Let's Go Travel Guides - Business Model

Business Model

As a subsidiary of Harvard Student Agencies, Let's Go's charter states that the company may only employ degree-seeking Harvard students; because of this, Let's Go's business model is unique among publishers. Every year, a student management team is chosen from the previous year's staff. This core group works out of Let's Go's Cambridge offices all year round on the company's website, publicity, and editorial matters. Over the winter, the management team hires a staff of Research Managers and Editors, who in turn hire the company's traveling Researcher-Writers. Research Managers and Editors work part-time throughout the spring semester to prepare and train Researcher-Writers for their trips. After the semester ends, the Researcher-Writers leave Cambridge for their destination, while the Research Managers and Editors begin working full time at the Cambridge office. Researcher-Writers, traveling alone, typically spend from six to eight weeks of their summer (June-July) on the road, visiting the assigned establishments in their assigned cities and sending raw copy back to Cambridge. In order to keep the writing true to the budget heritage of the series, Researcher-Writers are paid a daily stipend intended to cover only basic expenses (although Let's Go does cover airfare to and from their destination). Meanwhile, Research Managers and Editors work throughout the entire summer, aiding the Researcher-Writers for the first half and editing the copy in the second half. The guides are assembled from the edited copy in August and September and are released in bookstores the following winter—just as the publishing process for the next year's guides has begun.