An apology

I know it has been pretty quiet on Shoestring lately.

Some of you even wondered whether it is ever coming back.

Let me assure you, it took a while, but Shoestring is back!

First of all, I would like to tell you that a new issue of Shoestring will be published very soon. I am just putting the finishing touches on it!

Secondly, this website will undergo a revamp and relaunch in 2012, and I am busy working on this behind the scenes. I apologise for the lack of updates.

As you know, Shoestring is completely voluntary. To be able to publish anything, I need you, the readers, to share their stories. Otherwise this would soon turn into a magazine that features only my own travel memories, and even though I do have travel experience, even I would run out of things to say eventually.

So sometimes, it does take a little longer than intended to get the pages together.

32 pages is not that much, you might argue. It is, if you put them together by yourself, from scratch. It takes time and consideration, both things, I have not had much of. Once I receive a story, the rest of the editorial responsibilities are mine. Sourcing photos, proof reading, layout, fact checking, and spreading the word about Shoestring, all this is currently a one woman job. A daunting task at times.

Imagine sitting in front of a blank page and having to fill it, make it look so good everybody will stop and read it. Now imagine staring at 32 blank pages.

I pride myself in the fact that Shoestring has come as far as it has for free! That means it is a free publication, free of paid advertising, and its reputation is built on word-of-mouth. The first issue was only ever meant to be read by a select handful of people at my university. Instead, it has gone global!

As much as I would love to, I am currently not in a position to turn Shoestring into a full-time job, even though this would be my dream job.

I hope you can understand, that Shoestring is a hobby. A very much loved but time-consuming hobby. So if an issue is published late, or the website is not updated on a daily basis, I apologise. I would like you to know though that I am always working on making the next issue of Shoestring the best yet! A magazine you are proud to be seen reading, and proud to be published in.

If I achieve that, then I have achieved my goal.

I hope you understand, and I also hope that you are looking forward to the next issue of Shoestring just as much as I am!

Happy Travels,

Conny

Editor-in-chief