When it’s cold in Hanoi – the air weirdly humid and the moisture from the air collects on my face, which I blot with a serviette that leaves traces of delicate, white paper on my forehead and cheeks like freckles – the weather is perfect for soup. Actually, in Vietnam, any weather – hot, cold or in between – is good weather for soup. It soothes the body and nourishes the soul. And while I don’t eat phở (beef or chicken noodle soup) thanks to my pescetarian status, I did occasionally eat bún riêu (crab noodle soup sans the pork
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I’m often contacted by writers who’ve finished their book and know they should have it edited before self-publishing or approaching an agent and/or traditional publisher. When I ask them what kind of editing they need, invariably they don’t know. Or they think they know, and then decide that it’s not what they need after all. Or they think they know, and I start editing—and the book needs more work than I anticipated. As an editor, you only get a sense of the work required when you appraise a couple of sample chapters, and have to trust that the author knows
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You want to write non-fiction — maybe a memoir? — because your story is fascinating and you want to inspire people by sharing it. Or you may have an idea for thought leadership articles because you have a vision for the how the world should be, not as it is. Or you need a writer for a content marketing project that involves creating a series blog posts or other marketing content that showcases your company. Why hire a ghost writer? People and businesses hire ghost writers for a whole lot of different reasons. You might not have time to sit
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