I am a professional essay writer - AMA!

Isn't that like cheating?

Aww man... I didn't see this question coming! Just imagine what Thanksgivings are like haha.

As a high school teacher who teaches a very difficult curriculum (IB English A), I would just like to warn students who use these services. I have caught two people in the last few years using these services. Yes, they essays they submitted are 'plagiarism free', but there are obvious red flags. In any writing intensive class, you are going to do a mix of in-class and take home work. Your teacher--if s/he is paying attention--will recognize your style and ability. Getting an essay in different voice is a big red flag.

On two separate occasions, students gave me papers which were going to be submitted (some of their work is externally moderated), and I suspected they were not their own work. It was really just a matter of calling them in, and asking them to explain their argument. I also asked them about some of the sources they cited. Where did they find them? Show me how. What was the overall argument of the paper you cited? etc.

Both of them ended up confessing when we met with the administration, and both were unable to get their IB Diplomas, which meant that their parents wasted tens of thousands of dollars in tuition, and they had their university offers retracted.

So if you're thinking about these services, make sure you read what you paid for carefully and read all the sources too. And if that sounds like too much effort, consider writing it yourself.

As a teacher, you have the right to express your opinion, and in fact I welcome it. However, to students I give the following advice:

Never confess to any wrongdoing! That was the crucial mistake. Because if you think about, what the teacher is really saying is, "I don't think you're smart enough to write a paper this good."

It's an incredibly insulting accusation that, without any actual proof, can be dismissed with a simple denial. If the teacher is persistent and you are having trouble defending the sources, tell them you are late for an appointment and will discuss the issue further by email. I'll help you from there...

As a tenured, full professor, I imagine that kids get away with this most of the time. But I'll tell you what will happen when I catch someone (usually twice per term). I will confront the student with my suspicions. There will be another professor in my office at the time (different gender, same rank, perhaps different department). I will ask to record the conversation. And yes, if a student is usually stupid, dull, uninventive, I will tell him or her that she was not smart enough or inventive enough or original enough or diligent enough to write a decent paper. I do not care if that is insulting and I do not care how that makes the student feel.

If the student wants to leave, fine. That's his or her right. But the discussion is over and we are going to have a hearing in the senate. No deal will be permitted. I will argue for permanent expulsion for cheating. But say the student does not follow your advice and sticks around for a while.

If the student confesses, I will fail the student for my course, and advise them to drop the rest of their classes for the term or go through a class by class, assignment by assignment investigation. If the student does not confess, drop his or her other courses, and sign the necessary paperwork (which will be kept on his or her transcript), then the matter will go before a committee of the faculty senate.

The academic standards people will then have a hearing which can result in the student's permanent expulsion from the university. It is the nuclear option and I have yet to see more than a handful of cases per year. Students are usually not that stupid. But if they are that stupid, and they lose their hearing (I have never seen a student win). A note will be added to the student's transcript indicating that the student was expelled for cheating.

In either case, the GPA is permanently tanked, and the student will never be able to attend any graduate program on planet earth. After it's all over, the faculty involved will have a drink.

Using your products can conceivably ruin someone's future.

Wow, you sound like a tough guy!

The common denominator in every one of these stories is the professor somehow intimidates the student into CONFESSING that he or she committed plagiarism. Please give me some examples of students being expelled for turning in unique content.

I've been doing this for a while, and it's never happened to anyone I know.

How would you describe the importance of the Marshall Plan in keeping western Europe out of the Soviet sphere of influence? Feel free to make your answer as lengthy as possible. Lol.

Lol. One time a student asked me to write a 5 page "test paper" to see if I was worth paying for future essays. Kids these days...

Time and time again people in this AMA are asking what yourcharge or how much you make, but you seem to avoid answering that altogether. Why is that?

Well, there are lots of business reasons why it's advantageous to not advertise one's prices, but I guess Reddit isn't going to let me get away with that...

So, I'll give you a range. The most I've ever got for a paper was $30 per page, and the least $20 per page. Most essays fall somewhere in between.

Keep in mind, however, that I write the first page or two before new clients are obligated to pay. So if for any reason you decide the paper isn't worth it, you don't have to risk a penny.

This figure also includes unlimited edits and revisions - something which most writers would charge extra for.

What's your process and approach to writing good essays on such a variety of topics that you may not have any experience in?

The truth is, I have little direct experience in any of the topics I write about. I don't have the luxury of sitting in class for 6 months. But for me, that's part of the fun. Every day, I get to research and learn about something new. It never gets old!

The question was, how do you actually write those essays on topics you have little experience in. What's your approach?

You just have to delve into the literature. I'll begin by doing some searches on Google Scholar, and start reading until I have a basic grasp of the topic. Based on what I learn there, I'll look deeper to find what I need to answer the specifics of the essay.

Do you do anything to prevent academic dishonesty accusations for your customers?

How do you determine your price?

Academic dishonesty has never really been an issue. All of my papers are custom written and plagiarism free. The only time it can be a concern is when the student is ESL, and there has been a dramatic change in their writing quality. However, in those cases I make a conscious effort to "dumb down" the language.

You writing a paper for someone would constitute academic dishonesty.

Also, you didn't answer how you calculate your prices.

Prices vary dramatically depending on the difficulty of the paper and time constraints imposed. Honestly, it just depends.

As for the academic dishonesty. There was a survey conducted by a Rutgers professor on 24,000 high school students, in which 95% admitted to having cheated at some point in their academic careers. I'm not saying I'm not part of the problem. But if you want to talk about academic dishonesty, you have to look at the big picture.

http://www.plagiarism.org/resources/facts-and-stats/

Is there any topic you refuse to write about?

Haha absolutely not. It would be a tad hypocritical for me to start making moral grandstands, don't you think?

What's the most controversial topic you've ever written about?

Hmmm. I wrote a paper for a student once arguing why it was good that the ERA amendment never passed. In the paper, I took the libertarian "state's rights" position, but I don't think it would make very many feminists proud...

In your career thus far, what's the paper you regret writing the most?

I don't regret anything I write. I look at it like an attorney who's called to defend a client he knows is guilty. Whether or not I personally agree with a topic is secondary to whether I argued it the best I could.

how does it feel to have an English degree thats actually useful?

HAHA I've never thought of it that way. You could argue that I am doing the one job English majors are most prepared for.

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Without giving away any personal details, A LOT. The vast, vast majority of my income comes from a long-term relationship with a handful of clients.

Can I hire you full time forever?

Yes!

How do you start the process of writing the essays? The students in the class have a foundation because they are there to get the material, but you obviously aren't.

Do you have any regulars that use your service frequently?

Truthfully, I can't imagine doing this kind of work without the internet. I mean, we are blessed with a virtually endless supply of knowledge with one click of the mouse. Google Scholar is like my Bible.

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Hmm. I wrote a 60 page thesis on the EU Internal Market last year. As an American, it was quite a learning experience.

So the client was feeding you supervisor comments over the course of a semester/year or was there no drafts, just pump out a 60 page document and hand it in?

Exactly. I had a pretty solid working relationship with that particular student, so the paper was written in stages along with the professor's feedback.

What do you charge for an essay? Per page, per word?

It varies dramatically subject to the difficulty of the paper and how soon you need it.

I will say that I do charge a bit more than some of the essay services you can find on Google... But that's the cost of doing business with a native English speaker :)

1) Can you give a non obvious, non cliche tip for writing essays?

2) What are some things to do when you don't have much to say about a topic?

1) Write an outline. The first line of each paragraph must establish a new point, followed by evidence and sources. A common mistake people make is repeating the same information throughout a paper.

2) That's where the research comes in!

Have any of your clients ever been caught? What happened?

Nope. I always do my best to write the paper in the language and style that the student would use.

Additionally, without any proof, it's a tough bind for a professor. Because "Did someone else write this paper" is essentially code for "I don't think you're smart enough to write this paper."

What were your grades like in high school?

Pretty good. I was never the best at math or science, but I always had a knack for writing. Go figure...

How do you get involved in this line of work? I'm majoring in Creative Writing but I have had an non-fiction essay published already and I did write some stuff for friends (keepin it vague for reasons). So I'm interested to hear about the legality as well as the monetary "stuff" that comes from this sort of thing. I love writing anything and I'm awful at math, so I can understand wanting to help people who are in the same boat but in a different river without a paddle (great at something but a not so great writer).

For me, I basically started as a whim. Found myself in some financial hard times, and mostly worked through word-of-mouth referrals. But everybody finds their own path...

My only advice to you, if you're considering getting into this line of work, is write excellent papers. Getting a new client to give you money is one thing. But establishing a group of long-term relationships is key if you want to survive long-run.

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You have do define "make a living." Do I live in a big house and drive a fancy car? No. But do I work my own hours at a job that never bores me and I find genuinely fulfilling? You bet.

What are the main reasons why people come seeking your services? Procrastination until it's too late? English as a second language? Laziness?

I think you've listed the top three!

Hello, my name is Sidney Curti. I have two questions to ask you. Are you of Irish or English descent? What is your favorite book?

Hi Sidney. Unfortunately, I am going to refrain from discussing my ethnic heritage. I will say, however, that my favorite book is The Scarlet Letter!