An article about how I ended up landing a letter of assignment for an airline inflight magazine to go on a press trip in Japan.

The life of a travel writer isn’t always about lounging around in hot springs… taking fascinating tours that result in hundreds of story ideas… and getting your byline in the most prestigious magazines you see nicely displayed at bookstores like Barnes & Noble.

Sometimes it’s about holing up in a hotel for two days, trying desperately to get your story on paper before the deadline… going to places you never dreamed you’d go… and trying things you never thought you might.

Unfortunately this article no longer seems available on the website.

Mark Andrews has written about everything from Japanese houses to heli hikes on New Zealand glaciers, test drives of Chinese cars to bar and restaurant reviews. He currently specialises in travel articles and reviews of Chinese cars plus articles about the Chinese auto industry.