I received an email from one of my writing clients the other day. She’s one of the people I most adore because her mind is so expansive, so fascinating, so different from mine, and yet so familiar at the same time. The whole book writing process has allowed me to know her at a satisfyingly deep level, reason # 4567 I love my job. It’s why we read books, after all, to know another that well, that intimately; to feel what it is to live in their world, to experience their defining moments as if they were our own.

And I’ve got to tell you, the story she shared with me, the one that I include below, thrilled me to no end. I often talk about how tough it is to receive criticism, which is all part of the process, but I forget to mention how fabulous it feels to get such a vote of confidence. Rewards are part of the process too.

So I was reading your book How To Eat The Elephant: Build Your Book In Bite-Sized Steps on the airplane from Phoenix to NYC.  As I was devouring each word and lesson in your entertaining and informative style, I kept thinking, Why isn’t this a best seller?  More people need to know about it and read it.  How can I help Ann with that?

As if on cue (from the universe), I heard a voice from someone walking in the aisle causally say, “I read that book. It’s great.”

With my face buried in the book, I couldn’t be sure this voice was talking to me or to someone else on the airplane, or if I had even heard what he said correctly. A part of me even thought I was hearing things.  I looked up slowly from the book without saying a word and just stared, a bit like a deer in headlights, at the 20-something Indian man in the aisle.

When I saw he was looking at me, I responded with an incredulous “Really?” Not because Ann’s book isn’t the best book out there about writing a book, but because I’ve read hundreds of famous books on airplanes and in public all over the world but I’ve never had anyone say that to me. Ever.

With the confidence that he indeed had been talking to me and that I had actually heard him correctly I couldn’t control my brewing excitement. “Wow! That’s so great to hear that you found her book and thought it was so good.”

I know first hand what an amazing writer and writing coach Ann is, but she isn’t (yet) known like a Tony Robbins, or Eckert Tolle; and she’s not on the NY Times Best Seller list so the last thing I expected was a random person on an airplane from Phoenix to reference he had read and loved this book.

Beaming with pride because Ann has become a treasured friend, I said, “Ann is as amazing in person. She’s actually a friend and my writing coach and she has helped me so much as I’ve learned to write my book.”

I wanted him to know how meaningful it was that he would take the time to let me know he read the book and how much he enjoyed it.  So I thanked him sincerely by saying, very seriously, “Thank you for coming up to me to tell me this. As I was just thinking that more people need to know about this book and I was brainstorming ways I could help Ann get her book more known, and here you appear out of the blue confirming the importance of this.”

Then I peppered him with questions. “Are you a writer? How did you hear about it the book?”

He eagerly engaged and explained. “I’m an engineer.  I’m not a writer, but I read it because I wanted to learn how to write better. I also wanted to learn how to think like an artist and appreciate writing.  So when a friend recommended the book, I read it. It’s a great book. She has a great writing style and gives so much information about what you need to do to think like a writer.“

“I know!” I agreed.  “It’s amazing, and I’m only on Chapter 3. She’s able to capture so many key points about each aspect of writing a book in such an entertaining and effective way because she incorporates telling stories with detailed and concise instructions.  I’ve just been reading about how to write a scene and I love how she highlights and outlines the key points but also shows you how to incorporate those instructions real time as she walks you through her own writing of a particular scene.  Its genius.  I want to figure out how to get more people to know about her book.”

Then I switched gears and asked him, “What kind of engineer are you?”

So he told me his story. “I’m an electrical engineer.  I’m 26 and moved from India three years ago to go to Arizona State University business school.  My friend and I co-founded a bio medical device company that makes a device that helps infants suffering from jaundice.  We created a technology that works with blue light and it cures jaundice X times more effectively in X amount less time with X amount less cost than existing technologies.”

And then he sat in the open aisle seat across from me and we talked for the next three hours, about his business, the future plans, self growth, plant medicines…..

So Ann, I wanted to thank you for the accidental introduction and thought you’d love hearing that your work is being read and by those you don’t know yet. I also thought you’d triple appreciate me taking the time to tell you in written story form.  haha.