There have been a number of emails sent asking why I don’t review the vast array of academic writing sites on the Internet. I have decided to respond and answer the apparently burning question of why we have not, and never will, review academic writing sites.

Let me start by saying that I have been accepted at several of the top academic writing sites on the Internet. I tell you this so you will understand that it’s not some form of sour grapes that compels me to take the position I have on these sites. I have never written for them and I never will.

Ethics

Many don’t realize when they accept this job is that they are helping people cheat. Academic writing sites exist to supply students with papers that they were supposed to have written themselves. They pay the site to have you do their work for them. You get a percentage of that fee.

Any way you look at it this is cheating. The only positive side here for the writer is that their name is never on the work. This is one of the rare times when it’s good not to have a byline.

After being accepted by a number of these sites I went and looked at some of the work they wanted me to complete. There were the garden-variety term papers and college essays. There were also orders for thesis and dissertation papers! Some of these were in healthcare and the biological sciences, which I found unsettling.

There is never an excuse for cheating. There is even less of an excuse to be paid to help someone cheat.

Academic writing sites don’t pay well

Of all of the writing sites out there, academic writing sites have some of the worst payment policies and pay scales that exist. Some of them promise you $7 a page. What they don’t want you to know is that they often charge $20 or more a page. Most writing sites pay you at least half if not more of the fee. Not academic sites. Not even close.

These sites treat their writers horribly

If ethics and lousy pay aren’t a problem for you then you might be interested to know that these sites treat their writers so poorly that there are a number of websites devoted to this topic alone.

One of the most serious issues has to do with penalties. Remember, they are already getting all but your pittance of a fee. These sites are notorious for doing everything they can to take that from you as well. If they claim you are late in delivering the order, they will dock you half of the agreed upon amount. Keep in mind that the customer is still getting the paper that you wrote. The penalty money goes to the site, not to you or the customer.

Don’t think that never being late will save you. These sites often claim that the writer was late even when they were early. You can argue the point but you will lose. When you lose they will keep all of your money.

In the event that you get through the first hurdle of getting the order accepted as being on time, then you have to worry about the editors. Any issue at all, no matter how minor, will result in a penalty up to the entire fee for the order.

Payment

If you manage to get past both of those hurdles you still have to get paid. Most of them claim to pay monthly and some every 3-4 months. There are rampant stories on the Internet of people with over $1000 due to them and they were never paid. Some were paid a percentage, sometimes the site claims that it’s a computer error or when you complain they drop you as a writer and keep the money.

You are left with absolutely no recourse to get the money that you are owed. Most of these companies are run out of other nations making it virtually impossible to go after the site owners.

Be more productive

The bottom line is that academic writing sites are the lowest form of Internet writing. They are also largely scams. This really shouldn’t be a surprise considering that when you write for them you have become an accomplice to the scamming of various academic institutions. This is a classic case of reaping what you sow.

There are only 24 hours in a day and we all have to divide our time among various tasks. Instead of looking at academic writing sites spend your time and energy on sites that have a positive track record, attracting new clients and building your portfolio of respectable work that you would be proud to potential clients.