When one embarks on the arduous journey of beginning their first ‘grown-up’ blog, experts often tell you to find a blog in your niche from which to learn from.

For me, finding Girl With a Satchel was a really exciting experience. GWAS is a media blog written by Erica Bartle, a former editor of Girlfriend magazine. The blog is so unique in the way it mixes new media with the old, discussing the changing magazine landscape and the wide range of cultural connections we share such as celebrity, fashion and lifestyle online. I loved it instantly – I love magazines, I love blogs, I love pretty things – is she reading my mind??

So you can imagine how excited I was when she agreed to share her thoughts with me recently…

RR: Girl with A Satchel continues to be praised for the way you’ve taken your love of print media, magazines, and created a new niche in the blogosphere. How did it all come about?

EB: I was working for Australian teen magazine Girlfriend in 2007 and felt the urge to create an online home for myself – I was due to be married in four months’ time and working as the deputy editor of the magazine, so the blog allowed me to express my thoughts and indulge my passions (print media) in a way that was transportable and instantaneous at a time when my life was undergoing a massive change.

How has GWAS evolved since it began?

It is an industry meets personal blog, which I sometimes find hard to reconcile, so (spoiler alert!), you may see the evolution of GWAS into another blog sometime soon. I’ve been lucky in that I’ve found a niche to address – and, really, who doesn’t love a glossy magazine?

Your analyses of the magazine industry are both insightful and a really special aspect of your blog, do you think the blogosphere has a lot to offer the print media in terms of bringing a critical eye to the industry?

Blogs have tended to be hyper-critical of magazines and the industry, which has been a good thing for shining a light on some of the more dubious business practises. However, having worked in magazines, I’m familiar with the constraints and pressures that editors face, so hopefully there’s an element of empathy that comes across in my blog posts. I think it’s important to keep the magazine industry honest and in check, as it really is so influential, particularly for young women.

GWAS has translated many characteristics of a glossy magazine into the online format. As a trained journalist, do you find your skills acquired both at university and through the workplace have relevance online? Or can anyone be a good blogger?

I think it helps to have a media background, but it’s not essential. There are many beautiful, authentic and addictive blogs out there created by people without a lot of experience or industry nous. You have to play to your passions. My blog’s aesthetic is important to me, as it’s my online home – I have to look at it all day! – and it represents who I am in a visual sense. Pretty is of the essence! In that respect, blogs are very much like magazines – melding images and words to create something visually stimulating and worthy of reading! I am learning as I go about what suits the online medium best in terms of copywriting: I was always an over-writer in print, and am much the same online. It’s hard to edit yourself back, so that’s been a challenge.

Do you plan your posts ahead of time in an ‘editorial calendar’ sort of way? Or do you prefer to post spontaneously?

I have a very general weekly schedule, with regular posts, such as ‘This week in the satchel’, ‘Media Musings’, ‘Cute & Chic’ and ‘Playlist’, while other posts are written up according to what’s on the media agenda, what catches my eye and, with the more personal posts, whatever God’s pressing into my heart to wax on about.

What types of posts do you find are most popular?

Going by the comments, it’s the more personal posts. One I wrote about my marriage last year garnered a lot of feedback. However, I tend to have a lot of inactive readers who drop by without ever leaving a comment, which makes it difficult to judge. The general feedback I’ve received is that a good mix of insightful industry posts, glossy news and personal views is the way to go.

What’s the best part about being a full-time blogger?

To be uninhibited about my personal views and to share my life experience with other women (and some men!)

Any tips for those who’d like to start their own blog?

Find a niche and/or a strong voice. If you have achieved something or have a particular passion that’s not been overly addressed, then that’s the way to go. Blogs can be all-consuming, and hungry and exhausting, so you need to be regularly inspired to post! For me, that means having a full and flourishing life outside the blog, and also daily commitment to my faith and prayer life, dog walking and time with my husband, family and friends. It’s good grounding for a solitary gig. Coffee helps, too!

Thanks Erica! And be sure to check out Girl with a Satchel!

xx