Ann Arbor Media Group Signs English Golf Author

(October 22, 2003) - John Wilson Barrett, of Wolverhampton, England, decided that he must draw attention to the ever-widening gap between the touring professional golfer and the everyday hacker trying desperately to improve his game - so he wrote the book Such a Little Secret.

Analyzing the wisdom of golf's great teachers, this charming bit of golf instruction has spread throughout the United Kingdom and attracted the attention of Skip DeWall, Associate Publisher of Ann Arbor Media Group. Mr. DeWall has a well-established career in publishing golf titles and has many critically acclaimed books to his credit. He knows a winner when he sees it.

After Mr. Barrett self-published Such a Little Secret, feedback confirmed that the book had helped golfers to a better game. Having bought the book for her husband, a local golfing widow approached Barrett in the market where she thanked him for "making my man livable-with again." He was clearly on to something and commenced making solicitations to publishers in an effort to see that the book gained worldwide distribution. "I knew the book could be popular in the States, and that the market there was huge, but I had no idea how to proceed in obtaining a publisher," Barrett commented.

He then contacted Bobby Jones author and historian Sid Matthew of Tallahassee, Florida, by letter. With no address for Matthew, Barrett simply addressed his letter to:
Sid Matthew, Attorney at Law
Golf Aficionado
Tallahassee, Florida
United States
The letter arrived without incident. Matthew graciously read the book with delight, then directed Barrett to his publisher, Mr. DeWall, with a strong endorsement.

After preliminary discussions, Mr. Barrett was invited to Detroit, Michigan, the automobile capitol of the world, and then on to Ann Arbor. After three days of negotiations, two rounds of golf, two soccer matches, a basketball game, numerous meetings and countless cigars, Barrett had his deal. "As part of the agreement I even had John give my goalkeeper son a quick lesson on the fine art of clearing the ball from hand, after a game in which he kept a clean sheet, but struggled to clear the ball past the center line," DeWall commented, "and it helped John get a contract!"

In Such a Little Secret, Barrett summarizes the techniques of the great masters, 1900 - 1930, who taught simplicity when striking the ball. "It's not so much the parts that move in the swing, as the parts that don't," he said. The book ended up in the hands of golf commentator Peter Alliss, who wrote to Barrett thanking him for "A beautifully crafted 'wee' book which I greatly enjoyed reading."

Such a Little Secret will be produced through Ann Arbor Media Group's new golf imprint Sports Media Group and will be available in the United Kingdom through Britespot Publishing, of the Cradley Printing Group. The United States edition will soon follow, with an expected launch in January 2004.

Mr. Barrett was born in Dereham, Norfolk, in 1928. In 1945 John met Kathleen, his wife to be, while serving in the Royal Navy. They have been married 52 years and live in Wolverhampton. In 1952 he was appointed Technical Representative to a Midlands firm of hot metal coating specialists. He became Director in 1966, and Managing Director in 1975. John retired in 1983.


Media Contact:
Skip DeWall
Ann Arbor Media Group
734-769-1000
sdewall@annarbormediagroup.com