You said on your blog in response to another question that you’re quite happy saying “no.” That seems to be my biggest problem when it comes to turning down work. I just can’t do it! Any advice on when to say no and how to? You know the guy at the dinner table who piles […]

Recently I wrote, “I do very thorough research until I’m confident that I’ve understood the subject matter quite well, even before I’ve contacted my sources.” A reader asks, “Do you have a research ‘plan’ or ‘system’? Where do you start?” I mentioned last week that I typically have ten steps to every article and that […]

When writing for magazines in countries that one has never lived in, how is the approach different? Good question, but I don’t have an equally good answer. The truth is, it’s difficult. It’s easier for us in countries in Asia and Africa to write for Western publications because through Hollywood and mass media and the […]

Can I ask you a question about being a contributing editor? Do you still primarily pitch your own ideas, or does another editor assign articles or reports based on your area of expertise? I expect this varies from pub to pub, but I wondered what your experience has been like in that regard. My experience […]