For our very first
mentor blog I was absolutely thrilled When Deb Bibby editor of Real Living
magazine agreed to chat with us, introducing Deb Bibby disarmingly friendly,
casually elegant, and the powerhouse behind everyone’s favourite mag Real
Living.
1) CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY BEFORE YOU
BECAME EDITOR AT REAL LIVING MAGAZINE?
“I started off
studying fashion design at Sydney College of the Arts. In my 1st year we had a
little fashion parade, and the fashion editor from Cleo was there. She asked me
if I’d leave and become her fashion assistant. So I deferred
expecting to go back but just fell in love with magazines! They gave me a cadetship and within 2
years I became the fashion editor.” Around that time a position for
fashion editor at Dolly magazine came up, but Deb was encouraged by her Team to
go for the Editor's job, and despite being only 20 years old
and having no prior experience she went for it. I got brave
enough on the day, and
it just came out of my mouth- I'd love to be the
editor!!
Deb was given the job
of Editor at Dolly. Talk about winging it! She had a special phone ‘the hotline’ to
call her boss when she wasn’t sure what to do.
After Dolly, Deb went
to London to edit a teen title called Look Now and after several years
returned to cut her teeth editing Follow
Me Magazine and FMG for guys. Deb then took some time out to be with her newborn son
Jack and while at home decided to do a cookbook with her mum called My Mum's Cook Book. Basically created because she couldn’t
cook and needed to collate all her mum’s recipes in one book. The self-published book sold really
well and sparked
by the success of this Deb created a publishing company called Box Press, with backing from a film production company.
“After about 10 years
I really missed magazines though so I came back into ACP very humbly and asked
if I could come back. I was given a sex book to edit called “I'll Have What
She's Having” and
while that was going on real living was being
discussed and I got offered the job as
editor- I thought Thank God!! ”
2) HOW
TO GET YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR
“The book was a way
to get my foot in the door again with ACP.
If they
had said to me “we've only got the job of cleaner of the offices” I would have
taken it. It's
what I always say to anyone asking advice. It's just
about getting your foot in the door somewhere. And
if you're good and you're passionate about what you do it will shine through. That's
why I always take work experience kids here because they need that opportunity!
You don't really employ off a CV”
3) WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO IMPRESS AN EDITOR?
“I employed off
a CV once! The one CV that we
employed off was written in crayon, She listed
everything that she'd done in her life from bus driving to tour guide, Deb
gave her the job and within 2 years she had moved off
the junior role and she was writing and
styling for us!
4) Real Living Magazine is now one of the most
popular Lifestyle Magazines. What are some of the early risks you took that
have paid off.
“The first 5 years we played it pretty safe, and we were led by
focus groups. The
magazine did well but I’d always had this desire to include fashion into the
magazine and make it a little more
stylish than where we were aiming. My original
publisher left and I felt it was my opportunity, he would’ve killed me – I
threw the focus group info out of the window and went with my gut. With all the blogs,
pinterest and Instagram I felt my readers visual aesthetic must’ve broadened –
we now all had a view globally and real living needed to raise the bar.
After a serious debate with my new publisher where he stated I was
‘completely off brief’ he decided to let me run with it, lucky for me sales
went through the roof, advertising started to pour in the door and real living
hasn’t looked back. Each month the mission is to ‘change it up’ – keep real
living energetic and bubbling. I love the notion of the reader getting a
surprise each month on the newsstand – no formula’s, no homogonised look –
something a little unique, packed with inspiration and affordable decorating
and renovating advice.
5) Real Living Magazine champions accessible
design and art. What sort of impact do you think this has had?
“I think it's just
given people confidence to play a lot more!” “We’re showing people -hey you can go to vinnies, it can look
good!” “We’re showing people that you can
style up Nana’s old cupboard with graphic books, an
artwork or maybe a few beautiful Dinosaur Design vases”. You can build the room around one beautiful feature item.
“Like in fashion a good shoe brings the whole outfit together and it doesn’t have to
cost a fortune!”
6) ANY ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CREATIVES?
“My Mum always told
me you can do whatever you want to do. That was the best advice she gave me, she instilled a positivity and confidence in me early on, that and to be KIND along
the way.
And just get in there
and give it a go! You’ve got absolutely nothing to
lose!
SPECIAL THANKS TO: @kellieleczinska for these beautiful photos. www.thelightcatcher.com.au
@Deb_bibby for a fab arvo and for being you xx
@miaoatley www.miaoatley.com.au
@Deb_bibby for a fab arvo and for being you xx
@miaoatley www.miaoatley.com.au
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