Datasheet: How to Write College Essays for a Living -- Location-Independent Income
05-18-2019, 02:39 PM
Figured I'd give back to the community by posting some information.
Background
Demand for college essays is huge. They need to be custom-written, because turning in an essay that's been used before will get a student in trouble for plagiarism. Most schools use software to catch that. With the rise of online degree programs, there should always be lots of customers.
This can be a source of location-independent income, and can support you full-time. Just keep in mind that it can be hard work, and it's a seasonal business -- during peak seasons, you might work long days and nights, and during slower times you might not have much work. Essay seasons are October through mid-December and February through April or May.
It should go without saying that you'll need a stable internet connection.
Customers
Customers typically fall into one of a few categories:
-English-as-a-second-language students. They come to university in an English-speaking country but they don't have adequate English skills, so they buy essays.
-Lazy students. They probably could do the work themselves, but they'd rather party or play video games, and they have adequate bankroll to buy essays.
-Academically inadequate students. They are simply not college material, or they are returning to school after many years away.
-Older students who have professional jobs and lack the time to do their own essays.
Some of the common majors who request essay services are nursing, business, education, and (who would've guessed it) theology/seminary.
Note that this mini-guide is geared toward the U.S. essay market. British universities are more rigorous. A lot of essay writers charge more for British assignments or won't do them at all.
To get started, you typically need a bachelor's degree (but I doubt anyone is checking), some writing samples, and, obviously, some ability to write. You should review the common style guides such as MLA and APA, and learn to cite sources properly. You absolutely must not plagiarize, or you'll get your clients in trouble and find yourself with no work.
How to Find Work
There are two ways to work: by taking orders through an established company, or on your own.
Companies
The industry is dominated by companies based in the Ukraine and Pakistan. There are also a few U.S. and U.K.-based companies. You apply with some examples of your writing and, if you're accepted, you get access to an assignment board. You have to keep checking back to see if orders are posted. If they look good, you grab them. You might make anywhere from $6 to $21 per page. Urgent orders with tight deadlines might pay more. With these companies, especially the foreign ones, expect to deal with things like your pay being docked for customer complaints. It's best to work for U.S.-based companies. (But keep in mind, many companies falsely claim to be U.S.-based; you'll have to dig deeper to find the truth.) It's freelance work and you can work for more than one company at a time.
Finding Your Own Customers
This is the best way to work, as there is no middleman. You might make $30 to $40 per page for undergraduate work, and a little more for graduate work. The hard part is finding customers. Word of mouth will be your best bet. Drop some hints within your social circle or with people you meet at parties, etc. When you have a few satisfied customers, if they're well-connected, you'll tend to get orders from their friends.
You could also market online through forums and through social media. One guy said he marketed successfully with Facebook ads. Keep in mind that some platforms, such as Facebook and Google, will probably not allow you to blatantly advertise essay-writing services, so you need to be creative with your ad copy.
You may get the idea to start a website and attract clients via SEO. I recommend that you don't rely on this, as the major companies put a lot of money and energy into their SEO efforts and you won't be able to compete.
Legalities
The entire industry markets its products as example essays. Students are to use them as guides in preparing their own work, and they must not turn these essays in for credit.
Do your own research on this, with attention to what the laws and regulations may be in your particular locale.
Wikipedia covers this topic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essay_mill#Legal_status
Note: "While there is no federal law against the operation of essay mills, there are over a dozen individual states in the US that have their own laws against them."
Resources
The industry's main forum: https://essayscam.org/forum/
Article about an essay writer who did well: https://www.chronicle.com/article/The-Sh...lar/125329
Recent NPR article about the business: https://www.npr.org/2019/04/10/710985799...ten-essays
Background
Demand for college essays is huge. They need to be custom-written, because turning in an essay that's been used before will get a student in trouble for plagiarism. Most schools use software to catch that. With the rise of online degree programs, there should always be lots of customers.
This can be a source of location-independent income, and can support you full-time. Just keep in mind that it can be hard work, and it's a seasonal business -- during peak seasons, you might work long days and nights, and during slower times you might not have much work. Essay seasons are October through mid-December and February through April or May.
It should go without saying that you'll need a stable internet connection.
Customers
Customers typically fall into one of a few categories:
-English-as-a-second-language students. They come to university in an English-speaking country but they don't have adequate English skills, so they buy essays.
-Lazy students. They probably could do the work themselves, but they'd rather party or play video games, and they have adequate bankroll to buy essays.
-Academically inadequate students. They are simply not college material, or they are returning to school after many years away.
-Older students who have professional jobs and lack the time to do their own essays.
Some of the common majors who request essay services are nursing, business, education, and (who would've guessed it) theology/seminary.
Note that this mini-guide is geared toward the U.S. essay market. British universities are more rigorous. A lot of essay writers charge more for British assignments or won't do them at all.
To get started, you typically need a bachelor's degree (but I doubt anyone is checking), some writing samples, and, obviously, some ability to write. You should review the common style guides such as MLA and APA, and learn to cite sources properly. You absolutely must not plagiarize, or you'll get your clients in trouble and find yourself with no work.
How to Find Work
There are two ways to work: by taking orders through an established company, or on your own.
Companies
The industry is dominated by companies based in the Ukraine and Pakistan. There are also a few U.S. and U.K.-based companies. You apply with some examples of your writing and, if you're accepted, you get access to an assignment board. You have to keep checking back to see if orders are posted. If they look good, you grab them. You might make anywhere from $6 to $21 per page. Urgent orders with tight deadlines might pay more. With these companies, especially the foreign ones, expect to deal with things like your pay being docked for customer complaints. It's best to work for U.S.-based companies. (But keep in mind, many companies falsely claim to be U.S.-based; you'll have to dig deeper to find the truth.) It's freelance work and you can work for more than one company at a time.
Finding Your Own Customers
This is the best way to work, as there is no middleman. You might make $30 to $40 per page for undergraduate work, and a little more for graduate work. The hard part is finding customers. Word of mouth will be your best bet. Drop some hints within your social circle or with people you meet at parties, etc. When you have a few satisfied customers, if they're well-connected, you'll tend to get orders from their friends.
You could also market online through forums and through social media. One guy said he marketed successfully with Facebook ads. Keep in mind that some platforms, such as Facebook and Google, will probably not allow you to blatantly advertise essay-writing services, so you need to be creative with your ad copy.
You may get the idea to start a website and attract clients via SEO. I recommend that you don't rely on this, as the major companies put a lot of money and energy into their SEO efforts and you won't be able to compete.
Legalities
The entire industry markets its products as example essays. Students are to use them as guides in preparing their own work, and they must not turn these essays in for credit.
Do your own research on this, with attention to what the laws and regulations may be in your particular locale.
Wikipedia covers this topic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essay_mill#Legal_status
Note: "While there is no federal law against the operation of essay mills, there are over a dozen individual states in the US that have their own laws against them."
Resources
The industry's main forum: https://essayscam.org/forum/
Article about an essay writer who did well: https://www.chronicle.com/article/The-Sh...lar/125329
Recent NPR article about the business: https://www.npr.org/2019/04/10/710985799...ten-essays