Poagao's Book

Wow, this thread is a blast from the past.

Poagao, did you ever publish an English-language version of your book? I’ve wanted to read it for ages. I could go get the Chinese version, but I like to read books in the language they were written in. How are the two versions different, anyway?

Nope, never got around to it, and, apparently, neither did my agent. The two versions are quite different, as the audiences are different. When I translated it into Chinese, I took out a lot of explanations that would not be necessary for local audiences, and I’ve done a substantial amount of revision since the Chinese-language version was published ten years ago. However, it’s still available and selling through online stores, and I sometimes meet people who have read it, which is something, I guess.

Cool, thanks for your reply. I’ll check out the Chinese version when I get a chance. I found it easily enough by searching Eslite’s website, but that doesn’t mean that it will be in stock at any given Eslite store.

Poagao - I really really want to read your book. Unfortunately I can’t read Chinese. I know you said you haven’t found a publisher yet for the English version. Have you thought about posting it on Amazon and charging money for downloading a pdf copy of it? You could also maybe do something similar on Ebay. Or you could just set up a paypal account and sell it directly to people and not have to pay the fees Amazon and Ebay would charge.

I’m working on it, is all I can say.

Great news: the English version of Poagao’s book is currently in pre-production with Camphor Press, and will be published in the next couple of months.

I’ve read the early proofing copy and it’s fantastic. We’re very excited to be adding such a quality title to our catalog. Watch this space for updates.

Great! I love that Camphor Press is resurrecting these legendary lost books!

[quote=“Camphor Press”]Great news: the English version of Poagao’s book is currently in pre-production with Camphor Press, and will be published in the next couple of months.

I’ve read the early proofing copy and it’s fantastic. We’re very excited to be adding such a quality title to our catalog. Watch this space for updates.[/quote]
Good news.
Hope it does well.
:thumbsup:

Too bad I won’t be able to check it out, as due to a matter of faith, I just cannot digest a book in digital format.

[quote=“Camphor Press”]Great news: the English version of Poagao’s book is currently in pre-production with Camphor Press, and will be published in the next couple of months.

I’ve read the early proofing copy and it’s fantastic. We’re very excited to be adding such a quality title to our catalog. Watch this space for updates.[/quote]

That’s excellent. Great work.

Will Camphor put out the Chinese version as an ebook as well? I’d love to have both. But maybe that’s just me… :wink:

I think it’s very unlikely, unfortunately. Our focus for now is on books in English.

The folks from Camphor Press have been very helpful and professional in this effort ever since they approached me about doing this, and I’m confident, based on the good work they’re doing with other books, that they’ll do an exceptional job with this one.

For sure. I’ve obediently purchased every book they’ve told me to so far :wink: and have not been disappointed!! (So by all means, keep telling me what to buy! It’s working!)

I just wondered because it’s really easy to put Chinese text in as a “second half” of the book, linking it with chapter headings or the like. But there may also be copyright issues on the Chinese version, of course. My last Chinese-teaching reader was published in three versions in one for Kindle, using links to the table of contents, just so I wouldn’t have to deal with people wanting different versions. But with this sort of book, you’d also probably get blow-back from people who bought it to study English and felt the translation wasn’t equivalent enough, or was too equivalent, or…it would never end. :noway:

Well, there is a copyright issue, as the Chinese version is published by Locus. However, the larger issue is that the English version is quite different from the Chinese version, as I was dealing with different audiences who need different explanations, and of course I’ve done quite a bit of editing of the English version since the Chinese version was published over a decade ago. To me, they are different books and should be presented as such.

Makes sense to me. I’ll buy it in English from Camphor anyway. I enjoyed it in Chinese and will probably (honestly) enjoy it more in English.

I look forward to reading the English version. I am the fortunate owner of a signed copy of the Chinese edition, and have been a huge fan of the author for several decades. His travel writings are particularly strong, leading me to believe he is very likely the latest incarnation of 徐霞客.

Several decades?

I have known him since the late 1980s. That was a little dig meant for him… :whistle:

Yea, and verily, it hath been nigh on a quarter of a century since we pursued our studies at ye olde Tunghai univ’rsity.

OK. For me, “several” means 5 at the minimum…