Gable Tostee: What is his story worth?

Gable Tostee leaves the Supreme Court in Brisbane after being found not guilty over the death of Warriena Wright (AAP)
Gable Tostee leaves the Supreme Court in Brisbane after being found not guilty over the death of Warriena Wright (AAP)

Gable Tostee didn't give his side of the story at his trial, and we may never find out what was going through his mind the night Warriena Wright died.

Mr Tostee has said he wants to "move on" with his life, and there are differing opinions on whether a tabloid or women's magazine could offer him enough cash to change his mind and tell all.

On Thursday he was acquitted of murdering Lower Hutt woman Warriena Wright, who died after falling off the 14th-floor balcony of a Gold Coast apartment building in 2014.

Mr Tostee didn't testify at the trial, and his defence team called no witnesses.

Gavin Ellis, former editor of the New Zealand Herald and now a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland's Faculty of Arts, says there is likely to be a bidding war for Mr Tostee's story.

"His story remains largely untold, and that will be the attraction to the media," he told Newshub.

"This is most likely to be a bidding war in the popular end of the market, shall I say. I think we're unlikely to see the Sydney Morning Herald or The Australian bidding for that sort of story, but we might see the Sydney Telegraph - [Rupert] Murdoch's paper in Sydney - bidding for it, along with the women's magazines like Woman's Day... and the television channels, of course."

There's one small problem however - money.

"Media companies are not as affluent as they used to be - they don't have the sort of money they once threw around."

Fiona Fraser, ex-editor of the NZ Women's Weekly, says Mr Tostee's story might not bring in any extra readers, and could scare off advertisers.

"The guy has been acquitted, sure, but he's not exactly squeaky clean. You've got to think of your readers, and I don't know how many women's magazine readers would be looking at wanting to read a story about a guy like him," she says.

Australian public relations consultant and celebrity liaison Max Markson agrees, saying Mr Tostee, whose past has now been revealed, is not likely to appeal to readers. 

"I don't think he'll be able sell his story to a major Australian outlet," he says. 

Regarding Warriena Wright's story, he says he's not certain, as it's a New Zealand story more than an Australian one, and it's also a sad event.

"I can't think of that many New Zealand brands or Australian brands that would want a full-page ad next to an interview with Gable Tostee," Ms Fraser says. 

"You're looking at about 50 percent of your money and your revenue's coming from advertising, and you need to be mindful of your advertisers."

One big story in Australia was Schapelle Corby, who in 2005 was found guilty of drug possession and sentenced to 20 years' jail in Indonesia.

There was a bidding war between media outlets for her story, and reports her family demanded $2 million for it. Ms Fraser says there's not that kind of money to spend on a story like that now.

"I do recall back in the early days that we would see prices like $1 million paid for Posh and Becks, and Kardashian stories and that kind of thing - but that's really not the reality anymore."

Ms Fraser says there might be more reader interest in Wright's story.

"That's where the sympathies are going to lie."

Newshub.