Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil): Na conversa com a autora, talvez eu pergunte sobre o plano dela e sobre o assunto do próximo livro. - In the talk with the female author, maybe I will ask about her plan and about the topic of the next book.

The part Na conversa com a autora is an introductory phrase giving the context (when/where). In Portuguese, it’s very common (and recommended) to separate that from the main clause with a comma:

Na conversa com a autora, talvez eu pergunte…

Without the comma, it’s not “wrong” in speech, but in writing the comma is the normal, more correct punctuation.

Why is it talvez eu pergunte and not talvez eu pergunto?

Talvez (maybe, perhaps) usually triggers the subjunctive mood in Portuguese, because it expresses doubt/possibility.

pergunto = present indicative (I ask / I am asking) – used for facts and certainties.
pergunte = present subjunctive (I might ask) – used for doubt, possibility, wish, etc.

With talvez, the natural form is:

Talvez eu pergunte sobre o plano… = Maybe I’ll ask about the plan…

Using talvez eu pergunto sounds incorrect or non‑standard to native speakers.

Could the position of talvez change? For example, Eu talvez pergunte?

Yes. Both are possible:

Talvez eu pergunte sobre o plano dela.
Eu talvez pergunte sobre o plano dela.

They mean the same thing. Talvez is more often placed at the beginning of the clause, but putting it after the subject (eu) is also natural. You just still need pergunte (subjunctive).

Why do we say pergunte sobre o plano and not just pergunte o plano?

In Portuguese, perguntar works differently from English to ask:

perguntar algo a alguém = to ask someone something
- Vou perguntar o preço ao vendedor. (I’ll ask the price to the seller.)
perguntar sobre algo = to ask about something (more general, about a topic)
- Vou perguntar sobre o plano. (I’ll ask about the plan.)

In your sentence, you’re not asking for the plan, but asking questions about the plan as a topic, so perguntar sobre o plano is correct.

Why is it o plano dela instead of seu plano or o plano da autora?

All three are possible, but there are differences:

o plano dela
- Literally: the plan of her / her plan
- Very clear: “her plan” (the woman previously mentioned).
- This is the most common, natural, and unambiguous form in conversation.
seu plano
- Also means her plan, his plan, your plan (formal) or their plan.
- It is often ambiguous, because seu/sua/seus/suas can refer to many people.
o plano da autora
- Literally: the author’s plan.
- Also clear, but a bit more explicit or formal; it repeats autora, which was just mentioned.

So o plano dela is a very natural choice here, avoiding the ambiguity of seu plano and the repetition of da autora.

Why do we repeat sobre in sobre o plano dela e sobre o assunto do próximo livro? Can we drop the second sobre?

Repeating sobre is perfectly correct and slightly emphasizes that you might ask about two separate things:

…pergunte sobre o plano dela e sobre o assunto do próximo livro.

You can also say:

…pergunte sobre o plano dela e o assunto do próximo livro.

Native speakers often don’t repeat the preposition when it’s clear it applies to both items. Both versions are correct; the one with a single sobre is a bit more compact and very common in speech.

What exactly does assunto mean here, and how is it different from tema?

Assunto is a very common word meaning “subject, topic, matter, issue.”
In this sentence:

o assunto do próximo livro = the subject / topic of the next book.

Difference from tema:

tema is closer to “theme” (often more abstract or literary).
assunto is more general and is the default word for “topic / what something is about.”

You could say:

o tema do próximo livro – focusing more on the central theme or message.
o assunto do próximo livro – more neutral, everyday way to say what the book is about.

Why is it o assunto do próximo livro and not something like assunto próximo do livro?

Portuguese normally puts descriptive adjectives after the noun and uses de to show possession or “of” relationships.

Here:

o assunto = the subject
de + o próximo livro = do próximo livro (of the next book)

So the structure is:

o assunto do próximo livro = the subject of the next book

Putting próximo before livro is normal (próximo livro = next book). But you wouldn’t say assunto próximo do livro here; that would mean something like “subject that is close to the book,” which doesn’t make sense in this context.

Why do we say próximo livro and not livro próximo?

With adjectives of order, time, or sequence (next, last, first, etc.), Portuguese usually puts the adjective before the noun:

próximo livro = next book
último capítulo = last chapter
primeira página = first page

livro próximo would be unusual here and sound like “a book that is near/close,” not “the next book.” So the natural order is próximo livro.

What does do in do próximo livro stand for?

do is a contraction:

de + o → do

So:

do próximo livro = de o próximo livro = of the next book

This de often marks a possessive or “of” relationship, similar to English of or ’s:

o título do livro = the title of the book / the book’s title
a capa do próximo livro = the cover of the next book

Why is it com a autora and not just com autora?

In Portuguese, we generally use a definite article (o, a, os, as) with specific people:

com a autora = with the (specific) author
com o professor = with the (specific) teacher

Saying com autora without an article would sound incomplete or very unusual. You only drop the article in certain fixed expressions or headlines, not in normal speech.

If you weren’t talking about a specific, known author, you’d usually say com uma autora (with an author, any author).

Could we omit eu and just say talvez pergunte?

Yes, you can:

Na conversa com a autora, talvez pergunte sobre o plano dela…

Portuguese is a pro‑drop language: the subject pronoun (eu, você, ele, ela, etc.) is often omitted when the verb form already shows who the subject is.

pergunte (1st person singular subjunctive) clearly indicates eu.

Including eu (talvez eu pergunte) is slightly more explicit or emphatic, but both versions are correct and natural.

Is Na conversa com a autora the same as “When I talk to the author”?

Very close in meaning, yes.

Literally:

Na conversa com a autora = In the conversation with the author

But functionally it often corresponds to English:

“When I talk to the author” / “When I speak with the author”

If you wanted a more direct “when” structure in Portuguese, you could also say:

Quando eu conversar com a autora, talvez eu pergunte…
(When I talk to the author, maybe I’ll ask…)

Both are natural; Na conversa com a autora sounds a bit more like you are imagining that specific upcoming conversation as an event.

Is there a difference between talvez eu pergunte and talvez eu vá perguntar?

Both are correct but have a slightly different feel:

Talvez eu pergunte sobre o plano dela.
- Simple, very common. Subjunctive already shows future possibility.
Talvez eu vá perguntar sobre o plano dela.
- Literally “Maybe I will go to ask / I’m going to ask.”
- Sounds a bit more like you’re considering a plan or intention, slightly more informal or spoken-style in many contexts.

In this sentence, talvez eu pergunte is perfectly natural and probably the best default.