We need a National Association of Freelance Academic Writers

Membership in a national association of freelance academic writers (NAFAW) would provide verification that the writer was a native speaker and other credentials that are deemed important in this industry. The need for this type of association is highlighted in a recent survey of over 300 freelance writers that discovered that while freelance workers join professional associations for benefits such as networking, professional development, access to industry news, and other support services, the desire to establish a significant level of professional credibility trumps all.

Membership fees in the NAFAW would also support a Web site describing us and provide coffee mugs for members.

it might not be good to bring more attention to the industry than is necessary though

Conversely, a national association might lend this industry some credibility. Anyone else have any thoughts on this issue?

Some interesting background information concerning the industry:

According to The History of Ghostwriting, even the Bible was written by ghostwriters.

That is such a grossly inaccurate and misleading statement I don't even know where to begin...

As for the larger idea, there are several associations for various types of freelance writing and editing. Creating one for this industry would be almost impossible and largely pointless unless huge amounts of effort were invested in SEO to make sure students knew about the association before ordering with less reputable writers/companies.

maybe it is; however, shakespeare once worked in a term paper mill.

that won't help.

Good idea. Proposal:

ESL writer - $0.01 per word (advanced 0.02-0.03 per word)
Native writer - $0.015 per word (advanced 0.02-0.04)
FreelanceWriter - $0.012 per word
peddler - $0.0071 per word (with bonus)

A native writer would write an essay for $30 for 2000 words?? Are you crazy??? There is simply no way, that will be a quality paper.

You are pretty much showing why all these scam companies exist. A 2000 word paper is about 8 pages long. If you want a quality assignment you are looking at about $200.

the wacky thing i can't figure out is when there's 100-200 pages at phd or masters level, with a 3 day deadline. customer must be in a major state of denial at that point.

I don't know that it would be all that difficult -- we could say we are an association and we would be. Custom writing Web sites could include the association's logo and state they use only NAFAW members.

At any rate, besides verifying native speaker/writer status, members could subscribe to a code of ethics that would include:

1. The standard disclaimer that the work product is to be used as a guide only etc. etc.

2. Members will decline rewrite requests when they believe that clients have submitted work product word-for-word as their own.

3. whatever else the members decide...

This is what other professionals do -- we could too (don't forget the coffee mugs!).

i'm sure this will be occurring

When in doubt, begin at the beginning:

"Among the most important works in our history, The Bible is the classic example of a ghost written work. The Old Testament comes from an oral tradition similar to that which produced Homer`s works, but this keeps with the desired tone for the Hebrew Scriptures, attribution to human authors would fit uneasily with texts meant to collect the actions, mysteries and revelations of God.

The New Testament is equally strong as an example of ghostwriting. Scholars believe these too were dictated or reworked in the very early stages of Christianity. The Apostles were most likely entirely illiterate, while the Gospels are written in Greek showing higher learning uncommon among the working classes from which the Apostles came."

JohnsMom got busted

I am well aware of how the Bible was likely (all but certainly) written. I don't know what your background is; I have a minor in Religious Studies and while this doesn't make me an expert I've actually studied the Bible (especially the Old Testament) pretty extensively. Even though an independent blog post (that I'm guessing you wrote) equates the writing of the Bible to "ghostwriting," comparing what the scholars and priests who wrote and compiled these texts to what we do in this industry or to what actual ghostwriters do in the publishing industry is, as I said before, grossly inaccurate and misleading.

There was no person to be ghostwritten [i]for/[i] when it comes to the Bible. That is, there was no living author claiming credit for these works due to an arrangement with the actual authors. It was also not an issue of translating someone else's ideas/stories into a well-written text or narrative (which is what ghostwriters actually do). The context, the intent, and the product was entirely different. The only similarity is that those who wrote the texts did not claim authorship of those texts, and if that's your definition of "ghostwriting" then there are much older texts than the Bible that qualify as having been "ghostwritten."

Also, whoever wrote that article needs to hire an editor (or a ghostwriter). The second sentence michael quoted when he thought I got "busted" would be a good place to start.

I thought the article was interesting and wanted to share it with others. Thank you for your feedback.

You're welcome. Are you the author?

I think the author's name is provided in the article, but it ain't me.

That's something of a relief. I actually went back and read most of it, and in addition to some real syntax issues the author is generally inaccurate, touching on truth but making claims with far more certainty or emphasis than the facts support. His understanding of the oral tradition of the Old Testament, the education of the apostles, and much of what he says about Shakespeare all needs adjustment.

great, another glass house.

everyone in here thinks they're a grammar expert. it's like a contest.

The U.S. Army taught me grammar.

nobody cares. you still have a lot to learn. if you had a master's in technical communication or something like that then maybe.

I'm always open to constructive criticism.


I did a little more research (I looked at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghostwriter - Wikipedia's entry for ghostwriting (Boo!)), but there are some historical precedents for this business besides just academia. This would make a good topic for a paper.

To whom (or what) are you referring, exactly, editor75?

Your "little more research" seems to agree that the Bible does not qualify as having been ghostwritten.

You're right. I shouldn't have used the Bible as an example. The Wikipedia entry did contain the following that I thought highly relevant though:

"Ghostwriters are hired for numerous reasons. In many cases, celebrities or public figures do not have the time, discipline, or writing skills to write and research a several-hundred page autobiography or 'how-to' book. Even if a celebrity or public figure has the writing skills to pen a short article, they may not know how to structure and edit a several-hundred page book so that it is captivating and well-paced. In other cases, publishers use ghostwriters to increase the number of books that can be published each year under the name of well-known, highly marketable authors. Usually, there is a confidentiality clause in the contract between the ghostwriter and the credited author that obligates the former to remain anonymous."

So you did write the article?

Also, the section you quoted is highly relevant, as it gives a description of why ghostwriting exists and how it works, making it clear that what occurs in this industry isn't really the same thing. There is assumed (and often explicit) confidentiality and money changes hands in return for writing, but that's where the similarity ends.

No, I meant I shouldn't have used it in my post.

Many years ago, I proposed a "national association of freelance academic writers" elsewhere in this forum, and I'm thinking an international association of freelance academic writers might be needed today for the same reasons identified in my original post. Membership would be free (or a modest cost) and would provide clients with some assurance that writers had been vetted by the association (the membership committee would consist of several association member volunteers). Membership criteria could be developed by an executive committee. The association could have an official "seal of approval" that writers could display on their web sites if they have them or a link to the association's (free) web site that explained what the seal meant if they don't.

I'm sure there are problems with this idea and that any such association could be exploited by unscrupulous writers but we need to start somewhere and this might be it. Other professions have professional associations and we should too. Any thoughts?

Somehow, this forum is developing into such an association, but your idea is worth it. Most probably, you should come forward and take the initiative.

I agree. According to EssayScam: "There are 4 featured and 30 regular writer profiles available." This many writers would make a good start. I'll work up some bylaws in case anyone is interested.

While I was hacking away at the bylaws for the envisioned International Association of Freelance Writers (IAFAW) (coming soon!) that one of the objectives of the association should be publish an online magazine or even a peer-reviewed journal. Association members and students alike could contribute articles on academic writing-related topics of their choice. The association could publish the articles online as they are received and then consolidate them into different issues according to general themes, a practice that has been shown to increase readership. Authors could remain anonymous if they prefer. At some point, it might be possible to sell advertising in the publication to help defray any minimal costs that are involved (I'll take care of the article formatting, editing and graphic art gratis, at least for awhile).

Establishing a professional association and publishing a journal or magazine might help lend some credibility to this industry that is sorely lacking at present. This idea may be completely misguided, but I think it has potential. If anyone's interested in joining such an association (membership will be free for founding members who will collectively approve the bylaws, membership fees/dues [if any], membership categories and qualifications, etc.), please email me through the EssayScam contact feature or you can find my email address in my ad on EssayChat.


* . . . it occurred to me that one of the objectives

But do you realize starting such an organization would require much more than a free Wordpress script and a very substantial upfront investment?

We could do like the oil co's do it, and put a cent out of every dollar towards the organization. Once we're set up, we can charge 10% of total profits to new members. Rinse, repeat, we don't have to work anymore...............come to think of it, that's a good looking scam :D

In all seriousness, I agree this would help students a great deal. But there's so many issues around this project I wouldn't know which one to tackle first.

Alas, this is true, Major, especially if we used paid staff. Based on what I've been reading about establishing a peer-reviewed journal, it can cost between $10,000 and $12,000 minimum for administrative and editorial staff alone each year. The business model I'm envisioning, though, would not use paid staff but would rather rely on volunteers from the association's membership (I'm thinking you'd make a great member/volunteer, Major), at least until such a publication became profitable.

As I say, I'll take care of the formatting, editing and graphic arts for any type of publication, probably for the first year or two depending on article submission levels. The other expenses involved should be negligible but I haven't done much more research so I may be wrong of course. At any rate, if Joseph Normal Lockyear could found Nature in 1869 with the primitive and expensive publication resources available at that time, I'll bet we can do the same today with the Online Journal of the International Association of Freelance Academic Writers, or whatever.

There are some freelance writers who post here who claim that academic paper services rip them off because they take a large portion of the fee paid by a customer. It may be a good opportunity for them to help establish such an organization so that they know the true cost and effort of running a business. Probably the hardest and the most expensive part would be marketing; building a brand and professional recognition may take years (unless there's enough budget for serious advertising in both online and offline venues).

The aspirations here are amusing. :)

That's certainly been my experience in this industry as well, Major. Fortunately, despite what the "death clock"* says, I expect to be around for a few more years and I intend to devote some of them to this project.

There's some valuable guidance available from [pkp.sfu.ca/files/OJS_Project_Report_Shapiro.pdf] Dr. Lorna Shapiro concerning establishing an online peer-reviewed journal, and she emphasizes that it can be expensive and time-consuming, even for a modest publication. As with most enterprises, though, most of the real expense involved is paid staff, something we may be able to avoid with volunteers until it becomes popular enough to sell advertising and/or subscriptions.

I realize that this is an ambitious idea, but I think it's time we came together to agree on a few basic ground rules in the form of association bylaws that can improve our credibility. I'm open to suggestions. An online publication would also provide an opportunity for association members to publish something on their own concerning topics of their own interest rather than continue watching their clients receive credit for journal articles they have written on topics in which they may have no personal interest other than getting paid.

_______________
* The "death clock" says I died on March 15, 2000

I found a similar website (Editorial Freelance Writers Association - the-efa.org) - I imagine it is a lot of work to manage it all.

Good find, Major. This association essentially negates the need for the IAFAW (but not the journal). Their stated goal is precisely what I had in mind for the IAFAW: "The EFA's goal has always been to raise the professional status of its members and to make freelancing more rewarding."

The EFA has been operated entirely by volunteers since is founding in 1970. Their membership fees are fairly steep ($145 per year or $260 for 2 years) but this association also posts good-paying freelance writing jobs for its paid members. In addition, they offer dental and health plans for their members, some educational resources, and online socialization opportunities such as "Scrabble Night!" (I like Scrabble) and "Twitter Freelance Friday." I don't see any indication that they publish an association magazine or journal but members receive a subscription to the online journal Vocabula Review, a bimonthly newsletter and other publications.

I think I'll sign up.

But have you heard about them (I haven't until yesterday). Prices on their page are unreasonable too, like (Writing, Ghostwriting):

$50-60/hr
26¢-50¢/wd

--- even at $0.26 per word, a one-page essay would cost about $78 per page. Besides, who is charging per hour for a writing service : )

The hourly rate is reasonable but I agree the charge per word is beyond the range of what most academic writers can charge. I'm assuming (a) they don't have many of these jobs and (b) the jobs they do have available are for commercial or trade publications (I'll let you know if I join).

A lot of people, if they are working on something besides academic papers. Technical writing and such.

When you factor in marketing, buying your own health insurance, self-employment taxes, etc., you need to be making well over $100 per hour from your writing, in most types of freelance work. Many academic writers can get by on much less per hour because they write a lot of company papers or have regular clients, meaning that most of their working hours are actual paid hours. (Also, most work far more than 40 hours a week during the busy seasons.)

But if you specialize in, say, writing book reviews for magazines, then you're probably going to spend at least 50 percent of your time digging up new assignments -- and not getting paid for that time. Thus you need higher rates.