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Behind the scenes at Footprints magazine

The Christian Editor

October
19

6:19 pm Chit-chat, Christian magazines, Writing

One of the topics we discussed at the Christian Magazine Editors conference was: How is being a Christian Editor different to any other magazine editor?

I am very aware of the huge responsibility I have to the women who read Footprints … almost like a pastor in many ways. I strive to please Jesus in all I do, and to help Aussie women draw ever closer to Him. Just as Jesus told stories (parables) to teach the people in His time, so I too am using stories (magazine articles) to teach 21st Century Aussie women!

So I was delighted to have this affirmed during the course, when Mark Galli, Senior Managing Editor for Christianity Today, described one of the key roles of the Christian editor as being a shepherd caring for a flock – just like a pastor.

However this is just one of the facets of being an editor, Christian or otherwise. Here are just some others:

Director – The editor directs and oversees the production of the magazine;

Detective – The editor needs to be good at sniffing out good leads for stories, tracking down contributors, and investigating sources and finding information;

Coach – One of the roles of the editor is to cheer on the writers, illustrators, and other contributors to the magazine, and encourage them to learn and grow in their craft;

Gardener – The editor weeds out incorrect spelling, poor grammar, clichés and other pests that can so easily sprout and even overtake our writing;

Window Designer – The editor is responsible for the overall look of the magazine – even if they have the luxury of a graphic designer (which Footprints doesn’t!);

Traffic Police – The editor is the one making sure that everyone sticks to the rules and deadlines, and directs the flow of articles coming in;

Business Manager – At the end of the day, no matter how many staff work on a magazine, it is the editor who keeps advertisers happy, makes sure bills are paid, and oversees costs and budgets – and even more so in a small operation like Footprints.

Ambassador - The Editor represents their magazine, much like an ambassador represents their country.

Perhaps you’ve never thought about what an editor does; or maybe like me, you know only too well just what a huge task it can be! Can you add any other roles to the ones I’ve listed here?

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