can you sell essays

A-Plus Homework Help For College Students

Do you have essays sitting idle on your laptop?

Why not sell them and make some cash? Selling essays online is a great choice if you want to make some pocket change! Studybay can pay up to $150 for your high-quality essays.

Upload Work And Earn Money

How can you get started.

Many websites claim to give you a good price for your essays. However, you need to look out for red flags. Some websites may never pay, while some request a deposit from your end to get the ball rolling. So, where to sell essays online?

At Studybay, we do not want your deposit; we want your quality essays! We believe your words will speak louder, and here is how you can get started.

• Pick one of your essays, and make sure it’s free of errors, plagiarism, and any SPIN content.
• Please submit your essay via email to [email protected] or upload it to our website using the contact form.
• You will be notified via email that your essay has been received and processed.
• After receiving your essay, our professionals will review it, check for plagiarism, and consider other criteria before responding to you within five working days.
• After your essay is approved, we will send you an email with an offer.
• If you accept our offer, we will deposit cash into your PayPal account.
• The essay then becomes our sole property after you receive the payment, and we are allowed to use it as we see fit.

Now keep in mind that the more work you put into your essay, the more likely it will get accepted. As the best website for buying and selling essays, we believe quality inputs lead to quality results. Let’s take a look at the terms of acceptance for an essay.

Our Standards of Acceptance

We take pride in our quality of work and will only accept essays for money that are up to our standards. We take essays that fulfill the following conditions:

• We expect the essay to have a minimum of 500 words.
• The essays need to be original with no SPIN or AI-generated text.
• We make sure there is no plagiarized content and that the text passes Grammarly’s check.
• The essay must not be available anywhere else on the internet. Once sold, we would like you to know that it is no longer “my” intellectual property and cannot be sold or published elsewhere.

To be fair to our customers, we strive to provide them with the best essays. So when you sell us your old college essays or high school essays for money, we make sure that they help students out in their time of need.

How Much Will You Get Paid?

This question has no straightforward answer. However, we will tell you all the factors that are considered while calculating your pay.

• The length of your paper is directly proportional to the money you get paid.
• The project type is another consideration. Just as weekly quizzes don’t have the same value as the final paper, assignment papers pay less than a final essay paper.
• The subject plays a factor in the price. We understand the ease of a subject is subjective to students and writers, but we do have to segregate them. Technical papers do tend to pay more.
• Language plays a major role when selling papers online. Sometimes it is considered on its own, but often it is paired with the subject or the project type.
• What academic level is the essay written for? When you sell school essays, they are priced lower than university or college papers.
• Other factors include the course title, which is the primary attracting factor for your essay.
• Reference list is one of the factors affecting the price.
• In-text citations of research sources (using MLA, APA, or Chicago style) might as well affect the cost.

Don’t be afraid; we know this is a long list, but this is what it takes to be a reliable source of papers online for the students of today! If all the factors don’t fall into place for you, a few of them surely will, which is enough to get you a reasonable price for your hard work.

What Else Must You Keep in Mind?

An extremely important aspect of your essay needs to be originality. We expect the seller to be the owner of their product. We don’t want our reputations tarnished, nor yours. For a continued relationship between you and Studybay, we request you only sell essays that you have written. So please pick the papers you consider as “my essays”.

We do not accept articles that seem like they were AI-generated. We have a strict “No SPIN” policy on all our writers, and this is to protect the students who will eventually use your work for their projects.

And finally, if your essay has not been accepted, we may not explain our reasons. If we feel the articles were mass-produced or generated using AI, we have the right to reject your submission without an explanation. As mentioned above, this is part of our protocol against SPIN.

Ready to Make Some Cash?

If you have worked hard on your essays, you don't need to hesitate. We have scrutinized enough essays to get a sense of original work and quality. We are certain that your hard work will be well rewarded. We hope to hear from you soon!

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Buying College Essays Is Now Easier Than Ever. But Buyer Beware

Tovia Smith

Concern is growing about a burgeoning online market for essays that students can buy and turn in as their own work. And schools are trying new tools to catch it. Angela Hsieh/NPR hide caption

Concern is growing about a burgeoning online market for essays that students can buy and turn in as their own work. And schools are trying new tools to catch it.

As the recent college admissions scandal is shedding light on how parents are cheating and bribing their children's way into college, schools are also focusing on how some students may be cheating their way through college. Concern is growing about a burgeoning online market that makes it easier than ever for students to buy essays written by others to turn in as their own work. And schools are trying new tools to catch it.

It's not hard to understand the temptation for students. The pressure is enormous, the stakes are high and, for some, writing at a college level is a huge leap.

"We didn't really have a format to follow, so I was kind of lost on what to do," says one college freshman, who struggled recently with an English assignment. One night, when she was feeling particularly overwhelmed, she tweeted her frustration.

"It was like, 'Someone, please help me write my essay!' " she recalls. She ended her tweet with a crying emoji. Within a few minutes, she had a half-dozen offers of help.

"I can write it for you," they tweeted back. "Send us the prompt!"

The student, who asked that her name not be used for fear of repercussions at school, chose one that asked for $10 per page, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"For me, it was just that the work was piling up," she explains. "As soon as I finish some big assignment, I get assigned more things, more homework for math, more homework for English. Some papers have to be six or 10 pages long. ... And even though I do my best to manage, the deadlines come closer and closer, and it's just ... the pressure."

In the cat-and-mouse game of academic cheating, students these days know that if they plagiarize, they're likely to get caught by computer programs that automatically compare essays against a massive database of other writings. So now, buying an original essay can seem like a good workaround.

"Technically, I don't think it's cheating," the student says. "Because you're paying someone to write an essay, which they don't plagiarize, and they write everything on their own."

Her logic, of course, ignores the question of whether she's plagiarizing. When pressed, she begins to stammer.

"That's just a difficult question to answer," she says. "I don't know how to feel about that. It's kind of like a gray area. It's maybe on the edge, kind of?"

Besides she adds, she probably won't use all of it.

Other students justify essay buying as the only way to keep up. They figure that everyone is doing it one way or another — whether they're purchasing help online or getting it from family or friends.

"Oh yeah, collaboration at its finest," cracks Boston University freshman Grace Saathoff. While she says she would never do it herself, she's not really fazed by others doing it. She agrees with her friends that it has pretty much become socially acceptable.

"I have a friend who writes essays and sells them," says Danielle Delafuente, another Boston University freshman. "And my other friend buys them. He's just like, 'I can't handle it. I have five papers at once. I need her to do two of them, and I'll do the other three.' It's a time management thing."

The war on contract cheating

"It breaks my heart that this is where we're at," sighs Ashley Finley, senior adviser to the president for the Association of American Colleges and Universities. She says campuses are abuzz about how to curb the rise in what they call contract cheating. Obviously, students buying essays is not new, but Finley says that what used to be mostly limited to small-scale side hustles has mushroomed on the internet to become a global industry of so-called essay mills. Hard numbers are difficult to come by, but research suggests that up to 16 percent of students have paid someone to do their work and that the number is rising.

"Definitely, this is really getting more and more serious," Finley says. "It's part of the brave new world for sure."

The essay mills market aggressively online, with slickly produced videos inviting students to "Get instant help with your assignment" and imploring them: "Don't lag behind," "Join the majority" and "Don't worry, be happy."

"They're very crafty," says Tricia Bertram Gallant, director of the Academic Integrity Office at the University of California in San Diego and a board member of the International Center for Academic Integrity.

The companies are equally brazen offline — leafleting on campuses, posting flyers in toilet stalls and flying banners over Florida beaches during spring break. Companies have also been known to bait students with emails that look like they're from official college help centers. And they pay social media influencers to sing the praises of their services, and they post testimonials from people they say are happy customers.

"I hired a service to write my paper and I got a 90 on it!" gloats one. "Save your time, and have extra time to party!" advises another.

"It's very much a seduction," says Bertram Gallant. "So you can maybe see why students could get drawn into the contract cheating world."

YouTube has been cracking down on essay mills; it says it has pulled thousands of videos that violate its policies against promoting dishonest behavior.

But new videos constantly pop up, and their hard sell flies in the face of their small-print warnings that their essays should be used only as a guide, not a final product.

Several essay mills declined or didn't respond to requests to be interviewed by NPR. But one answered questions by email and offered up one of its writers to explain her role in the company, called EduBirdie.

"Yes, just like the little birdie that's there to help you in your education," explains April Short, a former grade school teacher from Australia who's now based in Philadelphia. She has been writing for a year and a half for the company, which bills itself as a "professional essay writing service for students who can't even."

Some students just want some "foundational research" to get started or a little "polish" to finish up, Short says. But the idea that many others may be taking a paper written completely by her and turning it in as their own doesn't keep her up at night.

"These kids are so time poor," she says, and they're "missing out on opportunities of travel and internships because they're studying and writing papers." Relieving students of some of that burden, she figures, allows them to become more "well-rounded."

"I don't necessarily think that being able to create an essay is going to be a defining factor in a very long career, so it's not something that bothers me," says Short. Indeed, she thinks students who hire writers are demonstrating resourcefulness and creativity. "I actually applaud students that look for options to get the job done and get it done well," she says.

"This just shows you the extent of our ability to rationalize all kinds of bad things we do," sighs Dan Ariely, professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University. The rise in contract cheating is especially worrisome, he says, because when it comes to dishonest behavior, more begets more. As he puts it, it's not just about "a few bad apples."

Felicity Huffman And 12 Other Parents To Plead Guilty In College Cheating Scandal

"Instead, what we have is a lot ... of blemished apples, and we take our cues for our behavior from the social world around us," he says. "We know officially what is right and what's wrong. But really what's driving our behavior is what we see others around us doing" or, Ariely adds, what we perceive them to be doing. So even the proliferation of advertising for essays mills can have a pernicious effect, he says, by fueling the perception that "everyone's doing it."

A few nations have recently proposed or passed laws outlawing essay mills, and more than a dozen U.S. states have laws on the books against them. But prosecuting essay mills, which are often based overseas in Pakistan, Kenya and Ukraine, for example, is complicated. And most educators are loath to criminalize students' behavior.

"Yes, they're serious mistakes. They're egregious mistakes," says Cath Ellis, an associate dean and integrity officer at the University of New South Wales, where students were among the hundreds alleged to have bought essays in a massive scandal in Australia in 2014.

"But we're educational institutions," she adds. "We've got to give students the opportunity to learn from these mistakes. That's our responsibility. And that's better in our hands than in the hands of the police and the courts."

Staying one step ahead

In the war on contract cheating, some schools see new technology as their best weapon and their best shot to stay one step ahead of unscrupulous students. The company that makes the Turnitin plagiarism detection software has just upped its game with a new program called Authorship Investigate.

The software first inspects a document's metadata, like when it was created, by whom it was created and how many times it was reopened and re-edited. Turnitin's vice president for product management, Bill Loller, says sometimes it's as simple as looking at the document's name. Essay mills typically name their documents something like "Order Number 123," and students have been known to actually submit it that way. "You would be amazed at how frequently that happens," says Loller.

Using cutting-edge linguistic forensics, the software also evaluates the level of writing and its style.

"Think of it as a writing fingerprint," Loller says. The software looks at hundreds of telltale characteristics of an essay, like whether the author double spaces after a period or writes with Oxford commas or semicolons. It all gets instantly compared against a student's other work, and, Loller says, suspicions can be confirmed — or alleviated — in minutes.

"At the end of the day, you get to a really good determination on whether the student wrote what they submitted or not," he says, "and you get it really quickly."

Coventry University in the U.K. has been testing out a beta version of the software, and Irene Glendinning, the school's academic manager for student experience, agrees that the software has the potential to give schools a leg up on cheating students. After the software is officially adopted, "we'll see a spike in the number of cases we find, and we'll have a very hard few years," she says. "But then the message will get through to students that we've got the tools now to find these things out." Then, Glendinning hopes, students might consider contract cheating to be as risky as plagiarizing.

In the meantime, schools are trying to spread the word that buying essays is risky in other ways as well.

Professor Ariely says that when he posed as a student and ordered papers from several companies, much of it was "gibberish" and about a third of it was actually plagiarized.

Even worse, when he complained to the company and demanded his money back, they resorted to blackmail. Still believing him to be a student, the company threatened to tell his school he was cheating. Others say companies have also attempted to shake down students for more money, threatening to rat them out if they didn't pay up.

The lesson, Ariely says, is "buyer beware."

But ultimately, experts say, many desperate students may not be deterred by the risks — whether from shady businesses or from new technology.

Bertram Gallant, of UC San Diego, says the right way to dissuade students from buying essays is to remind them why it's wrong.

"If we engage in a technological arms race with the students, we won't win," she says. "What are we going to do when Google glasses start to look like regular glasses and a student wears them into an exam? Are we going to tell them they can't wear their glasses because we're afraid they might be sending the exam out to someone else who is sending them back the answers?"

The solution, Bertram Gallant says, has to be about "creating a culture where integrity and ethics matter" and where education is valued more than grades. Only then will students believe that cheating on essays is only cheating themselves.

Get Paid to Write: 13 Sites That Pay Up to $450 per Article

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The content on DollarSprout includes links to our advertising partners. When you read our content and click on one of our partners’ links, and then decide to complete an offer — whether it’s downloading an app, opening an account, or some other action — we may earn a commission from that advertiser, at no extra cost to you.

Our ultimate goal is to educate and inform, not lure you into signing up for certain offers. Compensation from our partners may impact what products we cover and where they appear on the site, but does not have any impact on the objectivity of our reviews or advice.

Paid freelance writing is a lucrative way to get paid to write from home. You don’t need a degree or even the most eloquent prose to have a lucrative side hustle as a freelance writer.

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Our mission at DollarSprout is to help readers improve their financial lives, and we regularly partner with companies that share that same vision. If a purchase or signup is made through one of our Partners’ links, we may receive compensation for the referral. Learn more here .

When I started a blog four years ago, I had no idea I could get paid to write about anything. Fast forward three years. Now I get paid to write about things I love, and I make a full-time living doing it.

Freelance writing can be a great way to make money from home. But with any business, there’s a steep learning curve. You have to know what editors want, where to find jobs that are legitimate, and what to charge as you progress.

A Look at the Best Freelance Writing Websites

When you’re building your writing portfolio, there are some freelance writing sites that stand out for offering legitimate jobs and paying writers a living wage. They’re the best freelance writing websites for beginners.

Upwork is a freelancer marketplace and go-to source for business owners looking for all kinds of digital services. You can find hundreds of paid writing jobs in dozens of subjects.

One of the benefits of using Upwork is that you won’t have to chase down payment from clients. All invoices and payments happen through Upwork, and you’re guaranteed payment for the work you do.

The downside is that Upwork charges a 20% fee on your first $500 earned with each client, 10% up to $10,000, and 5% beyond that. It’s a good place to get started, but you won’t want to use it for long.

Known for offering services starting at $5, Fiverr is a marketplace for freelancers to showcase their services to prospective clients. You create a profile, list a “gig,” and then it becomes available to a global audience.

All communication and payments are processed through Fiverr, but it also charges a steep 20% fee on all earnings. If you’re nervous about reaching out to clients yourself, Fiverr can be a good platform where they come to you.

But you’ll have to do something to make yourself stand out in a sea of other writers. That’s where specializing in one subject matter can be your strength.

3. Textbroker

Textbroker only offers content and writing services on its platform. Writers who sign up with Textbroker will find many resources on how to improve their writing, including editors to review articles, writing tutorials, and videos on how to get the most out of Textbroker.

Earnings per word depend on your quality level. You can earn from $0.07 per word up to $0.50. You choose from thousands of orders available based on your quality level, and there are no additional fees. Textbroker also offers milestone and quarterly bonuses when you achieve different word counts.

Writers, designers, videographers, and other creatives can all find jobs on Skyword . Skyword is a marketplace where you can find jobs and be found by clients. It works with both small and high-profile clients and is a great way to make the jump from lower-paying job sites.

You can’t just sign up for Skyword clients. Fill out a profile and wait until you’re hand-selected for jobs, meaning your profile can sit in Skyword for a long time before you’re submitted to clients or able to view job opportunities. You can increase your chances of being picked by editors by keeping your social media relevant and updated.

5. ClearVoice

ClearVoice connects qualified writers with job opportunities based on the writer’s CV or ClearVoice portfolio. Once you complete your CV, you’ll be able to join ClearVoice’s Talent Network and have your CV sent to prospective clients.

Writers are then handpicked for opportunities based on their CV, so there’s an incentive to create one that stands out. You set your own rates and are paid via PayPal upon assignment approval, so you get the security of going through a marketplace without the fees typically associated with them.

6. Contently

Contently is an online writing agency that connects freelance writers with businesses. Many writers use the site for its free portfolio service, but Contently editors use these portfolios to handpick freelancers for clients.

Many high-profile websites and companies use Contently to source writers, so the jobs pay well. These jobs tend to go to the most experienced candidates, and it can take years for an editor at Contently to refer you to a client. But if you’re patient, Contently can offer lucrative writing opportunities.

Another place experienced freelance writers can find high-paying jobs is on nDash . nDash is a content platform where writers can create a profile and pitch ideas for blogs, articles, and whitepapers to prospective clients.

nDash claims the average writing assignment on its platform pays between $175 to $450. Once an assignment is approved, payment is deposited directly into the writer’s bank account within two to three business days.

It’s a relatively new site so not as many companies are using it, but writers have reported that if you’re willing to pitch more, you’ll make a decent income.

8. SmartBug

SmartBug is a content marketing company specializing in B2B (business to business) marketing and copywriting. Its writers produce content for the web, social media, email, sales pages, and more.

This is a great site for writers who aren’t beginners but may not have the experience or portfolio to compete for jobs with other top writers. There’s no direct way to apply, but you can fill out a general interest application on the website.

9. NewsCred

NewsCred is a community for experienced freelance content creators. In-house editors pair creators with customer programs, but you can also view freelance positions on the platform. Then NewsCred’s editorial team serves as your managing editor for all client work.

You can find high-profile Fortune 500 companies from a variety of industries using NewsCred, the most popular being tech, healthcare, and financial services. There’s currently no button to apply on NewsCred’s website, but you can contact the company via the contact form on its website.

10. The Writer Finder

Growth Machine is an SEO-focused content marketing company with a freelance writing platform called The Writer Finder . Growth Machine works with a variety of clients in AI, travel, wellness, dogs, weddings, and more.

What sets The Writer Finder apart is the Slack group for freelance writers. It lets you communicate with other freelance writers on the team. Rates are competitive, and you’ll also have the chance to learn sought-after SEO skills.

Related: 51 Freelance Jobs Websites with the Best Remote Work Opportunities

Apply for Assignments on the Best Freelance Writing Job Boards

Job boards are easy places for companies to post their jobs. The job board doesn’t vet freelancers, handle payments, or make promises on behalf of clients.

There are some things to be aware of when applying and taking a job from a job board. Because the service is free for writers, you’re competing against thousands of other bloggers for a limited number of jobs.

Job boards are also notorious for phishing scams. “Clients” may ask you to download a zip file of their payment terms or writing guidelines and ask you to invoice them via PayPal. The zip file is actually a keystroke logger allowing them to steal your PayPal credentials. Be careful when applying to jobs on these boards.

11. ProBlogger

The ProBlogger job board is updated daily with blogging and article writing jobs across all subjects.

Businesses have to pay ProBlogger to post their job ad, meaning the writer isn’t paid through ProBlogger. They don’t charge the writer any fees for joining or getting paid.

Another job board filled with many freelance writing opportunities is Indeed . You can find full-time, part-time, and freelance remote writing jobs across all subjects, and because of the vastness of the board, competition isn’t as high compared to others.

You can sign up for job alerts based on your searches. Simply enter your email address and activate emails to see them as soon as they hit the website.

13. MediaBistro

Journalists and anyone else in media will find MediaBistro helpful for finding jobs in the industry. If you’re looking for paid writing jobs in marketing, advertising, television, or news, you can find hundreds of jobs from recognizable names on MediaBistro’s job board.

There are entry-level positions listed, but your best move is to get enough writing experience to make a professional-looking resume before you start applying for jobs on this site.

How to Get Paid to Write (Step by Step) 

Before you apply to get paid for writing, there are a few things you should do to make yourself stand out to potential clients.

1. Choose What to Write About

When you’re writing for money, you might think that only writing about a couple of topics limits your options, but it actually expands them. Sites and companies that pay well don’t want freelancers who write about anything, they want experts in their field. When you stick to a single niche and become known for it, you’ll become a sought-after writer.

Choosing one topic also allows you to scale your business faster. You learn your subject thoroughly, research less, work faster, and can take on more clients. All this leads to being able to earn a higher hourly rate for your work. The key is to pick a profitable niche.

2. Create a Portfolio

There are several ways to create a portfolio. The first is with a blog. Every new writer should have a blog, especially if you don’t have many clips to show potential clients.

Once you choose your niche, write five to ten blog posts on various topics within it. This shows potential clients your writing style, expertise, and gives them a place to contact you.

You can also make money with a blog . One way is to find products and services related to your niche that you like using and see if they have an affiliate program. Then every time someone makes a purchase through your affiliate link, you’ll earn a small commission.

3. Create Profiles on Multiple Sites

Once you’ve written a few articles for other sites or publications, you can create profiles and portfolios on multiple professional freelance writing sites. Clippings.me is a portfolio site for journalists, Contently is used by many web-based content writers, and LinkedIn is a go-to place for businesses looking for expert writers.

Having a presence on a few different sites makes it easier for clients to find you and your work. They may also learn personal facts about you that give you an edge over other writers so don’t underestimate including things like your alma mater, pets, and hobbies.

4. Post on Social Media

Building a social media presence around your niche can also put you ahead for freelance writing jobs. Twitter is most popular for journalists and print publications while Instagram is becoming a popular place for e-commerce businesses to find writers.

You don’t have to make another social media account just for your writing. Post facts, breaking news, advice, and stories related to your niche and tag them with relevant hashtags. It’ll help brands find you, and it can further reinforce to potential clients that you’re knowledgeable and stay current about the topics you write about.

Related: How to Become a Social Media Manager

5. Accept Smaller Jobs While Building Your Reputation

While you’re building your portfolio and expertise in your niche, you’ll have to be willing to accept lower-paid writing jobs. Think of them as practice that you’re getting paid to do. The more organizations, editors, and platforms you work with now, the more you’ll be able to impress high-paying clients in the future.

You can also pitch websites to guest post. You won’t get paid to write guest posts, but you may be able to add links to your blog posts in your article. This will help your posts rank higher in Google, and potential clients may be able to find you through simple Google searches.

Related: How to Get Paid to Write Reviews

 6. Learn to Network

You can start freelance writing on your own, but if you want to build a business and make a living writing, you need a network of other writers. Your network should be filled with writers and editors in your niche who are a little ahead of you and a little behind you in the journey.

Your network can also help you find sources for stories, give you feedback on pitches, advise you on rates to charge, and help you to feel like you’re not alone in this often isolating industry.

Related: How to Make More Money as a Freelance Writer

Resources on How to Get Paid as a Writer

When you’re running your freelance writing business, you’ll want to have some resources to make it easier to write and get paid.

Freelance Writer’s Den

Started by veteran freelance writer Carol Tice, the Freelance Writer’s Den is a membership site just for freelance writers. You have access to over 300 hours of freelance writing education including eCourses, webinars, and podcasts.

There’s also a forum for networking with other writers and a job board with new writing jobs posted every Monday and Thursday, all with a minimum rate of $50 per article.

Membership for the Freelance Writer’s Den only opens twice a year. If you’re interested in joining, sign up for the waitlist to be notified.

Get Paid to Write for Blogs (Course)

This is a course geared towards new freelance writers that was created by Cat Alford (who, coincidentally, has been a freelance writer on DollarSprout in the past).

The course features eight video modules covering beginner-level lessons, including how to create a portfolio that will attract high-value clients. The course also covers everything you need to know about running the business side of things. 

Related: The Best Online Writing Courses for New Freelance Writers

Getting Paid to Write is Possible

You can get paid to write in any field at any level. Like any business, it’s difficult to get started.

However, if you work your way through the many content marketing agencies and job boards, you’ll be able to find steady work and grow your business.

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• How to make and sell study notes

How to Effectively Make and Sell Your Study Notes

Published on March 29, 2019 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on September 16, 2022.

Studying can be hard, especially when you find yourself trying to maintain your social life, earn some money and still get good grades in school. But there is a way to combine earning money and getting good grades in school, and that’s by selling your study notes.

Table of contents

Getting better grades, why sell my notes, how to effectively make study notes, how to become a top seller.

Before you even think about selling your notes, you need to understand why making them is so important. Making study notes during classes is the best way to remember the essential things you need to know to ace the exam, because writing is proven to be the best method to remember things.

Also, after class, you probably check whether everything in your notes is written down clearly, which means you have already repeated the curriculum twice.

Selling notes is an excellent way to earn some extra money. Basically, you get paid for the hard work you already executed. It’s more fun than the average student side job. If you become a top seller, you might even be able to quit your side job!

On Stuvia , top sellers of study documents earn around $400 each month. Sounds good, right? Besides this, selling notes can teach you some entrepreneurial skills, and if you’re up and running making money, you can always use it to buy notes for that one specific course you really dislike.

Digital or handwritten notes?

First, you have to decide for yourself whether you’d like to use your laptop or you prefer using a notebook. Note, however, that selling handwritten notes can be harder than selling well-structured digital notes.

Digital notes are easier to restructure in terms of layout, structure and chronological order. Digital notes can also be uploaded more easily in order to sell them. Handwritten notes can be convenient if you want to use them yourself to study for the exam.

Focus on key words and concepts

Only the most important details should make the cut. This applies to taking notes during college as well summarizing books. In the end, only the key points – such as names, theories, definitions and dates – should be included. Keep in mind what you want to learn and what you need to remember. This helps you get a grip on the information.

Taking notes from a textbook

After your class, you want to combine the information that you received from the professor with the information from the textbook. It’s also handy to scan what you’re about to read. Now start reading and search for bold words, colored words and bullet points. Use a marker to highlight these, and start highlighting pieces of text that are important as well.

Make the document as clear and appealing as possible

If you are writing the notes, make sure you write clearly and start a new page after each subject/chapter. Often it also helps to use symbols and diagrams. The final tip is to use the method of color coding. Your brain will link color to memory, which makes it easier to remember the notes for your exam.

To really stand out from the crowd, there are a few more steps you can take.

1. Offer a document for free People love free stuff, so make sure to offer at least one document for free. This way you give them a reason to take notice, and it will definitely boost your ratings!

2.Keep your prices affordable Most Stuvia users are students. It’s a well-known fact that students have a low budget, so keep this in mind when setting your prices. You can always raise your prices at a later stage if the documents turn out to be very popular.

3. Inform your audience Great examples of places to share links are Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, GroupMe, email, and posting on your student noticeboard. As well as social media, word of mouth is a very valuable tool to promote your documents.

4.Get creative Our top sellers are super creative! For instance, some of them add benefits, such as additional help with assignments, to distinguish themselves from other sellers. Try to come up with your own personal strategy.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Streefkerk, R. (2022, September 16). How to Effectively Make and Sell Your Study Notes. Scribbr. Retrieved September 3, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/tips/make-and-sell-study-notes/

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Why Selling Essays to College Students Is a Booming Online Industry

The simple truth is that students are disinterested in their studies because they've only chosen them in order to get a degree..

As students value higher education for credentials instead of knowledge, ghostwriting becomes a lucrative business.

Credential Inflation

Academic inflation explains the fact that an ever-increasing amount of people have advanced degrees. According to the US Census Bureau , over one-third of Americans over the age of 25 have a college degree or higher. Ninety percent of Americans now have a high school degree. In 1940, fewer than 25 percent of Americans had completed at least four years of high school, and the number of people with any university certification was less than five percent. Similar numbers can be observed in Europe.

Since the year 2000, rising returns to education have attracted young school-leavers who reason that higher qualifications will ensure a better income. A low unemployment rate among academics also reinforces the trend toward going to college. Most of all, governments subsidize higher education to varying levels. For many Americans, studying means signing up for crippling student debt. In Europe, many students benefit from publicly funded universities, meaning that the only personal expense incurred is their own time.

In 2014, the average of all EU member states showed a public expenditure of between one and 1.5 percent of GDP in higher education.

The credential inflation is real but doesn’t apply to all types of employment. Regardless, going to college is considered to be a safe bet.

This has inevitably led to academic inflation, which itself results in credential inflation. Credentialism shifts the employers’ focus when it comes to the required minimum level of education necessary to perform a certain job. This isn’t news to most people: Jobs that required a high school diploma 20 years ago now call for a bachelor’s degree. A 2014 report found that existing secretaries and assistants only had a BA certification rate of 19 percent, but 65 percent of job postings for those same roles now require a BA.

This is a credentials gap of 46 percent. Job sectors with comparable gaps are landscapers, clerks, log graders, scalers, plasterers, fish/poultry/meat trimmers, production supervisors, chemical or gas plant operators, captains, mates, ship engineers, pilots of water vessels, and all types of transportation workers. A credentials gap that has changed little or to no degree includes interviewers, computer operators, brokerage clerks, travel agents, real estate agents, brokers, insurance sales agents, railroad and transit police, radiologic technologists, library technicians, health educators, and community service managers.

The credential inflation is therefore real but doesn’t apply to all types of employment. Regardless of that distinction, going to college is considered to be a safe bet.

Another common point of agreement seems to be that it is more important to acquire certification than to learn an actual skill. Professor Bryan Caplan, in his lecture “ The Case Against Education ,” compares this to being stranded on a deserted island: you would choose boat-making skills over a boat-making diploma. In the real world, the opposite is the case: you would prefer a degree from Oxford University over the knowledge provided by Oxford because, though useful, it wouldn’t grant you the recognition necessary to your professional life.

Ghostwriting Is the Symptom of the Problem

For scientific and mechanical degrees, such as engineering or nuclear physics, using ghostwritten work is less useful. Whether or not you’re able to build a functional and stable bridge is something that can be tested in the real world. Fields of study such as international relations, political science, economics, or history often are immune to such black and white tests.

A simple online search will pull up hundreds of websites that facilitate ghostwriting services. In most cases, the system works like a broker, matching a writer with a student in need of academic work. Others operate with an in-house team of experienced writers.

Here’s an example:

This website lets you choose the type of work you’d like to be completed, ranging from high school papers to PhD theses. Depending on how close you file your order to the deadline, the price per page ranges between $7.50 and $21.

The site also has everything your ordinary company would have, from discount codes for signing up to testimonials. One client writes:

I never thought it could be possible to order a great thesis from an online writing service.

Quantifying the phenomenon is difficult. The websites protect the integrity of the customers, and most writers aren’t very forthcoming about their identity, either. All we have are anonymous op-eds and a limited amount of polling. In 2010, one anonymous writer confessed to having penned more than 5,000 pages of scholarly work through one of these platforms. The Conversation claims that during a conference on plagiarism in the Czech Republic in 2015,

one speaker revealed that up to 22% of students in some Australian undergraduate programs had admitted to buying or intending to buy assignments on the Internet.

An anonymous lecturer in New Zealand, where ghostwriting is considered to be a form of fraud and is therefore illegal, says that half of the international students in his/her class fail as a result of cheating. Universities in New Zealand have been on the defense against accusations that they let cheating and ghostwriting slide in order to cash in on international students’ tuition costs. In Russia, both the Education Ministry and its Higher Attestation Commission turned down requests for interviews with Radio Free Europe, which was investigating the prevalence of ghostwriting in the country.

Just last year, 46 vice-chancellors and heads of higher education bodies wrote to then-universities minister Sam Gyimah, calling for a ban on essay writing companies. This would be a different approach than a full-scale crackdown on the students making use of the services.

An Unsolvable Problem

A student who is determined to take the easy road to get his or her degree won’t be intimidated by either a ban on essay writing companies (which would simply go dark online and find new ways to sell the same product) or a ban on ghostwriting itself, which is nearly impossible to prove. Ghostwriting is a result of credential inflation. The simple truth is that students are disinterested in their studies because they’ve only chosen them in order to get a degree.

Governments around the world should get out of the business of incentivizing higher education, thereby helping to close the credential gap seen in the employment market.

Oh, and just for the sake of clarity: this article was not ghostwritten.

Bill Wirtz is a Young Voices Advocate and a FEE Eugene S. Thorpe Fellow. His work has been featured in several outlets, including Newsweek, Rare, RealClear, CityAM, Le Monde and Le Figaro. He also works as a Policy Analyst for the Consumer Choice Center.

Learn more about him at his website . 

More By Bill Wirtz

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From proofreading to reviewing, how to get paid to read

• Copy Link URL Copied!

If you’re good at spotting grammar and spelling errors, you can get paid to read. Several sites enlist freelancers to copy edit and proofread everything from business documents to books, resumes to college essays. A few also pay for reviews of fiction and nonfiction books.

Here’s how you can get paid to read, how much you’ll earn and where you can find these jobs.

Get paid to read

Many freelance sites that pay you to read are seeking copy editors and proofreaders. Clients of these companies include independent authors, academics and businesses that need a second look at proposals, letters, brochures and documents sent to investors.

With some sites, you set your own rates and reading specialties. You could, for instance, charge $2 per page to read investing and economics copy but charge just 50 cents per page for fantasy fiction and romance. Or vice versa.

However, other sites determine how you get paid. They set the rates, which are usually based on the type of document, the number of words and the turnaround time. Pay is set per project, not per hour. So, the faster and more efficiently you read, the more you earn per hour. With these sites, the only choice the freelancer gets is whether to accept or reject an assignment.

Here are the best sites to find work, according to SideHusl.com :

PenguinFreelancers

Two factors make PenguinFreelancers our top choice for freelance copy editors and proofreaders. The first is that Penguin Random House publishes great books. Collaborating with bestselling authors, noteworthy celebrities and politicians, you’re sure to find interesting reading.

And you are paid reasonable rates — $31 to $36 per hour, depending on what type of editing you’re doing. There is a copy editing or proofreading test to qualify that will probably include familiarity with the Chicago Manual of Style. The site expects editors to read at least 10 pages per hour. Because the copy is probably in pretty good shape when you get it, that shouldn’t be too difficult. If you’re accepted at PenguinFreelancers, you can pick the literary genres that you prefer to read.

Reedsy helps aspiring authors find ghostwriters, writing coaches and all types of editors. The site encourages seasoned editors to apply with a resume and portfolio. If you pass the site’s screening, you’ll create a profile that explains your experience, specialties and the publications that you have edited.

You determine what type of editing services to provide — developmental editing, copy editing, proofreading, etc. The site will send you appropriate projects to bid on. You decide what to charge based on the length, scope and difficulty of the project. The site takes a commission on each sale.

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Broad-based work platforms are often tough places to find good work, but Fiverr is an exception. The site has evolved from a low-rent job platform to one that allows professionals to charge professional rates for limited-service packages.

Freelancers delineate what they do and what they charge, narrowly defining the scope of the work. One freelance editor, for example, says she’ll correct spelling and grammar on a 500-word document for $25. If the project requires an edit to improve clarity and language, it cost will $50 for the same document. Rewriting and feedback can be had for $75. Of course, if there are more words to edit, that will cost more.

This structure is intended to create cost transparency for both worker and client.

Like many straight proofreading and copy editing sites, Scribendi pays by the job specifications, work count and the time you’re given to edit. (Rush jobs pay more.) The site posts a description of each available job, the pay and the deadline. You can decide whether to accept the work or pass. The faster you edit, the more you earn.

Editors say they earn between $5 and $50 per hour. The most common complaint? Because the site specializes in helping English as a Second Language students, many editors said, editing their assignments can be a time-consuming process. And even a simple edit can take more time when the copy needs more work.

That said, if you’re picky about the jobs you accept and are skilled at editing at a rapid pace, you could earn good money here.

ProofreadingPal

ProofreadingPal enlists graduate students and doctoral candidates to proofread and copy edit everything from business documents to academic research papers. However, the site has a complex pay structure and poor pay for new editors. ProofreadingPal also appears to strong-arm editors into signing up for “guaranteed availability” hours, when editors must accept any assignment that comes in. If there are no assignments during those hours, you don’t get paid. But if you miss your guaranteed availability shift, you are fined.

This arrangement appears to be unfair and a potential violation of U.S. labor laws. ProofreadingPal said its proofreaders are independent contractors who are not subject to minimum wage laws. But U.S. government definitions of employees vs. freelancers pivot on worker control. The lines are murky, but this appears to stack the deck in favor of classifying proofreaders as employees. You can learn more about federal definitions of freelancers and employees by taking this quiz.

SideHusl.com does not recommend this proofreading site.

U.S. Review of Books

If you’re more interested in simply reading for pleasure, you may be able to make a few bucks reviewing books.

U.S. Review of Books is among a handful of sites that will pay you to read and provide brief reviews of independently published books and authors. Unfortunately, the site doesn’t pay much. But it also has reasonable rules about what ought to be in a review — half summary, half commentary — and length. Reviews generally run 250 to 300 words and pay $25. Longer reviews of 500 to 600 words pay more — up to $75.

Another site called OnlineBookClub also promises to pay for reviews. However, reviewers said the site has a litany of ways to deny pay for completed work.

Kristof is the editor of SideHusl.com, an independent website that reviews moneymaking opportunities in the gig economy.

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29 easy ways to make money writing online in 2023

Good news: there are a LOT of different options when it comes to paid online writing. No matter your interests or areas of expertise, if you’re ready to bring in some extra cash, opportunities are waiting for you.

Whether you want to write an occasional article for extra spending money or dedicate your free time to running a blog so you can one day quit your day job and become a freelance writer for hire , we’ll show you 30 easy ways to make money writing online in 2023 and everything you need to know to get paid for your writing skills.

1. Start a blog

Blogging is a tried-and-true method for writers to make money online. You may be wondering if it’s still possible for new bloggers to make money with all the established blogs already online, and the answer is YES.

Blogging requires dedication and consistency, and it will also take some time for your blog to gain momentum before you see much income, but it is absolutely possible.

The first step to starting a blog is picking your niche. This is the topic you’ll write about. It’s good to get specific here; there are many blogs on the internet, so if you can provide a unique perspective, your readers are more likely to stick around.

Next, you’ll need to pick your domain, design your blog, and get it all set up. There are a ton of great resources out there to help you with this (just remember you get what you pay for: while there are free blog hosting sites and free templates, top bloggers agree that you’ll need to spend a little money upfront if you want to make money writing in the long run).

Once you’ve got your blog established, remember to post regularly, promote your posts on social media, and engage with your readers. No blog has ever been an overnight success, but you can make good money from blogging with a little time and consistency.

2. Create blog posts (for others)

If you’re not quite ready to start your own blog, you can always dip your toes in the water by guest blogging. Many bloggers hire other bloggers to create content, and a lot of companies will hire freelance writers to contribute to the blog section of their website.

If you decide to go this route, make sure to do your research beforehand. Familiarize yourself with the blog you’re writing for, so you can match the tone and blend in with the existing content.

Bloggers who publish daily get 57% better results than those who publish multiple times per week. - Semrush

3. Establish a niche website

If you have an interest or expertise in a particular niche, you can start a website dedicated to it. This gives you all the creative control of running your own blog without the pressure of regular posting. (Although you will need to update your website regularly to keep it fresh and make sure it reaches full potential.)

4. Self-Publish a book

There are self-publishing options for every type of book, from short instructional guides to romance novels to nonfiction tomes. If you’ve written a book and you’re unsure what your next step should be, why not consider self-publishing?

Publishing your own book is an incredibly rewarding experience, as you have control over every step of the process. This can be a double-edged sword, however. After starting down the path to self-publication, many authors realize that while they love writing, they don’t love obsessing over font and margin options or negotiating with cover artists.

And even if you use a free service, such as Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing , you’ll need to spend money on editing, cover design, marketing, and advertising.

The hope is that you would make that money back from your book sales, but there are no guarantees. But if you play your cards right, it’s possible to turn a profit from your self-published book.

5. Create affiliate content

Ever notice how almost every food blogger includes Amazon links to their favorite ingredients and cookware? Or maybe you found an article on Pinterest listing an outdoor enthusiast’s essential camping gear.

These are both examples of affiliate content, where you (the affiliate) partner with a company to drive traffic to their website and earn commissions on any resulting sales. Affiliate marketing content is an excellent way to generate passive income on your blog or website.

It takes a little strategizing, but once you develop a plan and implement your affiliate content, you can make money while you sleep .

6. Write scripts for video creators

If you understand scriptwriting’s technicalities, you can bring in money by partnering with a video creator. It’s pretty common for video creators to have great screen presence—but not-so-great writing skills, so there are plenty of gigs to be had in this field.

Video content is exploding in popularity, so now is a great time to get your foot in the door and add some script-writing experience to your resume. These gigs are often posted on job boards , and you can also take the initiative and reach out to some content creators whose work you enjoy to see if they could use a hand with scriptwriting.

"60% of businesses use video as a marketing tool." - Biteable

7. Write show notes for podcasts

Show notes are a written online resource for podcast listeners that accompany each episode of a podcast. Every podcast approaches show notes a little differently, but typically, they are brief, easy-to-scan episode summaries that often include additional relevant resources. You can find work writing show notes on job boards, or send cold pitches out to podcasters you would like to work with as a freelance writer.

8. Create written content for social media

Large companies typically have a marketer (or a team of them) dedicated to keeping their social media running smoothly. But smaller businesses often can’t hire a full-time employee to manage their social media presence. Freelancers are the ideal solution, and are a win-win for everyone.

Think about your favorite local ice cream parlor, gift shop, or espresso stand, and do a little digging into their social media presence. If you notice that they haven’t posted anything in months or that they struggle with creating high-quality, engaging content, then you just found an excellent opportunity to pitch your writing services.

There’s no need to bash them or focus too much on their social media mistakes , but you can start a polite and friendly conversation where you mention that you noticed room for improvement. Try to emphasize what they stand to gain from working with you and how much potential you see in their social media presence.

Before you pitch your social media writing services, make sure you do your research on fair pricing and know which services you want to offer at what rates. If a business owner shows interest in working with you, the last thing you want to do is keep them waiting while you iron out details you could already have had in place.

9. Produce content for local businesses

While you’re talking to small, local business owners about their social media content, don’t forget the other services you can provide as well.

Maybe a local business could use your help with the occasional blog post, copy for their website, or informational materials like brochures and pamphlets. If you need a list of local businesses, consider joining your local chamber of commerce. Their events can be an effective way to network with other local business owners.

10. Submit magazine articles

Do you have a juicy story from your personal life that your friends love hearing over and over again, or a political perspective that incites the “mind-blown” emoji from every person you share it with? Write it down and turn it into a magazine article to make money.

The magazine industry may not be as prominent as it once was, but it is still going strong , and plenty of freelance writers are getting paid to write magazine articles. Some magazines pay upwards of $500 per article.

Do a little research to find the magazines that would be the best fit for your article, and make sure they haven’t published anything too similar in the recent past.

This is also a good time to find the magazine’s submission guidelines—make sure you follow their instructions carefully, so you have a better chance of getting accepted.

11. Create an information product

If you’re an expert at something, you can monetize that knowledge by creating and selling informational products. This can be an ebook, a video, a short PDF, or any electronic format sharing your insights. Don’t be afraid to get creative here!

Online information products are an excellent way to generate revenue because there are little to no overhead costs involved. You don’t need to worry about packing and shipping a physical product, nor do you need to be involved in the transactions once you handle the initial logistics of making your product available.

The most important thing is to make sure you’re providing a high-quality product with valuable tips and tricks that your customers won’t be able to find elsewhere. If your customers love what they learn from you, they’re much more likely to pay for other products you offer and recommend your business to their friends.

12. Ghostwrite online content

Want to know a secret?

When you see a byline on an online article or blog post, there’s a pretty good chance that the named author didn’t actually write that content. Ghostwriting is not just for celebrity autobiographies; a lot of blogs and websites hire ghostwriters, too.

If you’re okay with taking home the paycheck but not seeing your name on the byline, seek out ghostwriting gigs. These jobs often command rates of 30% to 50% more than bylined work because they aren’t pieces you can add to your portfolio or claim responsibility for.

13. Write video game guidebooks

Streaming your gameplay isn’t the only way for gamers to make money online. If you know a video game inside and out, consider writing a guidebook for it and selling it as a PDF.

If you don’t want to handle the logistics of selling your own product, you can always write freelance articles and guides for video game websites and magazines.

"In 2019, the gaming industry has generated total revenue of $151.9 billion." - Review42

14. Create destination guides

Whether you love to travel or are the go-to person for the best spots to visit in your hometown, you can turn your knowledge into a profitable destination guide. This can be an extensive information product that you sell on your blog or website, or you can pitch it to a travel magazine or blog accepting these types of publications.

15. Write poetry

Poetry may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about making money writing online, but it’s possible to turn a profit off of your poems. There are several places you can submit your poetry online for publication, and if your piece is selected, you’ll get a paycheck on top of bragging rights. Here are some of the top-paying online poetry publishers:

• The Sun Magazine : Pays $100-$250
• Poetry Foundation : Pays $300+
• Boulevard Magazine : Pays $50-$250
• Crazyhorse : Pays $20-$200
• EPOCH : Pays a minimum of $50 per poem

16. Transcribe documents

Transcribing is flexible work that can pay very well once you have some quality pieces in your portfolio. High-paying transcription jobs often require experience, special equipment, and specialized medical or legal knowledge.

But don’t let that discourage you if you think you’d enjoy the work. You can quickly get your foot in the door by taking on a few simple, lower-paying gigs. Check out these reputable transcribing sites to learn more:

• TranscribeMe

17. Write personal essays

If you have interesting life stories, the world wants to hear them. Lots of websites pay you for the right to publish your personal essays. Further below, you’ll find some publications to pitch.

You could also turn your essays into a blog or website, although you should be very strategic if you decide to go this route; blogs dedicated to niches tend to perform exceptionally well, while personal perspective blogs do not.

18. Create greeting card sayings

Someone has to write the sayings and poems on greeting cards. Frequently, that someone is a freelance writer. If you think you have what it takes to create a best-selling greeting card, these companies that pay for greeting card verse submissions:

• Oatmeal Studios
• Blue Mountain Arts

19. Write product descriptions

Some companies pay quite well to ensure that the product descriptions on their websites are clear and informative. Look for these gigs on job boards or pitch the company yourself. There are even websites you can join, such as Crowd Content , that pay you to write product descriptions for their clients. You can also find possible clients for this on sites like Upwork .

20. Start copywriting

Copywriting can refer to any writing that is specifically used for promotion and marketing. This can include content on websites, video scripts, blog posts, emails—you name it.

Businesses use copy to promote a product or service and drive the reader to action. Some companies hire freelance copywriters, some hire copywriters from marketing agencies that work with multiple companies, and some have staff copywriters. You can find copywriting work on job boards of all kinds, including Indeed and Zip Recruiter.

21. Create email sequences

An email sequence is a series of automated emails sent from a business to its clients at different sales cycle stages. Companies also send out email sequences when someone takes a specific action (or lack of action), such as clicking a link in an email or leaving an e-commerce site with items still in the shopping cart.

If you have a strong understanding of email marketing tactics, you can work with any company to create or improve their email sequences. Since more companies are getting into email marketing , there is plenty of opportunities to make money writing here.

Nearly 90% of marketers use email marketing to distribute content organically. - Content Marketing Institute

22. Write technical manuals

Technical writing is a lucrative field because it requires extensive knowledge of the industry you’re writing for. Technical writers need to know how to take complex information and break it down into simple, easy-to-understand messages.

23. Post on a revenue sharing site

Revenue sharing sites host your content and give you a percentage of the ad revenue generated from the page in exchange. This can be a great way to gain experience writing online , since you don’t have to worry about setting up your own website or driving traffic—although you should do everything you can to market your work and encourage people to read your work on revenue sharing sites.

Here are some examples of revenue sharing sites where you can get paid to write articles:

24. Enter a writing contest

Keep an eye out for writing contests, and throw your hat in the ring when you can. This one is a bit of a gamble because only the winners get paid, but it could well be worthwhile.

Some contests pay their winners surprisingly well, and winning can also be a great way to gain exposure as a writer. So if you have the time, why not give it a shot?

Here are a few reputable contests to get you started:

• Reedsy lists over 100 writing contests
• Biopage’s Storytelling Contest pays $100 to $300 for winning short stories.

25. Write resumes

If you have a knack for creating effective resumes, you can find freelance work writing resumes for job hunters. Check job boards for resume writing gigs, and spread the word through social media that you are accepting clients for resume makeovers.

As a similar way to get paid to write, you can also specialize in LinkedIn profiles. Many professionals are willing to pay for an optimized profile that can help them land work.

26. Write and sell songs

Do you love writing music? You can sell your songwriting services online with the help of these websites:

• Nashville Songwriters Association

27. Review books

Calling all readers! Did you know you can get paid to review books? If you can read quickly and write engaging, objective reviews, this could be an excellent way to earn some extra money.

Here are some companies that accept applications for book reviewers:

• Reedsy Discovery
• Online Book Club

28. Do SEO writing

SEO writers are some of the best-paid freelance writers because they provide the most value to their clients. These specialized writers know plenty of SEO tips, including researching keywords and integrating them into websites to make them rank higher in search results.

Semrush lists seven SEO Certification courses that you can take if you want to learn more about SEO, some of which are free.

29. Write sponsored content

If you have a blog, writing sponsored content is a no-brainer. Simply put, sponsored content is anything that a company pays you to write and publish on your blog.

There are tons of options for companies you can work with, and some creative ways to write sponsored content that doesn’t feel like advertising. Check out these trusted sponsored post networks you can join to find paid blogging opportunities:

• Blog Meets Brand

How can you find paid writing opportunities online?

There are several ways to find legitimate opportunities to make money writing online. The links provided in the above examples are an excellent start, and we have even more ideas for you below.

Cold pitching companies you want to work for

As a freelance writer, one of the most critical skills for you to develop is learning how to cold pitch your services. This is where you send unsolicited emails to companies or individuals to offer your writing services.

Since the people you’re approaching didn’t ask for your help, it’s normal to get many nos. But there’s also a chance that the business does need your services, and you’ll never know unless you ask.

Searching online job boards

Online job boards are a great resource for finding any work, freelance writing gigs included. Here are a few of our favorite reputable job boards. You’ll find some free ones and others that you’ll need to pay to access:

• Freelancing Females
• Freelance Writers Den
• Blogging Pro

Pitching bloggers who accept guest posts

When you’re looking at blogs, take note of the ones that include guest blogging articles. Use your cold pitching skills and email the author to offer your guest writing services.

Bloggers are typically very busy people, and they’re often grateful for the opportunity to outsource some of their work. Not all bloggers can afford to pay their guest bloggers, so it’s up to you if you want to accept free work or not.

Sometimes the new connection and link to a published article that you can add to your portfolio are worth it, but only you can decide.

Searching on social media

It’s becoming more common for companies to turn to social media to find writers to hire. The next time you’re scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, take a moment to check out these hashtags:

• #needwriters
• #hiringwriters
• #writerswanted
• #writersneeded
• #bloggerswanted

Then read through the listings and see what catches your interest. You can often find opportunities in a variety of niches this way.

Submitting queries to publications

If there’s a magazine or website you love, check and see if they accept submissions from freelance writers. See further below for tips on finding a publication to pitch.

Networking with other freelance writers

Keeping in touch with your writer acquaintances is always a good idea. Don’t be afraid to mention that you’re always looking for new writing jobs—the next time they get an offer that they’re too busy for, they may just pass your name along.

You can connect with other writers on social media or at in-person events. Work on keeping your working relationship positive, and you never know when you’ll see a referral coming your way.

Pro tip:Search for freelance writer groups on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social platforms.

Posting on social media

If you don’t already have social media accounts strictly dedicated to your writing business, don’t waste any time in getting them established. Social media is a fantastic resource to find paid writing opportunities; the occasional post announcing that you’re accepting new clients can do wonders for your business. Don’t forget to encourage your followers to share your posts. Someone in your network may know someone who is searching for a writer.

Creating a website to share your services

Setting up a website to help advertise your writing services is a great way to appear more professional to prospective clients. You can share a link to your website whenever you apply for a gig or cold pitch your services.

Here are some essential elements to include:

• Your resume
• A professional photo of yourself
• Links to any published writings of your own
• Sample articles
• A list of services you provide
• Testimonials from past clients
• Your contact information or even a contact form so potential clients can email you directly from your site

Searching on Craigslist in major cities

Craigslist often has paid writing opportunities, so don’t overlook this resource. Remember to search other locations outside of your own city, too. Check the listings for major metropolitan areas, where people post the majority of jobs. Here are five cities you should check regularly:

• Los Angeles
• San Francisco

Another tip to help you find assignments on this website - writing jobs on Craigslist are sometimes posted under “Gigs” and sometimes under “Jobs,” so be sure to check both sections.

Asking past freelance writing clients if they have more work for you

As mentioned earlier, networking is essential. Keeping in touch with your past clients is equally important. There’s no need to hound them, but don’t be afraid to check in periodically and see if there’s anything else they need help with.

Where can you submit your writing online for money?

When deciding where to submit your writing, you want to make sure that the publication will pay its authors and that it fits well with your preferred writing style. Here are a few possibilities for you to check out, organized by niche.

If you prefer writing personal essays, you’re in luck. Here are five sites that might pay you for your essays:

The Bold Italic

Can you write a personal essay about the spirit of San Francisco that will make readers laugh or cry? If yes, submit it to The Bold Italic . The editors will review it and make a decision. If it’s published, you’ll get $50.

Buzzfeed Reader

If you want your personal essay to be read by the masses, you’ve got to pitch the editors over at Buzzfeed Reader . It pays competitive rates for essays about nearly any fresh idea.

The LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in San Francisco pays for dynamic personal essays written by blind or visually impaired writers. It will occasionally publish pieces written by writers outside of this category. The editors enjoy working collaboratively with you on the piece, and pay $100 upon publication.

If you can write a unique personal essay with a strong voice, the editors at Dame want you to send a pitch. A published essay will earn you about $150, though you’ll finalize payment details throughout the submission process.

Business, career, and finance

The penny hoarder.

This popular website is a great place to pitch if you have a laid-back writing style and unique tips about earning or saving money. The Penny Hoarder gives detailed pitch directions and provides a form you can fill out, making the whole process as simple as possible. If your pitch is accepted, an editor will discuss payment with you at that time.

Doctor of Credit

Do you have a strong understanding of consumer credit law? Have you found a unique credit card from a small issuer? Doctor of Credit is a great blog that may publish a guest post if you have niche financial knowledge to share. They pay $50 per post.

Income Diary

This website is all about making money online, from blog design to content creation to entrepreneurship and a success mindset. Income Diary pays up to $200 for an article on these topics.

Freelance Mom

If you know how to balance being your own boss and being an awesome mom, Freelance Mom wants to hear from you. You can earn between $75 and $100 on articles between 900 to 1,500 words.

Family and parenting

Pregnant chicken.

This fun and informative website features pregnancy tips and stories about pregnancy, childbirth, and being a new parent. Pregnant Chicken pays $100 per post.

Zift publishes articles relating to parenting in a technology-driven world. If you have an evergreen, original article about managing kids and screen time, you could earn $100 for it.

Your Teen Media

If you’ve raised teenagers and seen it all, you can get paid to write by Teen Media , a trusted editorial source for readers seeking information about raising teenagers. Payment rates are not listed on their websites, but you can discuss this with the editor if your pitch gets accepted.

Go World Travel

This is a great place to pitch if you’re a new writer. Go World Travel publishes contributions from first-time writers and experts alike. If you can tell a captivating, descriptive story about your travels, you can earn $30 to $40 per article.

Matador Network

You’ll need to set up a profile with Matador Network to respond to their calls for submissions. Once you do, you can earn $40 or more for short commissioned travel articles.

GoNOMAD is a resource for “honest, accurate, well-written and detailed articles and destination guides that speak to an educated, curious, and well-traveled audience.” They pay $25 for stories between 1700 to 2200 words long.

Extra Crispy

Extra Crispy is all about breakfast, and they are looking for opinion pieces, stories, essays, recipes, etc. This is the perfect place to pitch if the most important meal of the day also happens to be your favorite. It doesn’t list payment terms on its website, so you’ll need to work that out with the editor if your pitch is accepted.

Taste of Home

This family-favorite publication publishes recipes from home cooks. You can sign into their website to see what types of recipes they are currently looking for. Taste of Home discusses payment rates upon acceptance.

If you have a unique perspective on food culture, try pitching Eater . They cover a wide range of food-related topics, so take a look and see if you can come up with an idea they might love! Payment terms are not listed on their website.

Digital Ocean

DigitalOcean is looking for talented authors to create technical tutorials and articles about software development. In addition to a personal payout (typically $300), you’ll also get to select a tech-focused charity to receive a donation from DigitalOcean.

If you can create original content to add to Linode’s library of technical guides and tutorials, you can earn $300. They currently are focusing on adding articles about Kubernetes, Linux essentials, and databases, so if you send a pitch about one of those topics, you’re more likely to be accepted.

Do you consider yourself a WordPress expert? If yes, consider pitching WPHUB . Depending on your article’s topic and length, they pay between $10 to $200 for content about web design trends, exploring useful plugins for developers, coding best practices, and other WordPress-related topics.

How to send a pitch for an online writing gig

Whether you're trying to send a submission to a specific blog or applying for a gig you found on a job board, you’ll need to send a pitch if you want to get paid to write.

If you’re wondering what a pitch is, it’s a written correspondence in which you explain to an editor or publisher an idea you have for an article, blog post, story, etc., and ask them to consider hiring you to execute your idea.

While you want your pitch to have your voice and not sound like you copied and pasted it, there are a few essential pieces to include. Here’s what every pitch needs:

• The editor’s name. Addressing your pitch to the right person will show that you did your homework. On this note, also make sure you send it to the correct email address.
• Details about your idea. No need to send the entire finished piece (unless it’s asked for). However, you need to make it clear what your story is about and why you’re the best person for the job.
• A brief bio. The editor doesn’t have time to read your life story, but you should introduce them to you and share any relevant experience you may have.
• A link to your portfolio. This gives the editor the chance to get a feel for your writing abilities and style. If you write in a wide range of styles, it’s a good idea to only link to the ones that best match the publication you’re pitching to.

It’s natural to feel a little nervous when submitting a pitch, especially for new writers. Whatever you do, don’t let your fear of rejection or imposter syndrome stop you from sending a pitch. Manage your expectations, and know going into it that you will receive a lot more nos than yeses.

That’s true for even the most talented writers, though, so don’t take it personally. Keep at it, and eventually, your pitch will reach the person who’s ready to work with you.

5 tips for successful pitching as a freelance writer

To improve your acceptance rate, here are five tips to help you send a better pitch:

1. Follow directions

If you are replying to a job listing or submitting to an established publication, make sure you carefully follow any guidelines they provide. If the publisher thinks that you can’t follow simple instructions such as giving your email the proper subject line or saving your resume in the specified format, they probably won’t be very eager to work with you.

2. Pitch for topics you’re comfortable writing about

When you’re first getting started, It’s tempting to pitch for any and all gigs you can find. But it’s highly encouraged that you pitch selectively.

You don’t need to stick to just one niche, but if you pitch topics you’re genuinely excited about, your passion and expertise will show, it’ll take you less time, and your finished work will be stronger.

3. Send a great idea

If you’re pitching an idea you came up with for a magazine article or a guest blog post, take some time to research the existing content and see what’s missing, so you don’t suggest topics they’ve already published.

Try to come up with a unique angle or provide a different perspective. That way, you send a great idea instead of a topic the site has already covered.

4. Explain why it’s a great fit

Make it clear to the publisher that you’re familiar with the publication and that you know what they’re looking for. Don’t make it about you; emphasize what they and their readers stand to gain from a partnership with you.

Do your research beforehand and know who their target audience is, what types of content they typically publish, the tone they usually write in, etc. The more you understand their style, the more you can blend in and convince them that it’s a natural partnership.

5. Keep it short

Editors are busy and don’t have time to read a novel in their inbox. Your pitch is the perfect place to show that not only are you a great writer, but you have an excellent understanding of clear and concise communication. Stick to the point, and don’t run off on unrelated rabbit trails.

How to get paid to write online

When you write content online, you’re typically considered a contract writer instead of an employee. This means you’ll need to send an invoice if you want to get paid.

An invoice is a simple document that sums up the work you did for your client, so they can see what they owe you. Basically, it’s a bill for services rendered.

It’s essential to make your invoice look professional. If you have branding elements or a logo, you’ll want to include those.

Your freelance writing invoice should include the following elements:

• The word “Invoice” at the top. You want to make it clear to your client that this is an official billing document so that they’re more likely to pay you promptly.
• Date you sent the invoice.
• Your client’s name.
• Your contact information.
• An itemized list of services provided, with short, clear descriptions of each, and individual rates for each service.
• Dates services were provided.
• Payment rate.
• Total amount due.
• Any payment terms previously agreed upon.
• A unique invoice ID number for your records.

There are invoice templates available online that can help you quickly set up invoices to send to your clients. The downside to using templates is that you can't easily track the payment status of all the different invoices you've sent to your clients.

Wave's invoicing software lets you do everything above (and more!) for free, no strings attached. You can create unlimited invoices with your logo and keep tabs on whether clients have seen your invoices. There are also options to set up recurring invoices for regular clients, which can save you a lot of time and headaches. If you turn on the payments option, there’s a small per-transaction fee when a client makes a payment.

Wave Money , a new service we’re launching, lets you deposit client payments and manage funds in an FDIC-insured account. We’re transforming the business banking industry with small business owners in mind. It’s the perfect online business banking option for freelance writers and other entrepreneurs.

How to create a portfolio to help you make money writing online

Having a solid portfolio is a crucial tool for any writer. Follow the below tips to make your portfolio as strong as possible.

Keep your portfolio up-to-date with your best new work

It doesn’t matter how much amazing content you created three, five, or ten years ago. Your potential clients want to see that you have recent publications under your belt.

Don’t include everything

Think of your portfolio as your highlights reel. Only include the writing you’re most proud of and that aligns with the type of work you hope to get more of. There’s no need to have articles from your stint as a sports reporter if you’re trying to break into beauty blogging.

Break it into categories

If you do more than one type of writing, keep your portfolio well organized so that your potential clients can easily find the work that is most similar to what they want to hire you for.

Host it in an effective location

Your personal business website is the best place to keep your portfolio. However, if you don’t have a website yet, you can always use a portfolio-hosting website such as Contently or ClearVoice .

7 Red flags to watch for with online writing jobs

While you can legitimately get paid to write, there are scams out there. Knowing what to look for can help you avoid getting scammed, so keep an eye out for these red flags.

• Anything that sounds too good to be true.
• Any online gig requiring you to send money before you make money (except for some legitimate publications that charge a nominal submission fee).
• A potential client asking for too much personal information.
• Job postings that list unprofessional email addresses that look like a jumbled mess of letters and numbers.
• Vague job descriptions.
• Meager pay for the amount of work. (And on the other end, payment that seems way too high for the demands of the job.)
• A company requesting that you do trial work for free to evaluate or sample your services.

While these red flags don’t necessarily mean you’ve stumbled upon a freelance writing scam, seeing one does mean you need to proceed with caution. You don’t want to get your identity stolen or complete work you never get paid for.

Time to take action

Now that you’ve learned about the best options available for you to get paid to write online, it’s time to get out there and give it a shot. Remember, there’s nothing you can gain from doubting yourself, so show a little faith, pick a path to get started with, and begin to make some money. With the right attitude and enough determination, anyone can make a living writing online.

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COACHING + PUBLISHING

FORMATTING + DESIGN

FREELANCE COMMUNITY

• Where to Sell Short Stories: 7 Places That Pay

Jackie Pearce

Why You Should Sell Your Short Stories

Building a writing resume, networking opportunities, exposure to a greater audience, testing the market, how much you can make with your short stories, how to submit your short stories, where to sell short stories, 1. amazon kdp, 2. the threepenny review, 3. poets & writers, 4. one story, 5. clarkesworld magazine, 6. east of the web, 7. flash fiction online, what to do next.

If you are a writer trying to grow your career or start to make money from your craft, you most likely have wondered where to sell short stories.

Venturing into the realm of selling short stories not only broadens your audience but also propels your writing career to new heights.

This guide will walk you through why you should consider selling your short stories in the first place, some tips to submission, and then dive into actual places to submit your short stories.

If you are trying to make it as a writer, or at least trying to make some side income from it, you should consider selling your short stories.

Most likely, if you already have been writing them for some time, there are people who would pay to read them. It is simply a matter of finding platforms and publications that will pay for your stories.

Some other reasons you might want to consider selling your short stories:

For any writer who wants to get paid for their writing or eventually become a full-time author , you will want to have some published pieces in your portfolio. It is a way to show people that you are a serious writer and it can prove that other people should invest in your art, too.

You never know who will read your short story and want to work with you. You might even be hired for things like ghostwriting or other writing opportunities.

Most writers have a small following online, but when you are published in new marketplaces, you have the chance of reaching even more readers.

Ideally, you will choose places to publish your writing that have the greatest reach to new audiences, but in the beginning you might not be able to be as picky as you will later on.

If you are considering writing a longer book, selling and testing how a short story does can help confirm whether it’s a good path to pursue or not.

Many successful books (and even movies) have started as a short story that became popular.

Generally, it’s not incredibly easy to make money with short stories. Do not expect to become rich overnight.

However, with a practical mindset and a determined attitude, you can often start to make some money and get the word out about your work.

You could make anywhere from a few bucks to a thousand dollars. Generally “pro” rates start at $0.08 per word, if that gives you any context into how much you can make.

Yes, it’s more common that you will find opportunities for less money, but also almost every famous author out there started by selling their short stories. It is more about what you do with your growing audience and your stories that can have a huge impact on your career down the line.

Some writing contests, anthologies, or publications may have specific submission guidelines or themes that writers find interesting or challenging. Selling a short story to meet these requirements can be a way to participate in such opportunities.

One thing you will want to particularly note is that most websites have rules about whether they will accept stories published in other publications before or not. Some publications want the first rights to your story, and some will accept stories you have published before. That is something you will want to take seriously and keep an eye out for.

You will want to double-check (and even triple-check any submission guidelines before entering so you are not automatically disqualified from consideration. Some publications have rigid rules, and some have looser rules, so do your research before submission.

The Amazon KDP program is a great place for writers to put their short stories and get paid.

As a book seller, you can earn up to 70% of royalties, depending on the publishing option you choose from them. This program also offers publishing option for a wide variety of genres, which is not something you will always find from various publishers.

For example, some magazines will only publish particular kinds of genres and stories.

Amazon also has the biggest book market in the world, but you will still have to work hard to get your short story to stand out.

The Threepenny Review is a literary magazine that generally publishes essays, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, memoirs and more.

They have various word count preferences for each of the type of stories they choose to publish, but they do pay for pieces they publish.

On the higher end, they can pay $400 pier piece, and for shorter ones (such as poems) $200.

Poets & Writers have a few various ways to help writers make money .

One option is to pitch directly to the magazine, which you can do through their submission guidelines page.

After that, they also have a subscription you can join to keep on top of various short shorty contests and other opportunities for other paid writing gigs.

If you are looking to publish a short story, you have probably come across One Story as an option.

They only have a short window of time where they accept submissions, but they do pay $500 for 25 contributors copies.

Check out their submission page to stay on top of when the next opening is happening.

Clarkesworld Magazine mainly focuses on publishing short stories in the science fiction and fantasy world, but they also consider art, non-fiction, and other types of short stories, as well.

They currently pay $0.12/word, which is on the higher end of platforms that pay for short stories.

Following the science fiction genre, East of the Web is currently accepting short stories that are at least 7.000 words. They currently have over 100,000 mobile devices that have their short story app installed, which can be good for your story to help reach a wider audience.

At the time of writing this, they are currently paying $0.05 per word to publish stories, but they are open to submissions of previously published stories, which not all places do.

If you love writing short stories that are between 500-1000 words, you will want to check out the Flash Fiction Online submission guidelines.

With Flash Fiction Online, you can expect to make $60 per accepted story.

Struggling to make money with your writing and want to make your career recession-proof?

You won’t want to miss out on our Recession-Proof Writing Guide! This will give you the steps you need to make sure you are building a writing career that can handle any economic situation.

Sign up below and get your guide today!

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It’s a great way to make a living writing if you pitch the right publications. How about $500 or more per assignment?

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If you want to write for magazines, and have limited experience, these are great places to get some clips, and earn some money, but it shouldn’t be your last stop.

Many consumer and trade magazines pay $500 or more per assignment. And the pitching process is pretty much the same as smaller pubs:

• Identify a magazine you want to write for
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Buying College Essays Is Now Easier Than Ever. But Buyer Beware

Please try again

As the recent college admissions scandal is shedding light on how parents are cheating and bribing their children's way into college, schools are also focusing on how some students may be cheating their way through college. Concern is growing about a burgeoning online market that makes it easier than ever for students to buy essays written by others to turn in as their own work. And schools are trying new tools to catch it.

It's not hard to understand the temptation for students. The pressure is enormous, the stakes are high and, for some, writing at a college level is a huge leap.

"We didn't really have a format to follow, so I was kind of lost on what to do," says one college freshman, who struggled recently with an English assignment. One night, when she was feeling particularly overwhelmed, she tweeted her frustration.

"It was like, 'Someone, please help me write my essay!' " she recalls. She ended her tweet with a crying emoji. Within a few minutes, she had a half-dozen offers of help.

"I can write it for you," they tweeted back. "Send us the prompt!"

The student, who asked that her name not be used for fear of repercussions at school, chose one that asked for $10 per page, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"For me, it was just that the work was piling up," she explains. "As soon as I finish some big assignment, I get assigned more things, more homework for math, more homework for English. Some papers have to be six or 10 pages long. ... And even though I do my best to manage, the deadlines come closer and closer, and it's just ... the pressure."

In the cat-and-mouse game of academic cheating, students these days know that if they plagiarize, they're likely to get caught by computer programs that automatically compare essays against a massive database of other writings. So now, buying an original essay can seem like a good workaround.

"Technically, I don't think it's cheating," the student says. "Because you're paying someone to write an essay, which they don't plagiarize, and they write everything on their own."

Her logic, of course, ignores the question of whether she's plagiarizing. When pressed, she begins to stammer.

"That's just a difficult question to answer," she says. "I don't know how to feel about that. It's kind of like a gray area. It's maybe on the edge, kind of?"

Besides she adds, she probably won't use all of it.

Other students justify essay buying as the only way to keep up. They figure that everyone is doing it one way or another — whether they're purchasing help online or getting it from family or friends.

"Oh yeah, collaboration at its finest," cracks Boston University freshman Grace Saathoff. While she says she would never do it herself, she's not really fazed by others doing it. She agrees with her friends that it has pretty much become socially acceptable.

"I have a friend who writes essays and sells them," says Danielle Delafuente, another Boston University freshman. "And my other friend buys them. He's just like, 'I can't handle it. I have five papers at once. I need her to do two of them, and I'll do the other three.' It's a time management thing."

The war on contract cheating

"It breaks my heart that this is where we're at," sighs Ashley Finley, senior adviser to the president for the Association of American Colleges and Universities. She says campuses are abuzz about how to curb the rise in what they call contract cheating. Obviously, students buying essays is not new, but Finley says that what used to be mostly limited to small-scale side hustles has mushroomed on the internet to become a global industry of so-called essay mills. Hard numbers are difficult to come by, but research suggests that up to 16 percent of students have paid someone to do their work and that the number is rising.

"Definitely, this is really getting more and more serious," Finley says. "It's part of the brave new world for sure."

The essay mills market aggressively online, with slickly produced videos inviting students to "Get instant help with your assignment" and imploring them: "Don't lag behind," "Join the majority" and "Don't worry, be happy."

"They're very crafty," says Tricia Bertram Gallant, director of the Academic Integrity Office at the University of California in San Diego and a board member of the International Center for Academic Integrity.

The companies are equally brazen offline — leafleting on campuses, posting flyers in toilet stalls and flying banners over Florida beaches during spring break. Companies have also been known to bait students with emails that look like they're from official college help centers. And they pay social media influencers to sing the praises of their services, and they post testimonials from people they say are happy customers.

"I hired a service to write my paper and I got a 90 on it!" gloats one. "Save your time, and have extra time to party!" advises another.

"It's very much a seduction," says Bertram Gallant. "So you can maybe see why students could get drawn into the contract cheating world."

YouTube has been cracking down on essay mills; it says it has pulled thousands of videos that violate its policies against promoting dishonest behavior.

But new videos constantly pop up, and their hard sell flies in the face of their small-print warnings that their essays should be used only as a guide, not a final product.

Several essay mills declined or didn't respond to requests to be interviewed by NPR. But one answered questions by email and offered up one of its writers to explain her role in the company, called EduBirdie.

"Yes, just like the little birdie that's there to help you in your education," explains April Short, a former grade school teacher from Australia who's now based in Philadelphia. She has been writing for a year and a half for the company, which bills itself as a "professional essay writing service for students who can't even."

Some students just want some "foundational research" to get started or a little "polish" to finish up, Short says. But the idea that many others may be taking a paper written completely by her and turning it in as their own doesn't keep her up at night.

"These kids are so time poor," she says, and they're "missing out on opportunities of travel and internships because they're studying and writing papers." Relieving students of some of that burden, she figures, allows them to become more "well-rounded."

"I don't necessarily think that being able to create an essay is going to be a defining factor in a very long career, so it's not something that bothers me," says Short. Indeed, she thinks students who hire writers are demonstrating resourcefulness and creativity. "I actually applaud students that look for options to get the job done and get it done well," she says.

"This just shows you the extent of our ability to rationalize all kinds of bad things we do," sighs Dan Ariely, professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University. The rise in contract cheating is especially worrisome, he says, because when it comes to dishonest behavior, more begets more. As he puts it, it's not just about "a few bad apples."

"Instead, what we have is a lot ... of blemished apples, and we take our cues for our behavior from the social world around us," he says. "We know officially what is right and what's wrong. But really what's driving our behavior is what we see others around us doing" or, Ariely adds, what we perceive them to be doing. So even the proliferation of advertising for essays mills can have a pernicious effect, he says, by fueling the perception that "everyone's doing it."

A few nations have recently proposed or passed laws outlawing essay mills, and more than a dozen U.S. states have laws on the books against them. But prosecuting essay mills, which are often based overseas in Pakistan, Kenya and Ukraine, for example, is complicated. And most educators are loath to criminalize students' behavior.

"Yes, they're serious mistakes. They're egregious mistakes," says Cath Ellis, an associate dean and integrity officer at the University of New South Wales, where students were among the hundreds alleged to have bought essays in a massive scandal in Australia in 2014.

"But we're educational institutions," she adds. "We've got to give students the opportunity to learn from these mistakes. That's our responsibility. And that's better in our hands than in the hands of the police and the courts."

Staying one step ahead

In the war on contract cheating, some schools see new technology as their best weapon and their best shot to stay one step ahead of unscrupulous students. The company that makes the Turnitin plagiarism detection software has just upped its game with a new program called Authorship Investigate.

The software first inspects a document's metadata, like when it was created, by whom it was created and how many times it was reopened and re-edited. Turnitin's vice president for product management, Bill Loller, says sometimes it's as simple as looking at the document's name. Essay mills typically name their documents something like "Order Number 123," and students have been known to actually submit it that way. "You would be amazed at how frequently that happens," says Loller.

Using cutting-edge linguistic forensics, the software also evaluates the level of writing and its style.

"Think of it as a writing fingerprint," Loller says. The software looks at hundreds of telltale characteristics of an essay, like whether the author double spaces after a period or writes with Oxford commas or semicolons. It all gets instantly compared against a student's other work, and, Loller says, suspicions can be confirmed — or alleviated — in minutes.

"At the end of the day, you get to a really good determination on whether the student wrote what they submitted or not," he says, "and you get it really quickly."

Coventry University in the U.K. has been testing out a beta version of the software, and Irene Glendinning, the school's academic manager for student experience, agrees that the software has the potential to give schools a leg up on cheating students. After the software is officially adopted, "we'll see a spike in the number of cases we find, and we'll have a very hard few years," she says. "But then the message will get through to students that we've got the tools now to find these things out." Then, Glendinning hopes, students might consider contract cheating to be as risky as plagiarizing.

In the meantime, schools are trying to spread the word that buying essays is risky in other ways as well.

Professor Ariely says that when he posed as a student and ordered papers from several companies, much of it was "gibberish" and about a third of it was actually plagiarized.

Even worse, when he complained to the company and demanded his money back, they resorted to blackmail. Still believing him to be a student, the company threatened to tell his school he was cheating. Others say companies have also attempted to shake down students for more money, threatening to rat them out if they didn't pay up.

The lesson, Ariely says, is "buyer beware."

But ultimately, experts say, many desperate students may not be deterred by the risks — whether from shady businesses or from new technology.

Bertram Gallant, of UC San Diego, says the right way to dissuade students from buying essays is to remind them why it's wrong.

"If we engage in a technological arms race with the students, we won't win," she says. "What are we going to do when Google glasses start to look like regular glasses and a student wears them into an exam? Are we going to tell them they can't wear their glasses because we're afraid they might be sending the exam out to someone else who is sending them back the answers?"

The solution, Bertram Gallant says, has to be about "creating a culture where integrity and ethics matter" and where education is valued more than grades. Only then will students believe that cheating on essays is only cheating themselves.