by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
In early 2001, John Finotti, associate editor of Florida Trend Magazine, was working on his computer at home and got curious about “Insiders,” the monthly column he writes for the magazine. So, he typed “www.insiders.com” and hit “enter.” Up popped not his column or a site devoted to it, but rather an opportunity to author the first in-depth guide to Jacksonville and the immediate surrounding area.
“Insiders’ Guide” is the registered trademark of The Globe Pequot Press, a Guilford, Conn.-based publishing company that prints guides for dozens of cities all over the country. Their main recruiting tool appears to be their website, which actively seeks authors for new and updated guides.
Along with his wife, Marisa Carbone — a reporter with Clear Channel, which owns Chs. 30 and 47, the local CBS affiliate — Finotti responded to the ad seeking co-authors for an Insiders’ Guide to Jacksonville. A couple of months later, they both had side jobs.
“We signed the contract in April 2001 and finished in May or June 2002,” said Carbone, explaining that she and Finotti didn’t have to pitch themselves too hard. They have been in Jacksonville for 15 years and Pequot was looking for locals who know the area. Being a reporter and writer naturally piqued Pequot’s interest. “Print folks like print folks. It didn’t hurt that I was in TV, but they really liked John.”
During that year-plus, Finotti and Carbone spent countless hours scouring the Jacksonville area from St. Augustine to Amelia Island. After dozens of interviews, tours and photographs, they produced a little over 300 pages of copy, covering everything from golf courses to coffee shops, fishing to shopping, the media and the military. Readers would be hard-pressed to find a facet of local life missing in the book’s 30 chapters, preface and introduction.
However, Carbone said there are the inevitable and unavoidable elements and places missing.
“It took us a month to do the chapter on hotels,” explained Carbone, who was conveniently working part-time as a reporter and raising their recently-adopted daughter, Ana, when she and Finotti took on the project. “We had to see each hotel and look at the rooms. Some of the hotels are not in the guide and a lot were a little suspicious. They thought the book was an advertisement. It was just awful setting up some of the interviews.”
Carbone said the publisher was sympathetic to the fact that producing an all-inclusive guide was virtually impossible. Past experiences had shown Pequot that some businesses didn’t want to be included, others would open between deadline and release date and still others would be gone by the time the guide hit local stores.
“The publisher backs you up totally,” said Carbone. “They were very nice. You hear horror stories about publishers, but these guys were great.”
Carbone and Finotti both agreed the project was daunting, especially after Pequot sent them a package detailing the guidelines they were to follow and the sections that needed to be included.
“There was a little,” said Carbone of the trepidation factor. “At the end, though, it was a labor of love and you do it for the community. I know that sounds corny, but it’s true.”
“There was constantly a debate and questions,” said Finotti, who was at business writer at the Times-Union for several years. “I think it was more work than we realized. It’s good to have it finished. Maria was the driving force behind the whole thing. I was working and she kept it on track and did the lion’s share of the work.”
The job’s not over. Per contractual agreement, Carbone and Finotti owe Pequot an updated version by September 2004. The job won’t take as much time, but the new version may be even more important than the original. With the Super Bowl set for Feb. 6, 2005, volume two is the one visitors and locals will likely clamor for.
“The main reason for the book is the Super Bowl. No Super Bowl, no book,” said Carbone, who was with CNN in Atlanta for six years before she and John moved to Jacksonville in 1988. “The publisher figured the people coming for the game would be interested in buying it and, because of the exposure from the game, it will increase sales after the game.”
More than anything, Carbone believes Jacksonville is on the map — and a certain publisher’s website — because of Wayne Weaver and his ability to bring the National Football League to Jacksonville.
“It’s all because of the Jacksonville Jaguars,” she said.