This is actually a good writing practice that I should perhaps also integrate into my work.
I think I might have misunderstood the first parts of the thread. In that case, I do agree that merely changing up the citations/sources that were previously used is quite a relatively easy task and requires minimal effort. Although, I have personally only experienced this a handful of times (could be a given - I haven't been an academic writer for that long of a time period). I have previously spoken with clients who approach me once more for projects after encountering a negative experience from a writer who misused sources. Once, I have been told by someone that he simply just edited it on his own rather than hire an academic writer to fix it for him. Afterward, the client just made sure to hire the right writer for the work to make it less stressful of a situation.

This is particularly interesting to me as a freelance academic writer. I find that most companies charge around 50% less when it comes to editing jobs because of the assumption that they're easier to finish. Nonetheless, I also generally agree that editing jobs take longer than full-on writing jobs. I have also observed that clients who ask for editing tend to not really know how to estimate the work that actually needs to be put into the paper they're sending in. There have been a few instances wherein they asked for a minor edit; however, it still ended up to be a major revision that warranted that I added an immense amount of work into the final project. Writing jobs are a lot more straightforward, especially since counting per page, word count, and research needed would be way easier than having rough estimates of probable editing work.

@ThrowawayPleaseNow

I agree with the prior comment that it really matters here where the writer you hired is from. If they're from the US, then it could vaguely be enforceable. However, you need to ask yourself the question of whether or not these people would actually spend so much time trying to file a case against you in your university. That would be utterly unreachable in a lot of cases, especially since the writer would also be putting their own career in essay writing (if there is one) at stake. Merely mentioning that they have written for you would automatically make them a target.

I highly recommend not being too centered in on this concern. Let this be a lesson learned at the very least. Don't hire anyone who does not show any level of competency for the field. Always double check and ask for samples. If you can, try your best to not hire someone for a lengthy 9-page paper almost immediately. Always do test runs with newer writers you intend to work with as this will ensure that they are legitimately going to provide the results that you ask for.

This is something that should be addressed and reiterated many times to academic writers. I am still baffled when I see writers who complain about slow seasons as I am sure that they know fully well that there will be instances wherein students are just not in school. Simply put, don't rely on just academic writing as your career path. Not only am I certain that you will be burn out soon, but you will also have a difficult time trying to compensate with those off seasons. Try to always be smarter when dealing with these types of career paths. I am sure that no experienced academic writer (or anyone who's in freelancing for that matter) would recommend that you simply stick with this all year long because it will only stress you out.

I didn't realize this until months after being into the field of academic writing. I tried applying for numerous sites and got turned down because I was working for the affiliate company. Then again, it wouldn't make sense for a writer to be part of the other company, considering the fact that they do in fact consolidate the orders into one pool. At the very end, the writer should find a way to be able to expand their writing portfolio to be able to create a full-time career out of this field.

Writers also shouldn't focus too much on how many "companies" they are working for. While diversifying your career is different, to be able to retain customers in specific companies and platforms is what is more important. To make it sustainable, don't look for companies that are just easy to get into. Instead, look for companies that are actually communicative, friendly, and fair to their writers. Whatever the definition of the execution of these three are would be largely just dependent on the writer's perception himself.

I agree with this one. Chat representatives are simply just hired to talk to the customers about the terms and conditions of the site - they're not necessarily the writers themselves. This is why it is important that I always clarify to the clients what information I can and cannot provide. I often find that clients can't really discern that there is a clear difference between the platform used by writers and the one that they're in. Because of this, it is even more important for clients to be in touch with the writer assigned to them to ensure that they aren't being fooled by the company itself.

I also agree that rewritten papers are often more complex than writing from scratch. I've had my fair share of cases wherein students would ask for rewritten versions of their draft. However, once I start reading through the bulk of texts provided, I would find myself confused with what the student was trying to say in his initial draft. In these cases, I often just ask the student for clarification on the main thought behind certain parts of the writing. Still, it can be daunting and dragging to have students who are still adamant that they are to be followed. Oftentimes, it takes so much longer to complete these papers, especially if the student doesn't maintain constant communication with me and cannot answer in a rightful amount of time what certain portions actually mean.

This is the particular type of work that should be avoided by writers themselves. While I think that customers should have leverage in some instances when they are rightful in their demands, I have also encountered clients who had absurd requests that would end up wasting so much of my time. Writers should be firm in decision-making when handling clients, especially since not all clients really know how to comprehend instructions that were sent in by the professor. I remember I had a client once who ordered a 10-page paper. A few hours later on, she asked for countless revision requests that were quite far from the instructions of the project. When I asked if she was sure that these revisions were what she wanted, she simply nodded and told me to just do it. Even though I tried to rationalize to her calmly and respectfully that it's an odd request, she kept insisting. I spent hours on the revision until she was happy with the request. A few weeks later, she comes to me and tells me that the professor had issues because I didn't follow the instructions properly. I didn't necessarily know how to respond to her because I had already warned her when she asked for the revisions. Still, she had the nerve to got angry and blame me for the results. Clients have to be more just when approaching writers. They also have to learn to trust writers who have years of experience in handling these types of essays since I am sure that the writer would know exactly what to do. Even if it's a little bit off, it wouldn't be such a leap as though the writer would make her fail her classes.

Bringing back this discussion, I've found that the writing assignments that I've received as of the past year were primarily 50-50 when it came to academic writing and other forms of copy writing. Surely, even though it's possibly for me to tip the scales and focus more on copy writing, I always somehow end up coming back to fulfilling academic writing because of past clients and companies that I've established relationships with. I do agree, however, that (like any other freelance career) it is important for the writer to know for sure how to diversify their portfolio since it's the only way to create a sustainable self-employed career out of writing. Based on exposure to other writers, I have still observed that most academic writers still tend to do the work part-time to a more stable 9-5 job. A lot of people still consider the field to be a supplementary source of income than an actual career. Of course, this wouldn't include writers who are fully just academic writers as they have made themselves successful in retaining a specific brand imagery for their customers.

I think this is an imperative part of the discussion that is often overlooked. While I recognize that certain academic writers find the work to be in the grey area because there are clients who certainly just need the assistance, there are also instances wherein these writers are still being used by students who have ill intentions. While I remain to be in the field, I also acknowledge that there is a possibility that there are students who are simply slacking around - hence, why they end up using the services in the first place. Still, like with any other job, I stand by the idea that the intent of the writer is what matters most by the very end because it will determine their approach and belief in the work that they do.

Agreed with this. Personally, I don't ever use quotations not unless I'm specifically being asked for it. I ensure that my references are still on-point through in-text citations (paraphrased content, of course). Quotations, in my opinion, are also quite a lazy manner of trying to relay information. Quotations don't necessarily add anything substantive to the text. Not unless you're doing an extremely detailed journalism or investigatory-based content, I don't think it's necessary to use these types of things. After all, writing should consistently be about the analysis of the writer rather than anything else. The writer should make use of the paraphrased information by providing new sets of information that are derived from their own understanding of the text - and this is how you are able to create something that's more effective. It's only a plus that the paper will also come out to have lesser percentages in Turnitin.

I remember back in my college years, this also happened to one of my classmates. He barely showed up in class, was holding two jobs, and poorly performed whenever we had oral examinations. He was pretty straightforward to us, his classmates, that he was availing of essay writing services. His only reasoning was that he didn't want to risk not being able to graduate due to failing too many classes. He got through three years until he was caught by a professor. He basically got set aside from the rest of the class and was publicly humiliated because he was asked why his works were well-written. This was a guy who was not only barely in class, but he was also known to be consistently late and absent during classes since he was working multiple jobs. I couldn't blame the guy, though - he was grinding way earlier than everyone else and was self-supporting himself. Still, he got caught for it and eventually failed some other courses after his professor relayed the information to the institution. He admitted to using these sites for his entire stay in college. Sad to say, when availing of essay writing services, you have to be cautious of these types of situations because they do happen. Knowing that you are fully aware that they occur, just be more self-conscious about what you are doing. Writers cannot be held accountable for this anymore as their sole responsibility would be to ensure that they're delivering the paper that you asked for.

I agree with this. Having an extremely polished site to the point that it appears to be too advertised rather than content-focused appears to be a trend in essay writing companies that are unreliable. In my opinion, however, it would still be important for the student to "test" these writing companies by placing smaller orders to ensure that they are not being ripped-off. Other key takeaways would also be to focus more on the reliability of the customer service and how communicative the writers are, taking into account that these definitely can impact the rest of the writing to a drastic extent. You wouldn't want to work with any company that advertises themselves as reliable - but, when you try to reach out to them, they take either too long to respond or are vague with their responses. To me, you can easily determine if a writing company is reliable simply by inquiring and asking them. If any red flags seem to surface, then the client has all the will to back-out of it to ensure that they won't be scammed of their precious and hard-earned money. Better yet, just contact writers directly through whichever platform or forum you find around to make certain that you will be getting a one-by-one and face-to-face communication with the writer himself/herself.

This is most certainly true. I have also observed that there are other clients whose sole purpose in reaching out to writing and editing companies would be to ensure that they are on the right track. I didn't realize how common it was until later in my career when I had more prospective clients. The more that I spent in the field, the more that I admired clients who genuinely asked me questions regarding the paper to either clarify or discuss it. I've even had a very welcoming client once who spent an entire afternoon "consulting" me about the research he was conducting. Needless to say, I was flattered that he trusted me enough not just as his academic writer, but also as someone who knows what they're doing when they're researching. Despite the ins and outs of this odd job, I find that these small moments are genuinely rewarding because it gives me a sense of fulfillment that I wouldn't have probably found elsewhere. Being a writer in these fields have truly shaped me to be more welcoming and engaging to clients who have different backgrounds and reasons as to why they were put in such a pressured situation. Nonetheless, I definitely will keep these clients to the books even when the day comes that I stop participating in academic writing.

I agree with the prior comment that this is all the more reason for the writer to make sure that they're not solely relying on just one type of writing. Any freelancer writer will tell you that, regardless of how good you are in your niche/subject, it is still critical that you are able to partake in other forms of writing to create a steadier source of income. While I don't believe that there are huge dips in the number of orders as there are others who avail of essay writing services even during off-peak seasons, there certainly can still be indubitable differences in the maximum amount of income that you can possibly gather during this period. Writers should know better than to put all their eggs in one basket.

This is a really important part of academic writing that writers should be mindful of. This is also the specific reason why clients and writers should definitely be able to communicate throughout the project. Ensuring that the delivery of the paper will be as close as possible to what the clients envisioned should also be prioritized by the writers, taking into account that they will be followed by the very end. I've also personally had a few clients who have straight-up told me that they would edit some parts of the paper on their own because it wasn't how they anticipated a certain portion to turn out. Once I've handed over the finished paper to the client, then they would have all of rights and opportunities to edit it as they see fit. This shouldn't be an issue either way for anyone in the situation.

This is often overlooked by a lot of ESL writers. While there isn't really any certainty that you can match up to ENL writers, there's still a sliver of a chance to be able to prove that you're still a reliable writer who's willing to work on their own mistakes. Also, I wish ESL writers wouldn't just limit themselves to these type of writing opportunities, especially when there are numerous other types of freelance writing opportunities that are out there that can be more appropriate. Using immensely technical language is required when dealing with academic writing, so perhaps trying to venture into simpler forms of writing prior to attempting to infiltrate this particular field can be beneficial for them to diversify their own writing portfolio.

This is what's particularly rewarding about editing jobs. Not only are they a lot calmer compared to general writing jobs, but they also give the writer the pleasure of being extra cautious with their own writing. Writers typically write numerous pages daily; generally speaking, this is also the reason why some writers do have tendencies to have slip-ups in their writing as they tend to be overshadowed and bombarded with so much research. I also love editing jobs because they feel a bit more rewarding at times compared to regular essay writing jobs. I have noticed that clients in this area tend to be a lot more communicative and consultative as they're truly curious as to how they can improve their writing.

One of the many ways that writers thrive in the industry is through diversifying their writing portfolios. Surely enough, even though academic writing can come off as season because of the "peak" seasons, the dry periods aren't necessarily terrible. These drier seasons are still considered to be pretty alright - except that you don't have mountains of papers piling in front of you. This is also the reason why I've made it a point to not just stick with one type of writing (in this case, for example, academic writing) because you cannot merely just focus on one area without leaving another. It is always imperative to ensure that you would have back-up plans for slower seasons to ensure a steady flow of income. More than being a writer, this (of course) just is a prerequisite for freelancers in general to survive in the field.

@pollyplamer
Agreed with the prior comment.

Coming back to this to remind others to not be shy when other people attempt to correct you; this is how you are able to learn. There are certain nuances that cannot simply be taught by writing courses. Simply learning the language doesn't give you the equivalency of a native speaker's tongue, especially because you did not grow up in the environment they were brought up in. In these instances, your best bet would always be to just accept offers from other people, learn from your own mistakes, and try harder the next time around.

This was a very extravagant way to view what was initially posted by the student. Setting up your own work and treating it entirely like a business model doesn't necessarily flow well with everyone, especially because it takes a lot more than just "publishing" your work to gain leverage in the field. There are tons and tons of freelance writers out there who are struggling to make ends meet. If OP wants to be able to use his writing skills to the test, then it would be a good way to test it out. However, making an entire business out of it and treating it as a scheme won't just be as easy as setting up a website, considering the fact that you need more than just these mere details to sort everything out.

I agree with this. Everyone starts from the essay writing companies simply because it's the easiest method to enter the industry. Although, I would say that there are others (such as myself) who just ended up in the industry without an initial intention to do so. Still, I am very much well-aware that there numerous academic writers out there that work independently and are very successful in retaining their clients.


I've never believed that companies that "coach" or "mentor" writers are the right ones to work for, especially because there are others who simply meddle with the work to impose unwanted fines to writers. I heavily recommend writers to be extra cautious of who they write for - and, ensure that you are writing for the write companies who are not just around to take your income away from you. I've been there; however, once you find the right company to work for, you aren't looking back.

I don't necessarily think that Google will participate in this long-winded trend. Considering the fact that there are more pressing concerns happening in the world, policing these types of essay writing companies aren't necessarily on top of their list. Even if the time comes that they do stop being a part of this, I also agree with the prior comment that it won't necessarily be a pressing concern, especially because students will continuously flock to other means of attaining a similar type of services. Then again, essay writing does come at a grey area at times (depending, of course, on the perspective you're looking into). Still, I hardly think that Google actually cares that these types of services exist - not unless the world suddenly becomes hyper-aware that they are around.

In line with this, it is also critical that one should be extra cautious of the periods of time when orders are more prominent. I have observed that there are certain periods of time that definitely have a larger inflow of orders for whatever reason. This is quite easy to tell (ie. oftentimes, clients from the US have a clear tendency to place orders during nighttime in their timezone - and this is simply because it's easier to follow). Keeping track of this would definitely make one more cautious as to not waste time logging into sites without achieving anything else. If the company permits, it is also a bit easier to retain a specific amount of income from academic writing if you have a few customers who keep coming back to you. Therefore, ensuring that you are a trustworthy and reliable writer at all times is considered to be paramount as well in the field.

There can be advantages for companies to use either or of the models when conducting their business. In this regard, it would mostly boil down to the preference of the owner of the site - whether or not they find it necessary to have multiple platforms. I think that companies that have multiple sites (but with the same pool of writers and orders) do not have to be immediately pessimistically looked at, especially because it is a legitimate marketing stunt that just goes to show that they want to be able to attract as many customers as possible. If a company is able to maintain the quality of their work with this business model, then I wouldn't necessarily say that they're being unreasonable for wanting to use it as an expansion mechanism for the rest of their writing.

The site definitely does sound more of a marketing stunt than anything else. I would highly recommend that students (who wish to use essay writing services) to always practice the precautionary measures when trying to use a new company. This field is incredibly saturated with companies that aren't reliable when it comes to providing services, so always make sure that you are up-to-date with the information that you're trying to put out in the open, especially if you're planning to order large projects.

I was referring to this situation. I have had instances before wherein there were issues regarding the payment method of the clients - and the company was still able to fully pay me for the project that I completed for. This is a definite sign that a company is reputable and can be relied upon by a writer.

It is still possible for essay writing companies to ensure that writers undergo some sort of screening process, especially because they would still be risking the health and longevity of the company in the long-run. A lot of these companies have also set-up mechanisms and procedures to ensure that there are less chances for fraud-related accounts that have been bought off from other essay writers. Furthermore, I have also encountered companies that are really picky when it comes to ensuring the quality of the papers that their writers turn in since the trust of the customers can be taken away from them if they aren't able to ensure this.

I also do not understand this. I have encountered companies who hire editors who would need to extensively edit the projects submitted by the writers. I think it's a waste of time - especially for smaller companies. It's way easier to just finance writers themselves, hire properly, and make them undergo a strenuous screening process. This is also why I think, even when using essay writing companies, writers should have full contact with the client to ensure that the delivery of the work is correct. This removes any erratic misinformation that can affect the quality of the output of the paper.

I have personally heard of writers who have definitely turned to small claims courts to chase outstanding debt, especially if they have legitimate contracts signed in accordance to these projects. I also still think it isn't unreasonable to believe that there are writers who do not get 100% paid upfront since the terms of writing do not have a strict template that is followed. Still, I don't think that a lot of writers would actually want to chase clients who do not properly pay. Chances are small, and this is often the case when the pending payment is small and can be forgotten by the writer. The whole fiasco is definitely a pressing thing for anyone who freelances. There's always a small risk in cooperating and building trust with clients.

I've personally had a couple of clients who have asked me to tutor them on writing. While I do agree that they can fall under the lesser-known spectrum of clients, they still definitely exist. I have noticed that this is often because there's a lot of shame (at least for a few of them) when they ask for assistance for their essays. It is clearly observable how they often are ashamed that they are even asking for help in the first place, especially if they're for larger projects. This could be a good reason why they ask for the assistance. Although I have personally turned them down (considering I am a writer, and certainly not qualified to provide such assistance), I don't necessarily think that it's unusual for students to ask for additional assistance.

This happens way more often than I would prefer it too. I have had instances wherein I would have return client tell me that they were previously looking for me but another writer had taken the offer before I had the chance to log in the system. In this instance, I found that the client would tell me how disappointed they are with the work that the other writer has provided, therefore warranting the reason why they have chosen to come back to ask for my help. Writers should consistently try to be available, especially if the client is a returning one who has a good record with the company. If you are truly keen on securing a good writer, it also helps to have a ready-made list of three to five writers that you are interested in working for. This can be a lot better so you aren't just being given away to any writer that you are not interested in working for.

The treatment of the academic writing profession should always be treated as a regular job. Plainly, because I think that the moral and ethical angle of the work has a lot of ingrained subjectivity from the writers, then there isn't a point to tackle this angle. Others would see it as unethical, whereas there are some who think that it plainly just giving out writing services to the clients. Do I personally think that I am depriving the clients of their own space to learn? Not necessarily. Through engaging with clients, a lot of them are actually smart individuals who simply do not have the time (because of personal reasons) to be able to produce a twenty-page paper within a short period. Because of this reason, they come to our services.

I also presume that teachers are well-aware that these services exist. The essay writing industry has been around for as long as education has been. People have been writing for others for decades already. What is only different is that a great majority of these people have now migrated to providing the said service online because it enhances the scope of the work that is to be conducted. In that regard, there are no longer limitations in the possibility of clients because you can reach out to anyone in the world, making it easier to do business.

I do not think that ordering a paper and rewriting it makes a whole lot of sense. It defeats the very purpose of saving time from writing the paper yourself. Just get a trustworthy writer and deal with it as efficiently as possible.

The size of the project truly matters in this discussion.

If I anticipate to work with a client for long-term, then I would usually be alright with providing work before getting paid. Better yet, the 50-50 method wherein the client gives a 50% down payment also works. If I perceive a potential client to be one that I stick with, then I would be generally alright with being patient, especially if it's already their typical payment scheme for other writers. As long as they keep giving me the income that I expect, then there shouldn't be an issue concerning such.

However, when there are shorter projects, then I would expect that the payment would be upfront. There shouldn't be a reason for a client to not provide this, especially because shorter projects usually also indicates that they need to pay me less than they would if it was a massive one.

If I'm being asked to deliver a rush order, then, of course, it will only be wise to ask for a payment upfront. Typically in the industry, papers to be delivered within a shorter time frame are more expensive because it requires a tremendous amount of effort and time from the writer. Therefore, writers should be cautious of having an equitable relationship with their clients in these instances because the probability of being scammed can be higher (due to how expensive the entire project would be).

This is a common case, especially when the student has English as his second language. I have noticed that there's been a growing demand in writing services that are coming from ESL students who have moved overseas. Typically, one can tell that these clients come from non-English countries because of the manner of speaking and engaging with them. From the get-go, one can observe that there is a massive behavioral difference between clients who are truly natives and those who have just recently migrated. I think what is also interesting is the fact that these clients are often honest with their intentions. I have had a couple who openly admitted that they have just moved, therefore they have yet to fully adapt to the country and are worried about retaining the good grades that they previously had in their home countries. There's nothing wrong in asking for help.

This is also precisely the reason why, when writers have clients, it is always smart to create equitable contracts that do not benefit one over the other. If a writer is able to show clients that they are truly legitimate workers who offer legitimate services, then it helps reduce the instances wherein the writer would be taken advantage of. Showing seriousness in the work would definitely give the readers a better idea on what they should anticipate from the text itself.

Now, once a writer is in a situation wherein they are already being taken advantage of, then it would only be wise to approach a mediator. I have also heard of other freelancers threatening to sue - and, while it certainly isn't the ideal situation, it should give the client an idea that the writer is genuinely going to take action if they do not comply with the working conditions that they have initially agreed upon.

I would never recommend a site that tries to "review" the paper prior to it being seen by the client. For one, writers have already gone through (at that point) an extensive screening process, therefore they should be trusted by the company. If they feel as though they cannot trust their writers, they should improve their screening process. Secondly, companies should always prioritize what the feedback is of the client over anything else. The client should be the sole judge of the paper, especially because they're the ones they should be worried about retaining. Any company that tries to review the paper prior to it being sent over to the client would often find ways to fault the writer, creating that environment of being "slave writers" rather than actual freelancers. If clients are genuinely happy with the output, there's no need to punish writers. No unless, of course, you are running on a scam-like structure, which is a sad reality in most websites that are available for work. I know it took me two years to find companies that I truly love working with who do not strip my income from me just because they need to earn more.

Essay writing companies are legitimate businesses, therefore they should still be treated as such. Legitimate businesses will invest in their own work because they want to promote the craft that they do. In summation, yes, you need to be worried if they're using a free service to fund their business. This strips the credibility of the site when it comes to being trustworthy as it tells you that the owners do not care enough to spend money on the site's platform. Decent sites will always find a way to improve their customer service. This goes the same way for sites that have misspellings. The time and effort put into building the site is almost always tantamount to how truthful the work they are providing is.

This is one of the biggest red flags that people should look after. While it may be enticing to pay less for a writer, there is a higher probability that you are not going to get the results that you are looking for. (At the same time, of course, be cautious when hiring high-paying writers, especially because you may still be getting scammed.) High-paying writers will not settle for less because good quality papers require a stringent and laborious amount of time and effort.

I don't think that private tutoring is similar to writing model essays. Private tutoring means not providing a model paper, rather guiding the student on how to write it out. Not all academic writers can fall under private tutoring because we're all not well-versed in teaching. If a model paper is what is required, then the writer can provide so.