Hello! I found this forum because I was curious about whether Unemployed Professors had gotten any coverage on this site. Sorry you had a horrible experience on the site. I've been a little frustrated that some bad apples have gotten into the mix, both before and after I started writing for the site more or less full-time (in late April 2017). I'd like to respond to a few things said on this thread so far, and I'm happy to answer any questions.

1.) Quality of writers: Yes, there are some bad and/or lazy writers on the site, unfortunately, which is not exactly policed by the admins. In my opinion they should ban the ones that show a pattern of shoddy work and unhappy customers. There are, however, lots of good ones, including myself. I dropped out of a PhD program in English pre-dissertation because I didn't want to be an academic anymore. Lots of reasons for this (some of which are mentioned below), but it didn't have to do with my ability or inability to write research papers.

2.) Weed out the bad: READ THE REVIEWS. I know that the front page of this site mentions that the scammy essay mills are full of fake reviews. This is correct. But I know for a fact that this is not the case for Unemployed Professors. I know this because when I started on the site, I had no reviews. And as I worked my ass off to win my first few jobs, I had to beg my satisfied clients to go out of their way to write a review (annoying I know, but I needed the proof of a job well done). Every new review that I get is the result of a specific job, because I see them come in and can often tell which client it was based on context and timing. Every single review I have is positive, and I'm proud of this because I earn it, simple as that. The shoddy writers on site will have plenty of positive reviews-- because most clients frankly have low standards-- but inevitably you'll see some worrisome reviews about inattention to detail and questionable English. Not the case if the writer is truly qualified and approaches the work with integrity and work ethic. (You can view any writer's profile and reviews on the main page without a login.)

Here are mine (ProfCrisis): /professorreviews.aspx?id=2070

3.) The "logical viewpoint" that unemployment = failure or lack of talent is meritocratic hokum, just as the "logic" of a perfect market is just that-- logical on paper, but not reality. The academic labor market is ass backwards, with an army of impoverished contingent workers, and PhDs are over-produced to keep it that way. I write freelance instead because it makes me at least three times what I would make as an adjunct professor with no benefits or job security. Simple. I don't have to deal with pretentious ******** and idiotic policies decided by millionaires who haven't taught in decades. I work from home all day and hang out with my dog. It's really not that complicated. So yes, there are losers in this industry, and there are also honest writers (like me) who strive to satisfy every single customer because they know that a stellar track record means more clients + more money in the long run.

Any questions?

FWIW I write for Unemployed and pride myself in never pulling the BS I keep hearing about from many of their writers, including (shockingly) some of the established ones.

Here are my reviews: unemployedprofessors/professorreviews.aspx?id=2070

Compare them to literally any other writer on the site. Key difference: no negative reviews for me, because I don't mess around.

Insult someone's math skills all you want, but $10/page is d.o.g.s.h.i.t.

I write for Unemployed Professors, which has a strict bidding minimum of $25/page (double-spaced), and I take home 73% of billed revenue, so roughly $18+/page before the thieves at PayPal take their little cut. This alone should be proof that the site is legit. They vet their writers and try to keep out the lazy/unqualified scam artists. No one who's qualified should write for less.

Yes, crappy writers make their way onto the site and turn out bad work from time to time, and their reviews show it. FWIW, here are my reviews: unemployedprofessors/professorreviews.aspx?id=2070

Okie doke! I understand why you would believe UP's reviews are fake, given the state of the industry, but I worked for every single one of them. I started on the site with zero reviews, did a ton of jobs, and got a ton of reviews.

The site's name is figurative -- most of us burned out, dropped out, or are under-employed.

But your question doesn't really make sense. It would make sense if it was a brand new site trying to get one over on the wise people of the internet. The site has lots of new clients every day, and lots of happy clients that constantly return because they got what was promised. What is stupid about that?

P.S. The reviews aren't for the site, they're for the writers.

Go look at any of the profiles, click to see reviews. Plenty of negative reviews, because they're real.

Big difference between that and the stream of nonsense posted by scam sites.

Homie, I didn't name the site. I get what you're saying, but you're just being aggressive.

It's literally staffed by people with advanced degrees, lol. Don't know what else to tell you. They vetted me by matching my email address to the author email listed in a PDF of my published article. Why would I have the power to edit reviews on a site I freelance for and don't own? And if I were an owner promoting the site, as I think you're implying, why would I start off by criticizing it for keeping crappy/lazy writers who (rightly) earn bad reviews?

I am a person who writes essays, putting my name out there. I don't need you to believe me; I will be fine either way.

I'm beginning to realize that THIS site is built to lash out at anyone defending services other than the ones on the (very short) "recommended" lists. The paranoia is INTENSE! Gosh I hate the internet sometimes.

Why don't I go to a party while the government pays me money, you ask? Because that's not how welfare works? And I actually make good money writing freelance.

LOL, you're criticizing the branding of a site I did not build. I've just been writing for them for 5 months or so. I don't know what else to tell you. The reviews are for the writers, not the site (not presented on a generic streaming thread on the front page). And tons of them are negative. I know this doesn't prove anything to you, but it's a big difference, and strongly suggests what I know first hand: the reviews are real.

In my experience, some of my clients are overworked, some just don't feel like doing the work, some can barely read/write English. But I won't defend any of the branding that is sort of insulting to them. I know the branding works, because there's a steady stream of jobs every day. So your point is kinda moot. Anyway, it's not my site.

Looking around more, I'm realizing that THIS site is some kind of marketing arm for the "recommended" sites, a hilariously limited list of approved sites, and so it functions to smear everyone else. Kinda genius. Or everyone here is freakishly paranoid, obsessed with throwing around accusations. Seriously unhealthy, so I kind of hope (for the sake of everyone's well-being) that this "forum" is a scam.

Nah, I know because I read the other writers' reviews, silly.

Ummm... it was a real PDF from a real academic journal that exists. And it had my name and email in the author bio.

Like seriously, why are you so paranoid?

I naively thought this was a forum site for students and freelancers to interact. It's clearly marketing to smear any site other than the "recommended" ones. Hilarious. And I'm not even defending the site, I'm defending my own work. Most of UP's writers have a bunch of negative reviews, because they do a poor job. Not me.

Why do you think I was here years ago? Seriously why are you being so abusive?

I am not the owner of the site. That's a guy named Astor who lives in Canada. I'm in Pennsylvania, making a living by using the skills I honed in grad school. I found this site TODAY and am posting in good faith. Again, what did I do to deserve these accusations?

Ok, you guys still think I'm the owner of the site. What would he have to gain from coming here and making a defense of a single writer while saying that the other writers often suck? Btw, I didn't say the site was fraudulent, I said some of the writers do worse jobs than others, and that I do a good job.

You guys are just weird bullies. For christ's sake I came to your site in good faith as a member of a market. I didn't say anything wrong and you're all attacking me like it's my website. Is this real life?

Ok... I actually appreciate your response, Wordsies. The accusations in the other posts just aren't logical.

Here's why I'm definitely an ex-academic writer and not an entrepreneur who would create a site and then come troll a board for exposure: I can't handle the abuse. Seriously too rich for my blood.

Y'all take care, I'm gonna go be literally anywhere else. Have fun with your... whatever this is.

Again, I wasn't trashing them... and "place of employment" is generous. I reach clients on there and the site charges me a percentage. I'm basically their client, and certainly not their employee.

I get that you guys don't like their branding. I think it's catchy but, I agree, a bit crass. Methinks there's a little jealousy though? The branding leads to exposure and press, and I think it's an exaggeration to say that the press is all negative.

Lol, now the problem is that I was trash talking the site I work at (which I absolutely wasn't in any way)? Sorry, I'm getting dizzy. I thought the problem was that I was promoting "my" website. Which is it?

And it's "respectful," not "respective," Mr. Writer.

Obviously I used the search function, as the front page encouraged me to. And I wasn't emphasizing the negative, I was emphasizing the positive in my own work when I saw that the site was being represented as 100% fraudulent, which it isn't. Is self-promotion prohibited on this forum? If so, I'll own that as the only legit criticism Major or you had for me, even though he didn't go that route. The rest is cherry-picking and strained logic. But you're right, it's late and you've been writing all day, so I'm sure more of you guys will pile on in the morning.

HAHAHA careful up there on your high horse!

And what's the "ONE reason" you're here, writers2beware? How tf is what I'm doing spamming? I'm making actual arguments while the rest of you hyenas fling s-*t at me with zero evidence other than your insane paranoia, then hilariously flail for reasons to hate a site, including -- GASP -- promoting the consumption of ALCOHOL.

Don't clutch your pearls too tightly, honey; they're fake so they'll break easily.

I guarantee that 99% of people who come to this site see your petty BS and conclude, "I don't want any of these people writing for me. They're insane."

GASP - PUBLICIZE! How immoral!

Lol wut

You got a horse high but I wasn't accusing you of anything. I don't make a habit of freaking the **** out about nothing. It's seriously unhealthy, homie

You're right, I should try to develop some groundbreaking work like your devastating bon mots. "I'll wait." I had never before seen that from, say, a shrill weirdo on an inconsequential forum thread about nothing. I was hurrying to assemble bizarre accusations about nothing, then I saw that you were willing to wait, so I started taking my time. THEN I realized you were dropping the mic. I immediately called my parents to tell them I had been owned and that I was sorry.

ProfCrisis's*

From your Purdue OWL link:

add 's to the singular form of the word (even if it ends in -s):

Thank goodness, you almost had me "utterly embarrassed."

Yeah, and dictionaries begrudgingly call lots of common misuses "acceptable" (e.g., peruse to mean skim when it actually means the opposite), but I thought a "truly skilled" writer such as yourself would opt for correctness, not acceptability. Oh, but you were baiting me. Right.

Do you think your tone was appropriate for the situation? Do you know what "tone" means?

Is that an appropriate tone, lil buddy? Are there any deeper emotional issues you want to talk about?

But I did successfully correct you... :/

Wait, am I the psychologist or are you the psychologist?

No I was just confused because your jokes are bad and don't make sense

The joke is really funny after you explain it. Thx.

Let me know if you need any more help with punctuation tho

Actually the word tho never has a comma before it, check the MyBestDictionary website

Would you say that you're very good at punctuation?

I was talking about the word tho though

No it was fine that way

Pretty racist tho