And as far as the plagiarist situation, I know–is there anything easier to blah blah out than a press release? Lazy.

Stolen content on a press release? That's not just illegal — it's pathetic! How hard are press releases, and honestly, why would you need to steal the content? I'm guessing he stole someone else's descriptors. Geez. That's kind of sad.

Paula, they're leaving their mark on it. In most cases, that's perfectly fine. There are, however, those cases of a committee-reviewed piece that goes through twelve changes because everyone wants to show they contributed. Yuck.

Anne, I suppose because those teaching don't have the real-world experience. How many professors have actually worked as a freelancer? Probably very few.

Actually, I had a tenth-grade English teacher who did teach us how to make out checks and keep the register. She took one class to do it, and it's been serving me well for years. I still thank her every time I balance my accounts. She had good insight into what we'd need in life.

Ronda, it's as if they need to include some kind of real-life boot camp to get us up to speed. You're so right on every point. These are things we have to learn ourselves — sometimes the hard way!

Wade, super comment. Yes, knowing our limits keeps us from devaluing our own businesses and skills.

A meditation monk — the meditation group I belong to (from India) has male and female monks. They're like priests in that they teach meditation and the meaning behind it, along with the lessons of the guru, and they also live a celibate life and are not allowed to conduct commerce, so they rely solely on the charity of others. They're the ones who run the schools in Haiti, Russia, Africa, etc. and who start programs for the homeless, for battered women, to feed people who don't have food…. I don't mind giving to people so actively engaged in service to others. 🙂

I must ask, what is a meditation monk?

Of course they don't teach balancing checkbooks in school either…

It's human nature to want to come across in the best light possible, but what some "changers" don't realize is too much change does more harm than if they'd just trusted the writer and editor to do their jobs.

To point #1: One of my newsletter clients has another writer who did exactly what you're talking about. Yesterday, the client received a cease and desist letter to take down a press release that this guy had literally cut and pasted two paragraphs into. I was stunned that my fellow writer, who seems like a decent enough guy from our internet chatter, would do that.

Devon, exactly the reason I'm here — to show how that self-respect can help you create a fantastic business. Good one!