Accepting the challenge

At first sight, this young lady looks like she works for a teen magazine rather than one that teaches English. She looks like any other young graduate with a nice smile. But talk to her for a while and you will realise she is wise beyond her years.

As soon as she left Kasetsart University with a degree in English literature, she became a writer producing material for people learning English. She collected experiences and created books about the structure of the language, its tenses and even English for university entrance examinations.

"I think back to when we were undergraduate students. We had many dreams to do things, but we could not turn those thoughts into reality because we didn't have money. We didn't have sponsors," says Nook.

"But now a publisher is putting a huge sum of money in front of me. Why don't I grab this chance?"

She was handed a big responsibility. Not only does she work as an editor but also as a pioneer of a new magazine in a niche market. It has not been a bed of roses. At times she has been down in the dumps and exhausted.

"Many people hardly believe I can do it. They might think I am still too young and lack the experience to sit in this position," she admits.

But she believes actions speak louder than words when it comes to showing what she stands for. "We choose to do things nobody has ever done, so we have to demonstrate them."

Nook doesn't want the magazine to be like a textbook or a bilingual magazine. The magazine must be like a friend to readers who want to learn English and improve their skills. She thought of the overall concept she wanted for the magazine and, unbelievably, wrote every single article herself in the first issue, which was launched at the end of 2006.

"The style of the magazine is quite different from others in the market. We want the magazine to talk to readers as much as possible. It should be friendly to readers," she says.

The responsibilities of a young editor are challenging. Nook has to look over the entire magazine and carefully ensure concepts are followed in each article. That means she has to choose writers fitting the style of the magazine.

All stories have to pass her eyes. She reads every column from every writer time after time. She edits and gives comments or feedback to writers. Some writers are older than herself and when a young editor is dealing with a more senior person, it's not easy.

"There are many intelligent and experienced writers, but only a few have the writing skills to communicate with readers in the style we want. So when I check stories, I have to make comments and ask them to change their writing style to match the concept of the magazine," she says.

Modesty and respect in the Thai manner form her approach when she has to deal with so many writers.

"It's a sensitive thing, so I do it from a professional standpoint. I often begin by explaining the style of the magazine and the things we really want. Everything should be based on reasons, with no emotions and blame. Many professional writers understand and accept it," says Nook.

"We don't expect the magazine to make millions in income or claim our magazine is the best or perfect. But we just believe the things we are doing are useful for most readers."

Like most people who work in the media, Nook is rewarded for her work by comments and suggestions from readers.

"Magazines are not a well-paid business, but we can smile when we got feedback from readers. We might have no time to chill out with friends and have to go to bed late. But comments such as 'Why do you send me the magazine late?' or 'When is the new issue? I'm looking for you' truly cheer us up," she says with a smile.

As she talks about her daily life, it seems like there are 36 hours in her day. Besides working as an editor, she still produces learning materials and translates articles. She is also studying for her master's degree in English literature at Thammasat University.

"It's not a big difficulty to manage time, but it's harder to manage our thoughts and concentration because most people waste their valuable time by worrying. If we were to do that, we couldn't do anything well or finish anything in time."

Nook illustrates her point by saying it is like matching the right hat to the right situation.

"When I have to write stories for the magazine, I have to set priorities and choose to concentrate on the one thing in front of me. If I worried, I would never complete anything."