Deckchairs in a hurricane

When "Dingo" folded, I was like a stunned mullet. I thought I'd failed. I felt responsible. As if a lowly subeditor could be responsible for the demise of a national magazine. My instinct was to return to the retail sector, preferably at the closest Kmart. I remember a colleague trying to talk me out of it. Then I was offered a trial on another mag and everything was OK.

When "Ralph" folded, I was worried for a different reason. I'd been on the verge of 10 years with the company: long-service territory. A quick phone call to the media union resulted in an assurance I'd be paid pro rata for the accumulated time. In the end, it was a sweet redundancy package, and I was headhunted by another publication for the same role (chief sub).

When "UFC Magazine Australia" folded, despite the fact I was editor, it felt beyond my control. As on "Ralph", the ad count was LOW. The advertising department hated us or were hopeless or both. But our new owner didn't believe in paying for brand names, so there was zip I coulda done to convince them to renew the UFC licence. I happily went freelance.