Footprints Magazine Blog tour

Have you seen a blog tour before? It is like a virtual promotional tour where an author (or in this case a magazine editor) is interviewed on various blogs and the interviews appear across several or more blogs over a period of days or weeks.

Today I have an interview with Janet Camilleri, editor of Footprints magazine. This tour celebrates the 50th edition of the magazine.

 There are a lot of magazines out there. What makes Footprints unique?

As far as I am aware, Footprints is the only non-denominational Australian Christian women’s magazine in print, with nearly 100% home-grown (Australian or New Zealand ) content. And we are run by volunteers as a not-for-profit ministry, rather than as a business.

 Wendy's note:  Christian Women magazine announced recently that they are no longer producing a print version, only an online version.

What is your favourite part of editing a magazine?

Umm … all of it?!  I enjoy writing. I enjoy hearing from our readers. I like doing the layout and sourcing just the right illustration to go with a piece. I love seeing how a heap of separate articles come together to create a magazine, with just the right balance of topics. I like marketing and promoting Footprints.

What I find most difficult is when readers ask me for ideas of what *they* could write. When I have an idea, it’s usually something that *I* want to write about! So it is very hard for me to come up with ideas for others, especially when I have no real idea about their background, talents, interests etc.

Last year we went to Manila together to a magazine editing conference. What was the biggest thing you learned there?

Not to eat salad! Just kidding. (We both picked up a tummy bug and as we were drinking bottled water, I think we got it from eating salad that had been washed with un-boiled water.)

I learnt many things, but probably the biggest thing was how important it is to look after our readers and writers. As Rick Warren says in the first sentence of “The Purpose Driven Life”, it’s not about me (and yes I have made that mistake in the past!). It’s about glorifying God, encouraging our readers, nurturing younger Christians, comforting the hurting and lonely, reaching out to others with the good news of the gospel, and giving writers an opportunity to grow and improve and publish their work, and so much more …

You're a passionate woman (I know, after travelling and rooming with you!). What is your biggest passion for the future of Footprints?

That it reach as many Aussie Christian women as possible, so that they can get the faith lift and encouragement that each issue of Footprints brings. I am forever hearing new subscribers say “I just wish I’d found your magazine sooner” … I wish that too!

I know you have a vision to help rural and isolated Australian women. What have you done towards that goal?

You know, I almost mentioned that to answer your previous question. You must have read my mind!

The internet is a great opportunity to reach that goal, as it’s accessible 24/7. Through our website, blog, Facebook fanpage, email chat group and free monthly ezine, we are able to reach women no matter where they may be.

I have also made myself available to speak at women’s groups and churches in small country towns, and have been invited to places like Childers, Dalby, Emerald, and Yeppoon, to name just a few.

But now that you ask that question – hmmmm. You’ve got me thinking, just what would be the best way to reach the women in the outback! Love to hear from anybody that has some ideas …

What is the biggest mistake you've published?

Trust me, there have been a few! In our early days, I made a typo on a contributor’s name, so that it said “Batty” instead of “Betty”. Oops! There have also been times when the end of an article has been cut off inadvertently when we went to print.

I have made some more serious errors of judgement in the material I have chosen to publish. I’m thinking specifically of a joke which was called “three reasons” – it listed three reasons Jesus was really black, a woman, and I forget the third. I’m hopeless at remembering jokes so I can’t really remember it. A couple of our readers found it a bit offensive, and as an editor I should have thought of that before printing it just because “I” liked it.

And I hear you have a special offer for my blog readers?

Any Aussie readers are welcome to send an email to editor@footprintsaustralia.com with their postal address, to receive a free trial issue of Footprints. (Of course we’re hoping that they will love it so much they will not only sign up, but that they will also tell their friends!)

Thanks for answering my questions Janet. We look forward to seeing many more editions of Footprints magazine.

For those interested in finding out more about Janet and her magazine, here are the Blog tour dates. Unfortunately I don't have the links for all of them, but will post them as soon as I can.



Fri 25/06           Julie Miller “Works for me Homemaking”
Sat 26/06          Kay Weight “Heart and Soul Pursuits”
Sun 27/06         Michelle Evans “Michelle Dennis Evans”
Mon 28/06         Kathie Thomas – which one Kathie??! I know you have several!
Tues 29/06        Lilian Read “Mothering Misadventures”
Wed 30/06        Corallie Buchanan “Buchanan Beeline”
Thurs 01/07       Joni Leimgruber “Every (1) Matters”
Fri 02/07           Narelle Nettelbeck Moments for Mum
Sat 03/07          Catherine Oehlman Squigglemum
Sun 04/07         Paula Whitehouse Paula’s Sharing Spot
Mon 05/07         Kelly Burstow “Be a Fun Mum”
Tues 06/07        Tabitha Bird “Through My Eyes”