The downs

This will not be a cheerful post!

For three days now, I have not received a single demand for translation, except a translation agency who asked for a translation of 40 words and then send me a message of Erratum: Sorry, this is not to be translated in your language.

What is WRONG?

I really have the feeling that something has happenend and everybody around me knows it apart from me! Am I getting crazy? Victim of paranoia?

Just let us be rationally:
a) I do not had any critical remarks from any agencies.
b) In February, I was completely booked out.
c) And right away, all the other translators of my language combination have work.

So: WHY? What is wrong with ME?

I try to comfort myself and work hard on the improvement of my knowledge. I just try to stay normal and do business as usual.

But I am not feeling well. I cannot ask nobody, I have the feeling that I cannot talk to no one and I am just feeling so crazy alone on this earth - it is really hard to bear...

Back on the track

Hi,
I have not written for such a long time because work and assignments just ate me up! Although times have been hard physically speaking and brain wise, this period gave me GREAT motivation for my translation career. I am quite thankful for all the experience I was able to gather...

Now, we are a little back to normal: I have some small assignments every week, but am not running like a hamster in his cage. I have time for delicious coffee breaks and for sorting things out.

That's why I would like to talk to you about a fact which I think hard to bear anthropologically speaking. It concerns the relationship to translation agencies which are at the moment my main clients.

With some of them, I have worked now for some months. Our contact is mainly an electronically one, i. e. they ask me by email if I can take over an assignment and I send my agreement or refusal. There are some project managers, mainly women, who phone me up. But that is, as for me to say, not the majority.

As in general, I am quite nervous on the phone searching desperately for something intelligent to say I prefer this contact by writing. It is time consuming, yes, but I still have the feeling that I can express myself more clear and more cheerfully!

The only thing which really bothers me are these very short answers and this total lack of feedback.

You know, when you have worked for a great quantity of hours on a project, when you have put your heart into it, searched the world for the right word that is music in your ear, when you have completely identified with the subject and author and you are proud of your work and the only answer you get after sending the translation to your client is: Merci, bien reçu!, you feel all of a sudden dreadfully alone in this universe!

My sister said to me: "Why do you not ask for feedback?" But I wonder if this is really the good thing to do! Will it not irritate my clients who already suffer under a lack of time? I mean, I am a service provider. And that's all!

Is the better way not to grow up and to get all my satisfaction out of the well-done work, my proper pride concerning the project and the money received? Or is this humanely impossible? Or is this not just a little bit "triste"?