Questions? Ask away! Feel free to email me or just post here. We're here for you.

Anne, I hope your numbers are conservative. I hope a ton of their writers find their footing on their own, then go on to show other writers how to do it. There's room for us all.

Target had my letter before I wrote this post. 🙂 I highly doubt it will matter, but I told them bluntly how their move made me lose faith in their company.

Lori, write target and tell them they were wrong.

Thank goodness I've always been of the "Wait for the sale, and even then don't get caught up in they hype of Black Friday type deals" ilk.

Maybe I'm just lazy – nothing is worth the pandemonium of going to a store for something like that. You did the smart thing and went online – too bad it didn't work out. I'm sure they'll re-stock soon.

Good insight, Wendy. I agree. The competition won't hit many of us because of where and how we conduct business.

Right you are about there never being too many good writers, Devon. It seems wide open for those who are willing to put the time and effort into it.

Paula, it is exactly that kind of service that makes people appreciate a company and remain loyal to it. It's why I've stayed with AT&T for my cell phone. Those people have given me more unasked-for credits because a kid sends too many texts, signs up for games without knowing, or because I forget to turn off roaming on my phone when I'm overseas…

I was a bit more concerned about added competition from a glut of former newspaper editors and writers than I'd ever be about even the most talented of DS writers.

Why? Freelancers need more than talent. We also need tenacity, gumption, persistence – whatever you choose to call it. Newspaper pros have those qualities. If DS-ers had the combination of talent and tenacity needed to succeed, they would have done so by now, like some of the former mill writers who've shared their stories about using the mills while also building legitimate credits and a solid foundation for their now-thriving freelance careers.

And Lori – what is Missoni?

My biggest complaint with Target would be that it took them a month to let you know the items you'd purchased 15 MINUTES after they went on sale were somehow sold out.

On a positive note, I had good customer service the other day from USBank. I have a credit card that earns points toward "free" groceries at Kroger-owned stores. USBank recently took over those accounts from the previous card issuer. No joke: the day I activated the new card, all of the Kroger-owned stores in town were sold to another grocery chain. There are no more Kroger-owned stores within a couple hundred miles. When my bill came, I saw I had 900+ points. (You get 1-3 points per item you purchase, and with groceries the points add up fast; 1000 points = $10 to use toward groceries). While the fine print on the card agreement said the points cannot be transfered and had no real cash value, I figured it wouldn't hurt to see if they could credit my account to compensate me for the points I'll never be able to use. The customer service guy checked, they couldn't do that. I asked for a lower interest rate, but I already had the lowest they offer. He put me on hold a few seconds then said, "What I can do is give you a $5 credit on your account." They didn't have to do a thing, but did. Sometimes it's the small gestures you remember most.

The few that have talent and motivation will learn, apply what they learn, and build a career.

There can never be too many good writers. There are plenty of bad ones, and, eventually, they fade away.