GuideGecko launches publishing platform for iPhone, Kindle and the Web

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/10/2011 -- Creating apps is no longer a domain for tech geeks only.

GuideGecko, the world's leading publishing portal for travel guides, today launches its iPhone, Kindle and Web publishing platforms. Writers only have to compose their guides once on http://www.GuideGecko.com, and may write on any destination.

Then GuideGecko will create theapps and e Books and make them available on i Tunes, Amazon Kindle and other bookstores.

Publishing is free, and writers choose the selling price.

Writers may also choose to publish on the web and receive a share of the advertising revenue.

GuideGecko shares all sales and advertising revenues on a 50-50% basis.

The apps and e Books are suited for both walks and tours with a limited number of entries as well as for in-depth guides with hundreds of listings. They thus cater to professional writers and travel bloggers alike. Even travelers who have invested time in planning their itinerary can share their knowledge with a useful app.

"You can now easily publish and sell your own travel app", says Daniel Quadt, Founder of GuideGecko. "Our apps are stylish, easy to use, and full of features so far only found in premium apps. One of them would be the fully interactive, location-enabled maps that work completely offline and do not incur roaming charges for the end-user."

A sample app for Singapore is available at http://www.GuideGecko.com/singapore-app. For more on the program and to apply for creating your own app, please visit http://www.GuideGecko.com/publish.

About GuideGecko
GuideGecko is the world's leading publishing platform for travel guides, offering more than 2700 guidebooks on 169 countries and 270 cities and regions around the world.

http://www.GuideGecko.com offers information on how to get there, where to stay, what to see and do, and much more. GuideGecko publishes guides for the iPhone, Amazon Kindle and on the web, and invites writers to publish their own guides and itineraries.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Daniel Quadt, Ph.D.
Email: media_at_guidegecko.com
Telephone: +65 94 555 974

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

New Complete Online Guide for the 200-Year Jubilee of the Oktoberfest

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/01/2010 -- On time for the 200-year jubilee of the Munich Oktoberfest, GuideGecko today launches "Oktoberfest Inside Out" at www.GuideGecko.com/oktoberfest. The free website covers everything visitors need to know about the Oktoberfest and Munich.

Written by Oktoberfest expert Yvonne Salisbury, it provides reviews, photos and advice for every beer tent, plus tips on where to eat, shop and sleep and what else to see and do in Munich.

Oktoberfest Top 10 Tips

1. Be there by 4pm, the tents get full and the doors are usually shut at 6pm

2. Decide on your beer tent for the evening and stay there - it's more fun

3. Learn Italian! The middle weekend is known as "Italian Weekend"

See http://www.GuideGecko.com/oktoberfest for more.

Yvonne Salisbury has authored multiple guidebooks on Munich and Bavaria, available from the GuideGecko bookstore. "I have visited the Oktoberfest for 14 years. It's so big, it's impossible to see it all in a single visit", says Salisbury. "Oktoberfest Inside Out is ideal for first timers and lederhosen-veterans alike, as there are many new events planned to celebrate the 200-year jubilee this year. Visit the site before you go not to miss the best!"

Salisbury and other experts are available to answer questions through the website's forum. Visitors can also share their own photos and reviews, and participate in onesentence 'Good & Bad' opinion polls.

The Oktoberfest runs from September 18 to October 4, 2010. Visit "Oktoberfest Inside Out" at http://www.GuideGecko.com/oktoberfest.

About GuideGecko
GuideGecko is an innovative publishing platform, travel book store and online community for travel, food and lifestyle. GuideGecko currently offers more than 3300 guidebooks as print and PDF download, on 169 countries and 270 cities and regions around the world.

Inside Out, GuideGecko's latest addition, is an interactive online travel guide and travel community. Current highlights include the most complete Singapore travel guide and the newly launched guide to the Oktoberfest, covering every beer tent on the Fest.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Dr. Daniel Quadt
Email: media@guidegecko.com
Telephone: +65 94 555 974

Yvonne Salisbury
Email: media@insidersoktoberfest.com

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Explore Singapore inside out with a fun treasure hunt photo contest

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/03/2010 -- GuideGecko Inside Out, Singapore's premier travel and lifestyle website, today launches the 'Catch Guido the Gecko' photo contest. In the style of a treasure hunt, the contest is a fun way to explore Singapore inside out, and stand a chance to win a brand new Sony Cyber-shot TX5 camera.

The contest kicks off at all Harry's Bar Outlets Island wide, where staffs are already wearing Guido the Gecko badges. Visitors are welcome to approach them, take a funny close-up snapshot with the Gecko mascot on the badge, and share it on http://www.facebook.com/GuideGecko. The best and craziest photos will be featured on http://www.guidegecko.com/catch-guido, and the most liked photo wins the camera. A live Guido will be on location, encouraging visitors to take funny photos.

New places to explore and spot Guido the Gecko will be added weekly until September 30, along with attractive prizes. From the National Day weekend onwards, Guido will be at the Singapore Flyer celebrating Singapore's 45th birthday. Other confirmed venues in the following weeks include Bollywood Veggies Farm, The French Stall and more.

"Inside Out features 880+ insider tips on what to see and do, where to eat, shop and party. It's Singapore's most complete lifestyle resource," says Dr. Daniel Quadt, Founder and Managing Director of GuideGecko. "The contest allows us to showcase all the great places Singapore has to offer, while contestants enjoy a fun time with the added thrill of winning a top-notch camera."

Singapore Inside Out offers something new for everyone, such as the Labrador Secret Tunnels or the Spicy Food Challenge in Little India. All tips are accompanied by reviews,photos and videos.

More info on the contest,including current prizes and the weekly venues to spot Guido the Gecko can be found at http://www.guidegecko.com/catch-guido. Singapore Inside Out can be found at http://www.guidegecko.com/singapore-travel-guide.

About GuideGecko
GuideGecko is an innovative publishing platform, travel book store and online community for travel, food and lifestyle guides. GuideGecko currently offers more than 3300 guidebooks as print and PDF download, on 169 countries and 270 cities and regions around the world.

Singapore Inside Out, Guide Gecko's latest addition, features the most complete online guide to Singapore, with over 880+ insider tips on what to see and do, the best restaurants, shops and bars - all with photos and videos. An integrated online community enables users to connect with like-minded members and share their own reviews, photos and videos.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Dr. Daniel Quadt
Email: media@guidegecko.com
Telephone: +65 65090940

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

New online travel guide covers all but one place for the 2010 Youth Olympic Games host city

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/19/2010 -- Just in time for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore from August 14-26, GuideGecko.com today releases the most complete and up to date online Singapore travel guide.

Catering to travelers and locals alike, 'Singapore Inside Out' offers over 880+ insider tips on what to see and do, the best restaurants, bars, shops and hotels - all with photos and videos.

Singapore Inside Out provides a unique and powerful combination of a traditional guidebook with an online community. Users get the lowdown on the best Singapore has to offer.

Must-see, must-try & must-do lists ensure users can easily navigate the site and get more than just listings and reviews. The site also features tailor-made itineraries and walking tours, and a unique 'Good & Bad' overview for all places, which allows users to find out quickly if a place is right for them.

"We provide the whole truth. If the toilet is dirty or the food mediocre, we'll say it", says Dr. Daniel Quadt, Founder of GuideGecko. "We have the most complete coverage, including every place but one featured in the Lonely Planet and the Rough Guide combined, plus a galore of our own insider tips. As a special service, we also give personal answers to all questions, from 'How much are the tickets?' to "Where to celebrate my gold medal?". Questions are usually answered within 24 hours. The place left out from the Lonely Planet was deemed not good enough for inclusion.

The independent, editorial information is augmented by an online community. Users can easily add places, tours, reviews and ratings, share their photos and videos, ' like' their favorite spots, and 'one-click' vote what's good & bad about each of them. This helps to keep the information up to date, while maintaining the overall quality of the recommendations. When users help others with updates and answers, they can become the Guru for their favorite places. The community also enables users to connect with like-minded travelers and locals, get personal recommendations from people they trust, and even organize real life meet ups, e.g. for dinner and drinks.

All 880+ insider tips have been researched and reviewed by a team of six Singaporean writers, spending 216 days on the road, taking 3296 photos and videos, verifying 633 telephone numbers and even more prices and opening hours.

Visit "Singapore Inside Out" at http://www.GuideGecko.com/singapore-travel-guide. A media kit with key features, high-res photos and screen shots is available at http://www.GuideGecko.com/media.

About GuideGecko
GuideGecko is an innovative publishing platform, travel book store and online community for travel, food and lifestyle guides. GuideGecko currently offers more than 3300 guidebooks as print and PDF download, on 169 countries and 270 cities and regions around the world. All well-known series are available, including Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and Insight Guides, along with a large variety of less conventional titles such as Hedonist's Guides and Trailblazer, amongst many others.

GuideGecko invites casual writers, bloggers and established authors to publish and sell their own guidebooks on http://www.GuideGecko.com. GuideGecko makes such guides available as PDF downloads and as printed books/booklets. Publishing is free and authors earn 50-75% on every copy sold. Become a writer and get published on GuideGecko!

Singapore Inside Out, GuideGecko's latest addition, features the most complete online Singapore travel guide, with over 880+ insider tips on what to see and do, the best restaurants, shops and bars - all with photos and videos. An integrated online community enables users to connect with like-minded travelers and locals and share their own reviews, photos and videos.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Dr. Daniel Quadt
Email: media@guidegecko.com
Telephone: +65 65090940

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Winner receives Trip to World's Largest Book Fair in Frankfurt and Jump-Start into Professional Writing Career

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/30/2010 -- GuideGecko.com, the innovative publishing platform for travel and lifestyle guides today launches its 2010 International Guidebook Writing Contest. Three winning titles will be showcased at the prestigious Insight Guides booth on the world's largest book fair in Frankfurt, Germany, and the winner will be flown to the fair to meet and mingle with publishers from all over the world.

From now to September 15, writers worldwide can submit their own guidebooks on www.GuideGecko.com/writing-contest and stand a chance to jump-start into a professional writing career.

"This is a tremendous opportunity to meet international publishers and gain exposure to 299,000 visitors and 10,000 journalists", says Dr. Daniel Quadt, Founder and Managing Director of GuideGecko. "We are happy to partner with world-famous Insight Guides; showcasing one's title on their booth is a big boost for any writer."

The contest is open to casual writers, bloggers and established authors. All travel, food, lifestyle and entertainment guidebooks with a minimum of 32 pages are welcome. Submissions can be new titles as well as existing titles previously published on
GuideGecko or elsewhere.

The winning titles will be selected by a jury of guidebook industry veterans. "We have assembled a jury of renowned travel writers and editors with Tom Le Bas, Nicholas Gill, Maralyn Hill and Tim Leffel. Their feedback alone makes it worth to participate", adds Quadt (jury profiles are included in the appendix).

The jury's decision is augmented by popular online votes, starting with immediate effect. The submitted guidebooks will be published instantly and listed on GuideGecko's front page to receive maximum visibility. Viewers can choose to vote for and even order these guidebooks immediately. Participation in the contest is free and the authors receive full royalties and retain their copyrights.

The Frankfurt book fair takes place from October 6-10, 2010. The winner will fly with Lufthansa German Airlines and stay at contest sponsor Maritim Konferenzhotel Darmstadt while in Frankfurt.

Closing date for submission is September 15, and prize winners will be announced on October 1st. For more information, to enter the contest and place votes, please visit http://www.guidegecko.com/writing-contest.

About GuideGecko
GuideGecko is an innovative publishing platform and online travel bookstore for travel, lifestyle and entertainment guidebooks. GuideGecko currently offers more than 3300 guidebooks as print and PDF download, on 169 countries and 270 cities and regions around the world. All well-known series are available, including Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and Insight Guides, along with a large variety of less conventional titles such as Hedonist's Guides and Trailblazer, amongst many others.

GuideGecko invites casual writers, bloggers and established authors to publish and sell their own guidebooks on http://www.GuideGecko.com. GuideGecko makes such guides available as PDF downloads and as printed books/booklets. Publishing is free and authors earn 50-75% on every copy sold. Become a writer and get published on GuideGecko!

For media enquiries, please contact:
Dr. Daniel Quadt
Email: media@guidegecko.com
Telephone: +65 94555974

Please see next page for short Jury Profiles and Contest Sponsors.

Jury Profiles

Tom Le Bas
Tom Le Bas is a Managing Editor with Insight
Guides. He has edited, commissioned and project
managed over 50 guidebooks. Before joining
Insight in 1998, he worked with Rough Guides in
London and Odyssey Publications in Hong Kong.
His favorite travel writers are Patrick Leigh-Fermor
and Paul Theroux.

Nicholas Gill

Nicholas Gill is a leading authority on food and
cultures of Latin America. His work has been
published in National Geographic Traveler, the
New York Times, and many other magazines. He
has written various guidebooks for Fodor's and
Frommer's, and recently launched his new website
New World Review.

Maralyn Hill

Maralyn Hill is the President of the International
Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association
(IFWTWA). She is also a writer, editor, broadcaster
and speaker. Maralyn has co-authored Our Love
Affairs with Food & Travel, featuring 90+ chefs
worldwide. Maralyn blogs at Where and What In
the World.

Tim Leffel

Award-winning travel writer Tim Leffel has circled
the globe three times and dispatched articles from
five continents. He is the author of The World's
Cheapest Destinations, now in 3rd edition. He is
also editor of the popular narrative webzine
Perceptive Travel.

Contest Sponsors

Insight Guides

Insight Guides is a world leader in visual travel
guides, with over 450 titles in four different series
and over 50 million copies sold in 14 languages.

Maritim Konferenzhotel Darmstadt

The Maritim Konferenzhotel Darmstadt is only 35
minutes by S-Bahn commuter train from the book
fair grounds in Frankfurt. It features 352 spacious
rooms and a pool with sauna and solarium.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

GuideGecko Launches Tailor-Made Affiliate Program for Food and Travel Bloggers

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/09/2010 -- GuideGecko, the innovative publishing platform and bookstore for food & travel guides, today announced the official launch of its affiliate program on www.GuideGecko.com. Bloggers and website owners from around the world can now sell the largest selection of food & travel guidebooks through their own homepage, and earn 10% commission on every sale, far above market standards of 4-6%.

All of the 3300+ guidebooks currently available on GuideGecko.com are eligible for the affiliate program, including books and PDF downloads. GuideGecko carries all major guidebook series, such as Frommer's and Lonely Planet, plus 100+ exclusive titles such as "Las Vegas for Kids" and "Wine Travel in Tuscany".

"The GuideGecko affiliate program is quick and easy to set up, highly targeted, and offers huge payouts of 10% for all sales, no matter if book or PDF", says Sue Bing Hao, Marketing Manager at GuideGecko." We offer unbeaten customer service and deliver worldwide, with free shipping to the main travel markets in the US, UK, Germany and Singapore. Together with long referral validity times of 90 days, the program is the perfect match for any food or travel website, no matter how large or small."

Registration for the affiliate program is free and takes less than a minute. Affiliates can refer customers to GuideGecko through links from their websites and newsletters, and from online Communities such as Facebook or Twitter. Affiliates also have access to a wide range of tailormade widgets which they can place directly on their websites. Widgets are available for individual guidebooks and for books by destination and by activity. Step-by-step instructions for integration with popular blogging platforms such as Wordpress and Blogger are provided, as well as explanations for custom websites.

GuideGecko identifies the affiliate referrals by a unique link code and handles the complete order process and customer support. Affiliates receive their sales commission on a monthly basis via PayPal, cheque or bank transfer, and can choose to be notified whenever an order is placed. Affiliates even earn their commission when customers do not buy immediately-once a user clicks on an affiliate link, the referral remains valid for 90 days.

Please visit http://www.GuideGecko.com/affiliates for details and to sign up as an affiliate.

About GuideGecko
GuideGecko is an innovative publishing platform and travel bookstore for travel, lifestyle and entertainment guides. GuideGecko currently offers more than 3300 guidebooks on 169 countries and 270 cities and regions around the world. All well-known series are available, including Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and Insight Guides, along with a large variety of less conventional titles such as Hedonist's Guides and Trailblazer, amongst many others.

GuideGecko invites casual writers, bloggers and established authors to publish and sell their own guidebooks on www.GuideGecko.com. GuideGecko makes such guides available as PDF downloads and as printed books/booklets. Publishing is free and authors earn 50-75% on every copy sold. Become a writer and get published on GuideGecko!

For media enquiries, please contact:
Daniel Quadt
Phone: +65 94555974
Email: media_at_guidegecko.com

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/14/2010 -- GuideGecko, the innovative publishing platform and bookstore for travel guides, from today on enables travelers from around the world to sell their used travel guidebooks on http://www.GuideGecko.com.

Travelers can list their guidebooks free of charge, and the process takes less than 20 seconds. The seller decides on the price and sets the shipping costs on a domestic, continent and worldwide level. Titles are listed immediately, and are available to customers worldwide. Once sold, GuideGecko collects the customer payment and sends an email with the shipping details to the seller. Sellers receive 85% of what the customer pays, and are paid using a variety of options, including PayPal, cheque or bank transfer. There are no costs for listing or removing titles.

"We are happy to launch this functionality just in time for the post New Year holiday season," says Daniel Quadt, Founder and Managing Director of GuideGecko. "We know there are lots of used guidebooks that have done their job for their current owners, and are now gathering dust on the bookshelf. What better way to earn some extra money towards your next trip than by selling them to other travelers looking forward to their own trip?"

GuideGecko's travel bookstore at http://www.GuideGecko.com offers guidebooks for more than 70 categories and 169 countries, including all well-known series such Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and Insight Guides, along with a large variety of less conventional titles such as Hedonist's Guides and Trailblazer, amongst many others.

Please visit http://www.guidegecko.com/sell-travel-guides for more information and to list guidebooks for sale.

About GuideGecko
GuideGecko is an innovative publishing platform and travel bookstore for travel, lifestyle and entertainment guides. GuideGecko currently offers more than 2600 guides on 169 countries and 270 cities and regions around the world. All well-known series are available, including Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and Insight Guides, along with a large variety of less conventional titles such as Hedonist's Guides and Trailblazer, amongst many others.

GuideGecko invites casual writers, bloggers and established authors to publish and sell their own guides on http://www.GuideGecko.com. GuideGecko makes such guides available as PDF downloads and as printed books/booklets. Publishing is free and authors earn 50-75% on every copy sold. Become a writer and get published on GuideGecko!

For media enquiries, please contact:
Daniel Quadt
Phone: +65 94555974

Email: media_at_guidegecko.com

Email id : pr@guidegecko.com

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm