History

Vicky Lee is the host of London's WayOut Club and the Author and Editor of this book. Vicky Lee co-founded 'The Transvestites Guide to London' in 1992 together with Caroline Eggerton. This first slim volume, with no pictures, was sold from club to club from their handbags. In 1995 the annual book became 'The Tranny Guide' (as this is what every one was calling it and at a time when the name Tranny was being used fondly between tranny friends).

In 1997 Vicky bought the company and re-launched it as 'The WayOut Publishing Company Ltd' becoming director and editor. As technology changed and improved Vicky added more colour pages to the series of books. Always aiming to inform and inspire the book gained more and more pages of advise and articles from fantastic contributors with stunning pictures. The internet sped up the communication with contributors but also added pressure to find space for a growing amount of information.

In the 10th edition Vicky struggled once more to give he readers something fresh and new. The result was more colour more articles and no room for listings. UK listings were relatively easy to check with a quick call but with call charges and language and time differences international listings were hard to check. Furthermore the internet proved to have too many out of date resource and information sites on the TG subject that proved worthless. Vicky took the decision to drop international listings in favour of Personal Reports. With a growing team of "reporters" with local knowledge and pictures the reports were colourful but lacked detail leading to some complaints from overseas and from travellers.

Conversly despite much praise came in for Vicky's new concept of Personal Profiles. Correspondents filled out a questionnaire and together with pictures these Profiles when compared gave a wealth of detail to the lives of cross-dressers and transsexuals. These Profiles really show that no two people are the same and that TG people may be similar but all different.

In 2004 Vicky researched at home and in America and decided to make one last attempt to put all the advice and inspiration she could into a one off full colour book hence HE or SHE. This freed the Tranny Guide to become once more a travel guide and reference book coloured by some reports and profiles and a better events guide. This NEW book was renamed Transgender AtoZ. Knowing that, £ pound for pound, the net can hold on a web site far more than the published book ever could and that a web site can be interactive and up to date (if maintained adequately). Vicky commissioned a special web site from friend and web guru Fraser Renton to allow readers and service providers to self maintain their listings on a NEW web site Transgenderatoz.com.

So the plan for the future is to feed the Transgenderatoz web site and make it grow. To promote HE or SHE and through it the reference book Transgender Ato Z which will become a series of annual '"snap shots" of the TG AtoZ web site (if readers continue to want a published book).

This brings us up to date with the WayOut Publishing story so far.

"Vicky Lee you are the Prophet of Trannydom who came down from Stiletto Mountain in a shower of glitter to bring us commandments engraved in eyeliner"
by Benjamina 2002

("an exaggeration maybe Benjamina ... but beautifully phrased")

None of the above could be done without the support of Co director of WayOut Publishing Co Ltd my life partner Lesley who listens to my stories and ideas and helps me make decisions. And my team Sue Mills who keeps me on the straight and narrow with my advertisers, Alli who sets adverts for me, Marion who for a number of years looked after my banking and post including my massive mail ots ad product despatches. Karen who looks after web site updates research and book preparation. Nothing this complex can be done without teamwork and I have a great team.