You know, those movies that start with a shy, poor girl or boy. They, by some miracle, the girl or boy gets into a prestigious school. And then the trauma begins. Those remind me of online writing, in a nutshell.
As human beings, you always want to be part of something. If rumors start spreading about some good tidings somewhere, you can't help throwing everyone under the bus so that you can reap the benefits too.
It's how pyramid schemes work, how I got into public likes, even though I knew in my deepest core that it was a scam. It's how secret societies survive for so long. How tribalism still sprouts, alive and well, to this day. If you're human, you don't want to be alone. Because being alone means there's something wrong with you.
And so, it begins.
How It Started
From what I gather, online writing started small in Juja. I've always found the boys there so bold with their lives. You miss a lecture, so what? Things will work themselves out on exam day. Don’t like your course? Drop out. My friend did, and I envy him to this day.
Still, there are some focused folks there. More serious than people I met in UoN. And no, I don't mean bookworms. Hustlers. People who'll do whatever to survive. And when people like that surround you, you become a survivor too.
So, a random guy went online looking for ways to earn money. He learns you can write someone's essay for dollars. Not the few shillings people pay you here to attend classes and write notes for them. Real life-changing money.
Once you get a taste of it, you want more. Once you buy that new smartphone, you want a TV, a cooker, and a hoofer—the basics for a soft life. To get more, you need to work more. To write more. Thankfully you're your boss, so you devise a schedule that maximizes your awake hours.
How It’s Going
But that isn't enough. You're at that stage where a car is the next electronic you need. But cars cost a fortune unless you want a Vitz, which is still pricey. With 60k a month, it'll take way too long. By then, your eyes will be sore and red. So, you channel the hustler in you and employ others to work for you.
The more jobs trickle down the chain, the less you earn. And as any businessman will tell you, never reveal your trade secrets, or else there won't be any leverage to keep your business going.
I Want In
You'll fall in love at some point, so much so that you want your better half to succeed. You can't give them the same deal as the others. So you tell them your trade secret, and Jezebel does her thing.
Or, so woke people don't call me sexist, you may tell your trade secrets to your boys. Or girls. Fine. Or girls.
It's good money. Everyone wants in where there's good money. That's where the Indians come in. See, most of these assignments come from someone other than the student. That's too sophisticated for someone asking for help with their essays.
It's the Indians who discovered these loopholes. They've created sophisticated means to connect students to truants from Africa called "websites". Ha!
If you want in, you need an account. Preferably a premium one. But that's also a trade secret because you need to know where to look. And two, you must have all the requirements for opening said account
You Must Give, So You Can Take
The where comes at a price. The requirements aren't for free either. Things like a foreign telephone number, a social security number, and a PayPal account. From where does a person who's never stepped out of Kenya get these. What does a social security number even mean?
I'm told the prices used to be as low as 3k. But as demand increased, so did the selling price. Today, you'll need nearly 60k to get an account. And even then, you can't be sure it's not a fake one. Or that it gets closed a few days after using it so the seller can resell the same account to someone else.
It's all a one-man-for-himself hustle going on here. The same scam is going on with M-pesa, Equitel, money markets, car dealers, and real estate... Anywhere there are people and money, Kamau will be there to help guide you to financial success.
While you're battling with Kenyan wits and paying hugely for it, the smart ones are making millions every week. Employ just enough laborers, and you build an empire like any other respectable business. To get there, you must start small and charm your way to the top.
Windward, Leeward
Online writing demands more uhm alertness. You will find little information about how much you earn or where to get better gigs. But sometimes, it doesn't take a dumb person to realize they're being misused.
Remember, you're in control of your life. Whether you take that assignment, pick calls in the middle of the night, or accept the blame for a genuine error, all of the bad is ultimately up to you to take on or say enough is enough. No one will hunt you down because you refused to work with them. Also, no one will pay you millions without getting value for their money.
It's all a give-and-take relationship you ought to navigate wisely. And I repeat this, just like any other business, online writing is hustle, grit, diligence, hard work, survival, prayer, fasting...okay.
You get the picture, though.
Feel free to check out our “I Just Got Paid. Now What? How Can I Save Money? How Can I Grow My Money Fast?” article. It never hurts to stay informed. Meanwhile, do let us know in case of any questions or concerns. Always here to help!