365 Inspirations—178: My Book in Other Languages

“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.”—F. Scott Fitzgerald

 Last night, I was surprised to see a message from a woman in Croatia on my Lessons from the Monk I  Married Facebook Fanpage. She wrote this:

"Today was the release of the Croatian edition of your book. I would just like to say that the book inspired me so much and that I couldn't stop reading it once I started it. Your story is so touching and beautiful. Thank you very much and I wish you all the best in life. Best regards from Zagreb, Croatia."

Well, that message made my day AND she even sent a photo of the copy of the book now on sale in Croatia. It's one thing to publish a book and it's quite another to start seeing it pop up in other countries. The fact that people will be able to read it in other languages makes me happy.

I feel that my book, Lessons from the Monk I Married, is not tied to one place. It is a book about love, life, spirituality and travel. It is about crossing borders and boundaries and realizing that we are all human. It's a universal story actually.

As an ESL teacher, it's exciting to see the first translation of my book. I'm happy that people in other countries are enjoying it. Getting this message from Croatia makes me what to visit this country someday!

Soon, a Chinese language edition of my book will be on sale in Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong. It will be fun to see what the cover will look like for this edition.

I've got two more books on the burner. I'm slowly developing these. Can't wait to share them with you, but it may take some time before they are ripe and ready for public view!

What's your favorite book from another country?

Foreign Book Sales Offers: Croatia, Taiwan, Macau, Hong Kong....Oh My!

I never expected Croatia, the country of a thousand islands, to be the first to make an offer on the foreign rights for Lessons from the Monk I Married. As a friend said on Facebook, "Leave it to the Eastern Europeans to be the first pioneers to take on a book like LFTMIM." Shortly after that, my agent let me know that a Taiwanese Publisher made an offer for Complex Chinese Rights!

Not to turn "Fifty Shades of Gray" on you, but all I could say at the time was "Oh, My!"

My book is selling in foreign markets! I can't believe it. I can't believe it will be translated into CHINESE! I'm imagining people in Hong Kong and Taiwan sitting on a bus reading my book. Maybe I'll go on an overseas book tour and have the chance to be on CPR (Croatian Public Radio).

Of course my mind started reeling a thousand days into the future.

And then I thought of the past....

I still remember when my book was just an idea in my head and then a rough outline on a yellow legal pad. I had no idea on earth how to publish a book at that time. But the book was burning inside me and I knew it would get out. It had to be published. I felt it from my core.

Step by sometimes agonizing, painful, uncertain steps, I got to here. I never gave up my focus. There were people who cheered me on from the start and others who told me to "hang up the towel" when the idea first sprang from my lips. I chose to stick close by the former group of friends and ignore the later.

What I learned is that when you have an idea burning inside you that is begging to come out and be born, it WILL HAPPEN. It may not happen how you planned, but it will.

Patience is key. It's the biggest key. Without patience, you will hang up the towel too soon and step back into a comfortable life.

I received news about the foreign sales a while ago, but it still feels like yesterday. I'm working on keeping my mind in the present and not getting too far ahead or behind myself.

Tomorrow I head off for a silent meditation course. I will not speak for several days. I look forward to being in silence and focusing on the present. December is such a busy time and I welcome several days of silence to reflect on all that I'm grateful for. I am particularly grateful for this blog and all the wonderful people I have met here over the years.

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