My book has reached a new phase, the fourth, in its journey to reach other readers: the publication of the French edition. Everything has evolved naturally, one language leading to another. After seeing that the English edition had generated some interest (although it wasn’t a big success) and that the promotional means were limited, I decided to continue exploring new audiences.
I know several people who live in France or French-speaking countries, and this made me think it would be a good opportunity to translate and distribute the book in French. So I decided to get to work and make it happen.
The Translation Process
The first person who offered to do the translation was a retired friend who has always shown great interest in everything related to France and speaks French fluently. I’m very grateful to him, as he made the first version with great dedication and enthusiasm. However, I knew that a native French speaker needed to review the text to ensure its quality.
At this point, a relative of my father’s stepped in. She’s the daughter of a German father and a French mother and is perfectly fluent in both languages. She has also spent many years teaching languages. I asked her if she could correct and fine-tune the first version, and she gladly accepted. In a couple of months, she had the final translation ready, and I must say it turned out great.
Over the past year, I’ve been studying French to be able to read the book carefully and ensure that the translated text remains true to the original. I think this effort has helped me ensure that the message stays intact in the new version.
Search for a Publisher in France
The next step was to find a publisher interested in releasing the French edition. To do so, I contacted a friend who has been living in Paris for many years and had read my book. He really liked it and offered to help me. In addition, he had run a publishing house for many years and knew the publishing world in France very well. He also had many contacts in the publishing industry.
This friend committed to finding a publisher interested in my book. We thought it would be a good idea to release it in the summer of 2024, coinciding with the debate on the euthanasia law in the French National Assembly. Perhaps my book could provide a useful perspective in that context.
My friend first contacted his old publishing house. Although they initially showed interest, they eventually decided not to publish it for reasons of overflow. Fortunately, he kept looking and finally found a Parisian publisher, Pierre Téqui, who was very enthusiastic about the project and wanted to move forward with it.
Publication in France
After a few weeks of negotiations, we signed a contract with Pierre Téqui to publish the book in French. The edition will be titled Ma Vie Jusqu’au Bout (“My Life Until the End”) and will be available starting November 13th in French-speaking bookstores and on Amazon.
This new title reflects the book’s central message: living fully until the end, even in the most difficult moments. I’m thrilled that the book will reach a new audience, and I hope it can inspire and help many people who have yet to discover my story.
Acknowledgments and diffusion
I want to thank everyone who made this new step in my book’s journey possible: my retired friend for his initial translation, my relative for her impeccable revision, and my friend in Paris for finding a publisher who believed in this project.
I also encourage everyone who knows French-speaking people who enjoyed my book to help spread the word. Ma Vie Jusqu’au Bout is now available for pre-order, and I hope it reaches many French-speaking readers soon. If you’d like more information, you can find the book doing click here.
So, next stop: France.