Like any other profession, freelance academic writing is occupied by people who possess a wide variety of skill levels, business acumen, and ethical approaches to their work. In other words, some freelance academic writers are excellent writers, some are mediocre writers, and some are poor writers. Some freelance academic writers have a lot of business savvy and can use and navigate the internet in such a way that they find and keep plenty of viable employment options, but others are very nervous and uneducated about the online world in which they need to operate. Some freelance academic writers are extremely ethical about the work they do (meaning, they do not use it to help people cheat), but others are less concerned about such things. In short, just because someone is a professional freelance academic writer does not make them a good writer, or a good business person, or an ethical person.

The truth, though, is that those who succeed in this business do tend to fall along the positive end of the spectrum for all of these categories. Conversely, those who fail to find sufficient work tend to cluster at the negative end. Let's examine each of these categories in turn.

First, let us consider writing ability. We all know that among mechanics, or cooks, or plumbers, there exist some people who are good at what they do and others who are not. Yet somehow, when we hear that an individual is a writer, we assume that s/he is good at writing as well as the attendant skills that go along with writing, such as researching, organization, and so forth. Why this is the case, I do not know; I suspect it has something to do with the mystique that gets attached to people who can do something as seemingly difficult as write a ten-page model research paper in a day, or assist with a dissertation in a field that isn't even their own.

Yet writing, like everything else, is a skill. People who write have developed this skill to varying degrees, some to hardly any extent at all, to be honest. Moreover, acquiring a skill is one thing, but having an inborn talent is another, and the truth is that not all professional freelance academic writers possess this talent. What these things mean is that over time, as reputations get established and known, those who are good writers will be sought out by increasing numbers of clients, and those who don't will largely be forgotten.

Second, let's talk about business sense. While most professional freelance writers will not want to run their own companies, or even put their shingle out there on sites like elance.com, that doesn't mean that a good amount of business sense is unimportant to all writers. Everyone should know how to write an effective, professional cover letter, have a professional, polished resume, and be able to communicate clearly and effectively via email. After all - you are a writer, for heaven's sake!! It's critical to be able to prove to potential providers of paychecks that you can write, and write well. For those who do indeed want to branch out and work for themselves, knowing the internet and how it works is a ket ingredient in making that happen. Everything from search engine optimization to article directory marketing is part of the kind of business knowledge and sense that professional academic writers should possess.

Finally, ethics are critical in this business. Let us be frank. We know that sometimes a student will be explicit that they want us to "do their work for me," or "take a test for me." We also know that there can be a lot of money in that. However, not only are these things highly unethical, but they are also extremely counter-productive to a long and healthy career. Once other people get wind of the kinds of work you are willing to do - and I promise they will - then your reputation will be shot. It is far better to pass up the easy money and survive in this business than take it and fail.

So, you're relatively new to the academic writing industry, and you've landed a good situation with a reputable company. You are reasonably sure that as long as you do a good job, they will keep working with you, to the point that you are also reasonably sure that you can earn most, if not all, of your income from this place. The support staff are nice and friendly, they don't seem to be slave-drivers, and so far, you have received your pay in a reasonable time frame. But you have doubts.

What could be the trouble, one might ask? Well, if you are anything like most of us professional writers, your doubts run from the understandable (how can I count on this company not to go under next year and then I've put all of my efforts into this one place?) to the slightly paranoid (what if they decide they don't like me anymore and smear my reputation all over the place so I never get work again?). Here are the top ten reasons to put those fears and doubts to rest.

10. Consistent Contact with the Outside World: The world of freelancing can be rather lonely. Facebook aside, there is little chance to talk about "the job" when you're earning your living as a professional freelancer. Most friends don't understand what you do anyway. So, it can be extremely helpful to have a support staff who is there to help you - who understands the ups and downs of freelance writing - who can vent with you about a difficult client - and who can even exchange a few emails with you about the vacation you took the week before. Don't underestimate the power of such regular contact.

9. No Need to Hunt Down Work: When you're all on your own as a freelancer, you also have to find all your own jobs. Sure, you can post on all the sites that exist to help independent freelancers, but you're still on your own to chase down every lead, make every sale, bolster your own reputation, and so forth. That's far more work than most people realize. If you work through an existing (and reputable) company, you don't have to do any of that work unless you want to. They do it for you, and you reap the benefits by being able to choose from among a steady stream of jobs.

8. Treatment as an Independent Contractor: Most academic writing companies will work with freelancers as contractors, not as employees. That means that you have the freedom to come and go as you please. Sure, they have the freedom to stop working with you as well after your last gig is successfully completed, but if you're a good writer and meet your deadlines, any company would be foolish to do so. This way, you also have the right to continue to pursue your own independent work and contracts, as you are not beholden to refrain from such activities as you might be were you an actual employee.

7. Quickness of Pay: Solid, reputable academic writing companies pay their writers on time. You complete a project, you submit an invoice for it, and you get paid within a day or two at most. This is extremely helpful when the rent is due and you had a few unexpected (yet fun) expenditures over the weekend. Getting paid fast is an amazingly helpful way to live.

6. Steady Research Work in the Slow Season: In the freelance academic writing world, it's feast or famine, even with all of the returning students and online students attending summer classes. Summer is always slow, period. However, for good academic writing companies, the word slow is relative. There are still theses and dissertations coming in, and in general, there is work to be found if you are willing to extend yourself accordingly. However, when you're in business on your own, you will almost definitely see the word "slow" turn to "dead" come June - and having no work at all for two or three months can be extremely hard.

5. Having Someone Else Handle Payment Disputes: So, the client doesn't like what you did, and is threatening to take his money back. You know for a fact that you did what the instructions required, and you also can prove this. If you're on your own, good luck, however. PayPal and other payment companies tend to favor the consumer over the vendor, so you will almost certainly not see that money again, even though you did nothing wrong. If you're in the hands of a good company, however, they will fight the fight on your behalf, and if you can prove it was not your fault, then you will not lose your money.

4. Communication with Client: Good companies differ, but most put clients and writers into direct contact with each other. This can be awfully helpful, particularly when you are working on a large project like a thesis where lots of questions might arise; it can be cumbersome sending everything through someone else. If you work with a company that does not provide such direct communication (because it is the case that some writers prefer never to have direct contact with clients), then if it's a good company, it will have reliable, fast support staff to help you maintain good communication.

3. Flexible Hours: When you're an independent contractor working with a company, as long as you pull your fair share, no one will be seriously annoyed if you take time off here and there, or if you aren't around in the day but ar at night. Or vice versa. Having that kind of flexibility with time is a gift more precious than words can say.

2. Privacy: When working with companies that put you in direct contact with clients, you will have a company-issued email address. That means that you don't have to use your own contact information, nor do client payments get sent directly to you. And THAT means that your privacy is ensured. You can even use a pseudonym if you want. No one will know who you are, and that can be an excellent thing in this invasive internet-driven world.

1. Regular Income: Hands down, this is, to me, the most important reason to stick with a good research paper company. You will be able to pay your rent. You will be able to buy groceries. On time. All because you won't have to rely on your own devices any longer to scrounge up money for bills. Getting paid steadily - a decent wage - is something few freelance essay writers get to enjoy. Don't throw it away if you have it. Of course, it's not possible to predict how much you can earn in a given period of time, but there are ways of supplementing income.

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Are there any more reasons to work with an essay service provider (or maybe it's better to focus on finding your own clients)? :-)

One of aspiring freelance writers has asked me this question:

"I'd like to get your perspective on something. Right now I'm working for a reputable company, but sometimes the instructions
provided by the client leave a lot of room for ambiguity. I am often tempted to email the client (assuming the deadline allows) and probe with a few additional questions. I am undecided whether this is a good idea, or whether it is bad and just risks opening cans of worms that should not be opened.

Do you think it's best to take the instructions provided at the time of payment and do one's best, or solicit more information and risk getting dragged into a painful discourse about details?"

I thought I'd share my answer:

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In my experience, it is essential to have clear, unambiguous instructions before beginning (or continuing) work on a project. You are right, though - quite often, asking a client for clarity is definitely opening up a can of worms. It is also, quite often, incredibly difficult. I've learned a few tricks along the way to help with that, though - here they are in case they help you too. :-)

First, explain to the client why you need clarity. Usually this will help the situation, because if they see this as something that benefits them (as opposed to making your life easier, which they have less of an investment in), then they are more likely to help you out. Second, ask for instructions direct from the instructor. Quite often, as you know, we receive instructions that are filtered through the client's understanding of those instructions, which often means they are wrong. Insist upon the exact instructions straight from the instructor, and that should help. Third, though, if that does not help, form a question (or questions) that the client can send, unaltered, to his or her instructor; in this way, you can get help right from the instructor.

It's definitely possible to soldier on with muddy instructions, but there is always the very real risk that you will miss the mark, the client will complain, and then you will be left to answer a reasonably legitimate question from said client: why didn't you ask me to explain when you weren't sure what to do? I prefer to avoid that situation and hammer things out before moving on. Sometimes that means missing a deadline, but if you hop on the situation immediately, then any delays in obtaining clarity are on the client's head, not yours. Good luck with the situation!