What I want to be when I grow up
Last year was a doozy… I got married to Joanna, we published the fourth issue of The Grub Street Journal, I spoke about Why print won’t lie down and die at the FIPP congress in Portugal, then paused print on Grub Street. I also parted company with my biggest client after eight years and turned 60.
With all that buzzing in my brain, I took myself off to one of my happiest happy places, to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.
It turns out I want to write about magazines… WHO KNEW?
The Magazine Diaries is my wannabe-weekly Substack about how to make print magazines work in a digital world.
Although far from weekly, the newsletters I published last year were pretty well received and I’ve decided to give The Magazine Diaries the attention it needs to become a business rather than an occasional inbox-soapbox.
My first step is to commit to a weekly free newsletter. I’m going back to an old format - sharing magazine publishing ideas worth stealing - and the first newsletter in the revisited format will be with you on Wednesday next week.
I also plan to add another fortnightly newsletter for paid subscribers that will follow the format of recent posts - my thoughts on how best to make print magazines work in a digital world.
Other paid subscriber benefits in the mix might include:
A full archive of Grub Street articles (previously only available in print)
Interviews with magazine makers
Online Magazine Diaries meetups
Discounts on Grub Street print and events
A podcast (I’m trying to talk Joanna into joining me)
Discounts on online courses run by me
If any, or all, of this feels like it might be your thing, drop me a line and let me know which bits float your boat, light your candle, tickle your fancy. And if there’s anything I’ve missed that you would like from me, please take the time to let me know.
And if you’re a Media Voices fan, don’t worry, I’ll continue working as one-third of the small but mighty team behind the podcast, newsletter, and soon-to-be expanded Publisher Summit and Awards programme.
So, yes, that’s what three days off the grid in North Wales does for you.
If you’re not signed up to The Magazine Diaries, do it now. There will always be a free newsletter for you if you don’t feel the urge to subscribe.
Meanwhile, all the absolute best for 2025.
Slàinte Mhath
Peter
Writing about magazines—hell, that's what I want to do too when I grow up! Paul, age 60 and three quarters. 😉