“Closing a title is never an easy decision," said News Magazines chief executive Sandra Hook in a statement. "The staff has worked extremely diligently in a very competitive environment and I want to acknowledge the loyalty of Notebook:’s readers and advertisers.
"The closure of Notebook: will allow us to devote more energy to our core food, home and fashion titles, our market leading digital properties taste.com.au and vogue.com.au and other investment areas, including digital applications that are being developed."
Despite efforts to spark sales excitement on the stands, and a repositioning of the title as a women's lifestyle monthly, Notebook: has struggled to find its feet since its 2008 redesign, at which point it did away with its traditional flower-and-vase covers, opting instead to run generic models, as well as ditching its trademark "tabs" in favour of monthly postcards and bookmarks.
The most recent circulation data showed a four per cent year-on-year sales loss for the title, which sells 70,188 monthly copies to The Australian Women's Weekly's 493,301. At the same time, home/interiors titles saw a near across-the-board rise in sales, including Notebook:'s stablemate InsideOut, as did food magazines, including the publisher's delicious, Donna Hay and the newly minted MasterChef title.
Launched in 2005 by Federal Publishing Company (FPC) and acquired by News Limited as part of its purchase of FPC in 2007, Notebook: will be sorely missed by dedicated readers who enjoy its positive editorial content and beautiful aesthetic.
The magazine joins fellow interior title Domino in glossy heaven and makes way for new entrants, including Pacific Magazines' The Outdoor Room with Jamie Durie and News Limited's upcoming Body + Soul magazine, which target Notebook:'s 30+ demographic, on newsstands.
GWAS wishes the team, some of whom are facing redundancy, and editor Caroline Roessler all the very best.
Yours truly,
Girl With a Satchel
27 comments:
:( very sad news!
i've always found notebook to have an element of class about it... always well presented, but not too snobby that you don't want to be it's friend!
No ! I love Notebook. It's the only magazine I buy.
What a major disappointment. This is the only magazine I buy. It's the best as it's not full of nonsense like the gossip and fashion magazines.
I think it's poor form that their website still has advertising to subscribe to the magazine as of 5.40pm today.
The November issue will only be my second one in my new subscription. What do they intend to do to compensate us subscribers?
Sad to see Notebook go. I have enjoyed ready a great mag.
can't believe it!! I always find it so easy to read
oh no, that's very sad indeed! great magazine, big loss :(
I always felt nurtured after reading Notebook - the antithesis of the way most women's mags make me feel. Such sad news.
And you can still subscribe on isubscribe website. So the publishers will gladly keep taking money from those who don't know it's closing time?
This is such a great tragedy, Notebook Magazine is the most inspirational, motivating and uplifting magazine I have ever come across and I've been reading it and have the issues dating back quite some time. I rejoice each month and look forward to special time being lost in the words from cover to cover. Love the quotes and wondrous articles ... A sad sad day indeed :( Mel xox
I just bought the October issue for the first time and enjoyed it so much, and now they are getting rid of it? Such a shame as it is so pretty inside.
Can we please have an online version. Would be cheaper to run I guess
This is the most annoying closure yet- there is now nothing for that demographic that is of high quality.
Someone elsewhere suggested Frankie which quite frankly is too young. So instead there's interiors, celeb gossip or health.. meh
I read this the other night here, and was shocked. Too shocked to comment. I subscribe... and adore Notebook... and this just doesn't make sense to me.
Is it weird that I'm kinda mad at the world {well, the people in it} for not buying more of Notebook... mad at myself for not telling more people about it...
I'm in disbelief. Why....? Why....?
I'm just going to run off, stomp my feet and sulk. x
oh that is so sad... i love notebook, and its one of two mags I buy each month (country style being the other)... its so disappointing that intelligent and thoughtful publications get pushed aside for gossipy trashy crap... sigh....
I was in hospital when told Notebook would no longer be available - so disappointed!! I bought this magazine every month as it was more 'real' than all the others, without crap advertising like Womens Weekly or others in that league... It also (generally) featured fashion at more-or-less realistic prices, not ridiculous $17,000 handbags & shoes (no that isn't a typo) like Vogue, Bazzaar & other mags. Really poor form to the publishers - why didn't you just return to the previous successful product?
Very disappointing. There are a lot of magazines I would trash before Notebook.
I'm gutted. I have been wondering why I couldn't find January's edition on the newstands and was blaming the floods. I loved "Notebook" and have every copy since No: 1. So so sad to not be able to have my quiet time with the mag each month. Will really miss it.
Deb
I too was always eagerly awaiting the new Notebook each month and had only just decided to subscribe. I wondered why the next didn't arrive.
Like others before me have said, it really was the only mag I found that didn't talk down or talk rubbish re: celebrities etc. Will sadly miss it
With the GFC and all the negative and disasters in Queensland today, Notebook was the only shining star in my life.
What a huge loss to many people across the country, when now is the time we need a positive magazine, that make us feel good about ourselves.
Shame on you, for ditching what could have been a winner.
cant believe it !!!!! was searching everywhere for it to be told the bad news.... why does a good magazine get taken away from us?? now I have nothing to read...dont like the ones that just tell lies....
I don't think it should have ended either. I was going away on a houseboat and i wanted a good magazine to look through! I actually got off the boat and ran to the nearest newsagency to get a copy but to find out that it had stopped producing!!I couldn't believe it. I was so so sad.I think if it came back then i would get a subscription for the whole year!!
You know it is so sad, the reason I loved this magaznioe is because when I read it it made me feel good about me, my life and my home!
It had a little bit of everything and it was real.
There is nothing else on the market like this....I found most of the other Australian Magazines that are in this space to still be 'fake' feeling - like Better Homes and Gardens....I don't want what they think is 'better' I want notes on how I can make things better my way :-)
CB
If I wrote what I want you wouldn't allow it. I'm so mad they've stopped this mag. I thought it was just the NZ shops not stocking it any more :( Don't they realise there are some discerning readers out there who don't want to just see pages of glossy ads for stuff they'll never buy nor read endless pieces about 'famous' people and what they've been doing or will do, most of which is made up. Shame on the greedy publishers.
Disappointed doesn't even come close to how I feel about the decision to axe Notebook. I wonder what the publishers are going to do now to get my money - I'm certainly not switching to a trash magazine! So now they have zero of my magazine spend.
I agree with other posts - why didn't they just bring back the old format??
In this day and age, where there is a justified push towards sustainable, honest and simple living here was a magazine that didn't make the concept scary. Notebook made me feel good about myself and encouraged me to make small but (to my surprise) significant changes to the way I live my life, best of all it was easy! There was so much relevant content and I never felt bombarded by the advertising.
I guess the lifestyle magazine industry just doesn't get it...
This may be crazy but I have just created a 'Bring Back Notebook Magazine' page on Facebook! I was so disappointed that the publication ceased and I understand that they may never bring it back...but one can hope! They bought back 'Hey Hey it's Saturday...so fingers crossed! Let me know if I can link here for it..I don't want to unless it is okay with you first!
Go for it, Amanda!
I loved this magazine so much :( I really hope they decide to bring it back one day.
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