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The History Of... Total Carp
This year heralds the 10th anniversary of Total Carp magazine – the jewel in the DHP consumer-title crown. Continuing to set the pace as the leading carp magazine in the market place, TC, as it’s lovingly referred to, offers a mix of vibrant, live content with plenty of help and advice for the newcomer to carp fishing as well as the more accomplished angler.
When the title was first launched, under the expert editorship of Jim Foster, Total Carp changed the face of carp fishing magazines. It featured a heady mix of content that included some real characters, some of which continue to contribute to the magazine today.
Jim lives life with a smile on his face and his magazine was a mirror of that attitude. Sometimes, to be fair, Jim might cross the line so to speak, and on occasion so too did TC.
Towards Jim’s last year or so as editor he had taken it to the top of the sales charts and it now outshone more established titles such as Carpworld and DHP’s own Advanced Carp Fishing.
The then deputy editor of ‘Advanced’, Marc Coulson, took over the reins of Total Carp, as Jim was promoted up the DHP ranks. Jim had succeeded in making TC the first carp magazine to ever sell over 20,000 copies in one month. It was not long before Marc and his team succeeded in making Total Carp the first carp title to sell, on average, over 20,000 copies every single month. Marc’s second full year as editor saw the magazine reach an ABC audited average monthly sale of over 21,000 copies for the year – unprecedented in that market and still never bettered, except by Total Carp itself. In fact, to this day the average monthly sales remain well over 22,000 – 5,000 copies more per month, on average, than when Marc took over in 2003.
The carp market was booming and TC was leading the way. Marc introduced a less comedic style, but still maintaining Jim’s philosophy of making carp fishing fun. The likes of Dave Lane, Derek Ritchie, Neil Smith and many more helped make the content stronger than any other title, hence its popularity.
Five years on and the team, including Marc’s experienced and trusted right-hand-man, Jonathan Bones, continues to produce a product that tops the carp-title charts; popular with both reader and advertiser. The trade loves TC as much as its adoring and loyal readership does.
As well as being the biggest-selling magazine, TC is often the biggest in size, with over 220 pages on occasion in the busier, summer months. As well as being popular with carp anglers all over the UK, the continental boys cannot get enough of TC’s mix of live features, step-by-step tuition and easy-to-follow style.
If it’s your first carp or your next carp, TC will help you catch it. The pace of the magazine is unique and it never loses sight of the fact that carp, no matter what size, are fun and worthy adversaries.
Marc credits the entire team, including one or two who have been and gone, with the magazine’s success. In Katie Wright, Marc believes he has the most talented designer in the industry and the magazine shows her skill and imagination. Lee Jones sub-edits with great understanding and accommodation of the subject and intended reader, while new-boy Jason Umney is forging his own career on the title – a future star in the making, perhaps.
Outside of the TC editorial office itself, many individuals in the DHP organisation should be thanked for their efforts. Many have worked tirelessly in the common pursuit of perfection – something we all continue to strive for to this day.
Marc is fiercely proud of Total Carp, its pedigree and those who have contributed to both. He looks forward to somebody writing another of these ‘histories’ with equal pride and aplomb in years to come.
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