Disappointment

Several months ago, I was approached by an editorial director for a publisher that I have worked for from time to time. She had a major translation project that she thought I would be perfect to undertake. It was a daunting prospect, the original volume being almost a thousand pages. I got excited about it, because this was the sort of thing that would become a major reference work in an admittedly small field. It would be one of those this-is-what-I-did-with-my-life projects. We negotiated a preliminary proposal and she was very optimistic.

The board of directors met in early November and when I didn't hear anything at all for weeks, I could read the handwriting on the wall. Last night I finally got the news that I will not be involved in the project, which is on hold until they find another suitable translator. The editorial director had taken a long time partly because of her own anger and frustration with what happened.

I do hope they are able to find someone to do the work because I believe it is worth doing. It is a disappointment on many levels, and I must confess the loss of a nice (VERY nice) stipend is part of that. But life goes on.

“If I am to meet with a disappointment, the sooner I know it, the more of life I shall have to wear it off.”
  ~ Thomas Jefferson