One of the more enjoyable parts of my job is getting on the phone with writers all over the U.S. and Canada to assign stories. It sure beats sending out rejections on queries, since I'm delivering good news.

Typically, as happened Tuesday, I'll present my proposed, page-by-page lineup for the feature well in an upcoming issue to our editor, Jeff Reich, and Jeff gets a chance to weigh in on my choices. Usually I avoid going down in flames.

Planning a magazine issue is like doing a big acrobatics act that tries to please everyone. (Easier said than done.) We try to provide a good lead story plus a balance of other articles that we hope will appeal to our various sub-audiences, including fiction writers and freelance writers.

The fun part is emerging from the meeting with my lineup approved and getting on the phone to assign the articles. Getting to know writers, whether in person (at writers conferences) or on the phone, has been one of the best parts of my job. This week, in assigning articles for our March issue, I've had some nice chats with Linda DuVal in Colorado Springs, Jack Adler and David Kohner Zuckerman in California, Susan Agee in Memphis, and Roberta Sandler in Florida. Roberta, a very experienced and resourceful freelance writer, generously agreed to squeeze in a good article for us in the next month while enduring one of life's most stressful experiences: moving. Thanks, Roberta!

--Ron Kovach, senior editor

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