For a while now I have been planning to have one of my
books published. I decided that I didn’t want to do it myself as an independent
publisher; therefore I called up a friend who is a published writer, and asked
him how to go about it.
The meeting was pretty professional. He had read my
story and gave me many tips on how to improve it and if I changed it he would
suggest it to his publishing company. He
also mentioned a few things that I have never forgotten.
1. Nobody in Brazil gets published on one’s own. There
has to be someone already in the business that can present your work to a
publisher.
2. If you decide to pay for it, anyone can have a book
published in Brazil.
3. Brazilians do not read. So, no one can make a living
from writing alone.
4. To become a writer you must write every day. Set up a moment of your day and sit and write
even if the result is not worthy of a prize.
I am very grateful for these tips that he gave me and
have put them into practice. The meeting took place around 2011 and only a
couple of weeks ago was my first book published.
The decision to go through with the project happened
after my father passed away. The day after dad was buried my mother decided to
get rid of everything that belonged to him, books included. I realize that everyone has their own way of
dealing with the loss of a loved one. I also realize that dad will remain alive
in our hearts and stories that we tell about him. But the fact that getting rid
of his belongs was so easy and fast lit a fire in my heart. I do not have children and when I pass on the
family will dispose of my belongings just as well. In a nutshell, I decided that the best thing
to do was to have my stories published and leave something for future
generations to read. I love reading and believe that it is the best way to
learn a language and also open your mind to new ideas and new worlds.
When I had made the decision, I got an email from a
publishing company, where I had studied at ( I took a course on writing for
children) and decided to hand in one of my stories.
The experience has been amazing and scary. There is so
much involved in getting a book out on the market. I have learned so much and
am so grateful that there is a group of people out there that help you and
understand your fear and worries.
So on April 7, 2018, Charlie the Fish was launched. It was a very exciting moment for me
and I am very happy with the results. Nonetheless I am aware that it can be
improved, but we’ll just have to leave that for further editions.
I just hope that it brings a smile to those who read
it.
Written : April 18, 2018
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| April 7, 2018 |
