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Michelle Prak is an Adelaide icon in her own right, with one of the most prominent PR profiles of our city and a working history spanning decades, this absolute professional knows a thing or two about the glamour and scandal of the media industry.
So it's no surprise (let's be honest, we've been dying for this) that Michelle has officially self-published her first novel "Goodbye Newsroom", following the lives of two journo sisters who decide it's time to launch their own online news site.
"Sometimes, your personal life makes the best news story of all …
Leap into the frantic and funny world of sisters Anna and Holly, out-of-work journalists who launch their own news site.
Old-school reporter Anna is made redundant from her newspaper job, while social-savvy writer Holly resigns from a women’s website. Holly enlists Anna to help her take on her old boss, but the sisters clash when Holly insists on sharing Anna’s romantic calamities for clicks.
Will they stick together and make their enterprise work – buoyed by their loyal sidekicks and the excitement of new love – or will they be a big fail?
A-list parties and influencers.
Trolls and hashtags.
And a luxurious trip to Uruguay...grab Goodbye Newsroom today!"
We were able to sit down with Michelle and ask her all of our burning questions about Goodbye Newsroom - dive into the exclusive goss below!
What is "Goodbye Newsroom" all about?
Goodbye Newsroom is a ‘rom-com’ about two female journalists – sisters Anna and Holly. It has some very modern themes.
Many of us would have noticed that more journalists – like those at BuzzFeed – are losing their jobs, and at the same time, ‘influencers’ are carving out their own businesses. Goodbye Newsroom explores that through the eyes of two sisters, Anna and Holly, both journalists.
Old-school reporter Anna is made redundant from her newspaper job, while social-savvy writer Holly resigns from a women’s website. Holly enlists Anna to help her take on her old boss and set up a rival news site. But the sisters clash when Holly insists on sharing Anna’s romantic calamities for clicks.
There’s plenty of fun, including Anna taking her first influencer trip – to Uruguay. In fact, that’s where the book begins, and it’s not the only exciting assignment Anna is sent on (or fumbles through).
Goodbye Newsroom also has plenty of references to social media, including a troll who stalks Holly throughout much of the book and romance – found on Instagram!
What are your favourite parts of your two leading characters, Anna and Holly?
Anna and Holly are both likable, but very different. Older sister Anna is more focused on a traditional, stable newspaper job. She has largely ignored social media and thinks it’s frivolous. After she’s sacked from her newsroom, she loses a lot of confidence, wants to hide from the world, and throughout the book she is frequently adrift and nervous about her future. My favourite aspect of Anna is her ultimate willingness to learn and change.
Younger sister Holly is more energetic and a real go-getter. She’s confident in her own abilities, a digital native, and more than willing to work long hours to get what she wants. Holly can be hot-headed and impetuous, which makes for some funny scenes throughout the book. But she’s also nervous about whether her business will work, whether she can pay wages to her new team, and desperate to show her critics that she can succeed. I like Holly’s drive and ability to deliver on an idea instantly!
How have your own experiences shaped "Goodbye Newsroom"?
I’ve packed so many of my own experiences into the novel! I was one of South Australia’s first full-time social media consultants (if not the first), I’m a PR consultant, and I’ve worked and socialised with many journalists over the years. A lot of these experiences have been threaded through the novel – which I also like to think of as #careerporn for some readers! I’ve also worked in tourism, which was an inspiration for sending Anna on her influencer jaunt to Uruguay – although sadly, I’ve never been there (I have discovered, however, through research, that Uruguay is one glamorous and gorgeous place!).
Like Holly, I’ve set up my own business, and I love working for myself. Without this background, I don’t think I could have built the sisters’ story.
Why is this book so relatable for young professional women?
For a gazillion reasons!
It’s set in this modern era of creating your own business. It has a very entrepreneurial spirit, which I see in a lot of young professional women.
Anna and Holly are independent, they don’t ask others for permission, they make their own working hours and routines, and they rely on a few close friends to keep them going.
Holly likes to share her life online in authentic live streams, and she’s interested in other people, too. Their work lives and social lives can be frantic, but much of it is organised via their phones.
They’re adaptable – Holly, in particular, can bounce back when things go wrong. Even if she has to ‘explode’ during a setback she quickly regains focus.
And if the day has been particularly tough, they like to dance or have cocktails – even if it’s a weeknight ;)
Support this incredible Adelaide author and purchase your very own e-book of Goodbye Newsroom from Amazon here!
#GoodbyeNewsroom
Catch Michelle on her links below!
#GoodbyeNewsroom
Catch Michelle on her links below!