I have been browsing this forum for a few days now and I have found many helpful threads and hints, valuable comments and "stay-away-from"-recommendations. One of the threads I found particularly interesting was initiated by a forum user who, like me, is an ESL/EFL writer, or what some companies would class as a non-native English writer. The user had learnt English from age five and obviously had excellent language skills. Several posts in the thread pointed out that learning a language from a young age would effectively leave the person with native-level language skills.

On to my concern and question. I was brought up in Scandinavia (my first and second languages are Swedish and Danish). Akin to the user previously mentioned, I learnt to speak and write in English at a young age (6). I have lived in the UK since 2009. I did my PhD here, I have my family here and I consider myself bilingual. After 14 years in academia, and three degrees, I have recently decided to have a go at academic writing. I have completed creative writing courses and had academic articles published. However, most of the companies I have contacted are no longer interested when they realise that I am not a native English speaker. Are there any people with experience of this here that could perhaps give me some advice? (I know there are rules about naming companies.)

Apologies for posting this to a new thread, but I cannot seem to find the older thread initiated by the other user. Also, I wrote this in a rush, so there might be a few errors (please don't chastise me too much). :)

As a member of the academic writing community I frequently trawl the web and academic ghostwriting websites, including forums like this.

I come here to Essayscam for website inspiration and interesting debates. Now, every time I come here, I am met with another tirade of star-filled words and furious debacles.

This would be considered inappropriate and unprofessional in a normal community, but it seems that it is acceptable here. However, I still fail to see what the point is of all of this mudslinging and word-bashing?

It is not even funny to read, it is just sad. It is like a classroom full of hormonal and "dragged-up-not-brought-up" teenagers; the teacher leaves the room and all hell breaks loose.

All this sinister posting with no contribution to the writing community looks more like misguided attempts at anger management and scribbling art therapy. I am bored. I want an intellectual discussion.

I want a debate on the subjects of academic ghostwriting, plagiarism, the moral and ethics and so on. But I guess that "haters are gonna hate", and as this post is sort of adding to all the nonsense here, so I'm going to stop here and move on to a community where there is a chance of some rewarding conversations.

Please feel free to join me in discussions.