balmorhea/Toyahvale

Del Rio

Fort Davis

Fort Stockton

Lajitas

Langtry

Marathon

Marfa

Midland

Odessa

Presidio

Sanderson

Study Butte

Terlingua

Van Horn

What State Parks does the guide cover?

Balmorhea

Barton Warnock Environmental Education Center

Big Bend Ranch State Park

Davis Mountains S.P./Indian Lodge

Devils River

Devil’s Sinkhole

Fort Leaton

Franklin Mountains

Hueco Tanks

Kickapoo Caverns

Monahans Sandhills

Seminole Canyon

Wyler Aerial Tramway

What other parks does the guide cover?

Big Bend National Park

Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Fort Davis National Historic Site

Lake Amistad National Recreation Area

Chamizal National Memorial