A) Rate it or hate it?
B) Is it going to succeed?

It’s embargoed, so I can’t talk about the contents just yet, but I just stood and read the chapter on The Catch Up. It’s well worth a read for anyone interested in what went on behind the scenes and how it went so wrong. (Although I suspect she’s taking more of the blame personally than is realistic)

I’ll be taking the book home with me tonight, and I’m looking forward to reading the rest.

Cheers,

Tim – Mumbrella

Im going to write my autobiography and it will be on the streets early November ok.

I am asking my friend Mr Jones who lived next door if he can provide a forward for me….

Oh, i have a wealth of experience in the publishing industry – i have read lots of magazines so does that count as experience

Yes, I’m a cricket fan and yes I am bitter about losing the Ashes!

Mia is loved by her readers because she can genuinely connect through open, honest story telling based on her own experiences that most women in her demongraphic can relate to. And she does it with class, style, humour. She doesn’t preach, she shares!! Not just about the good stuff, but the bad experiences too. If she can maintain this in her book, I’m sure it will be an enjoyable read. For the right audience, that is.

I’ve been interstate and offline for the last few hours, otherwise I’d have joined in this discussion earlier.

A couple of points to bear in mind.

First, I notice from the IP addresses, that many of these comments seem to come from people working at large media owners. What they may not have yet have noticed (because it’s happened quite quickly), is that Mia Freedman’s blog has already become successful. Certainly if her comment stream is anything to go by, then she has a loyal and engaged audience. That perhaps answers those who ask whether they’ll be an interest in it.

Second, she’s not 18, she’s in her mid 30s. That doesn’t exactly make her the youngest person to write an autobiography.

In that time, she’s edited Cosmo (and yes, Brian, actually I do think it’s a big achievment to get your hands on one of the world’s most famous magazine brands at that age – even as a franchise).

But the thing I’ll be most interested to read is the story of what happened at Nine, and why The Catch Up didn’t work out.

Now I’m not Mia Freedman’s target audience, but I enjoy reading her columns in Fairfax’s Sunday Life mag. She writes warmly and well. I suspect the book will be a good read too.

And by the way, she’s not a mate. The only time we’ve met face to face was at a trade press briefing at Nine for The Catch Up more than two years ago.

By all means criticise the book if it’s no good. But it seems weird to criticise the fact that it exists when I’m sure it’ll do far better than many books published in Australia this year.

Cheers,

Tim – Mumbrella

I have no doubt her book will be a smash-hit and I for one cannot WAIT for my pre-ordered copy to arrive!

The book is going to sell and she’s timed it right. Mia has parleyed a successful media career into a successful one as a blogger/columnist. She’s a in demand commentator and her skills with social media are a good example for other to follow.

The question is: why would anyone continue with the mugs game of magazine editing / publishing when you knew her level of success was achievable by jumping out of the mainstream (and then exploiting it).

I actually enjoy reading the occasional story on successful media people (Packer, Murdoch etc) so is there any other good ones out there i should have a read of?

gwright@aprs.com.au