Pretty much everyone knows the journey to becoming a published author is a roller coaster, replete with ups and downs, highs and lows, excitement and moments of deep despair.
A lesser known fact is that, for most authors, that ride continues well after publication.
There are post-publication lows like; standing at a book table in the mall that no-one visits, showing up to a bookstore to discover they’ve forgotten you were coming, getting hurtful reviews, getting no reviews at all.
But, after your book has come out, there are naturally many highs too; such as, receiving your very own box of books from the printer, holding the finished product in your hands, spotting it on actual bookstore shelves.
There are also the wish-come-true kinds of highs; such as, people expressing they loved your story, discovering wonderful online comments, getting positive media attention, perhaps even selling a book or two.
And then, if you’re super lucky, there might be an occasional totally unforeseeable high.
Two such unforeseeable highs happened to me, one leading to the other.
Two years ago, Practice Portuguese, a language training site out of Lisbon, translated the prologue of my memoir, Ready to Come About, into European Portuguese, which they then narrated and posted online as an audio language-learning tool for their membership.
Subsequently, one of Practice Portuguese’s intrepid members from Germany, Andreas, stumbled on this Portuguese audio translation of the prologue. He liked the sound of the story such that he obtained my full memoir to study with his English-language learning group in Berlin.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago. Andreas and, his wife, Ulrike, visited Canada on their honeymoon and we arranged to meet!
At Andreas’ suggestion, we met in Hamilton Harbour, the very spot where our transatlantic voyage began. It was a wonderful visit on a beautiful October day.
Since their return to Germany, we have been in frequent email contact. David and Andreas, kindred Portuguese-learning obsessors, are now Zooming in Portuguese once a week. And, who knows, perhaps someday we’ll visit them in Berlin, or maybe Lisbon.
We have made new friends, all thanks to Ready to Come About!