AI has arrived.
Sure, it’s been around for a while. AI writing tools like Jasper, Grammarly, and Content at Scale are becoming more and more popular at a wildly fast pace.
But what’s the tool that completely changed the game? ChatGPT. When it dropped in late 2022, everyone was talking about AI.
When it comes to AI for freelance writers – a lot of people are scared. People worry it’s going to replace writers and take their livelihoods.
I get it.
But here’s the deal: AI is here, and it’s not going anywhere. So you have two options:
- Stick your head in the sand and hope it goes away.
- Look for ways to leverage this opportunity.
So, instead of ignoring AI writing tools, let’s embrace them, use them to our advantage, and maximize our productivity.
Here’s how to start.
AI Will Change the Way We Write and Edit
AI writing assistants have been around for a while. One of my favorites is Grammarly.
Grammarly is a tool that helps your writing. It “combines rules, patterns, and artificial intelligence techniques like machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing” to spot errors while removing complexity and improving flow.
Is it perfect? No. But I find it super helpful, and so do a lot of other people.
That’s the ground floor of AI.
Then you have more complex tools like Content at Scale or Jasper. With these, you can ask the AI to write for you, developing headlines, outlines, and other ideas. You’ll get a rough draft you can edit and make your own.
ChatGPT is very similar, with a few differences:
- It’s free (for now).
- It’s incredibly easy to use.
- The learning curve is zero.
Ask it to create (almost) anything, and you’ll get something back in seconds.
The first time I used it, I was blown away. It wasn’t perfect. The writing was formal and elementary. But the output wasn’t nearly as bad as expected.
So after I got over my initial shock and fear, I realized it was an incredible writing assistant that could help freelance writers become more productive.
But first…
Will AI Writing Assistants Replace Writers?
Short answer, no, I don’t think so.
Well, right now, at least. It’s still clunky and often wrong (though very confidently wrong at times). Sean shared some of his thoughts on the future of freelance writing here.
For brands that want writers with deep expertise on a topic or niche, it’s got a long way to go. This is another reason it’s a good idea to niche into an area of expertise.
This episode from the Freelance Writer’s Coach Podcast covered the topic well, addressing fears while being realistic about these tools’ explosion. Give it a listen.
With that out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff.
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How Freelance Writers Can Benefit from AI Tools
The first thing to realize is writing assistants aren’t the enemy. On the contrary, they are valuable tools to help us get over the blank page and generate ideas.
Once you start to embrace it, you’ll find countless AI writing tools that will change the game for your business and workflow. Here are some examples.
Beat the Blank Page
I asked ChatGPT to create an outline for this post:
As you’re reading, you can see I didn’t use everything suggested. But I liked some of the headers and decided to include them.
A lot of people get paralyzed by the blank page. And because of that, they never start. I’ve seen many a budding freelancer give up because the fear of writing anything down was too much to overcome.
For this, AI tools can be your best friend.
I’ve asked it to generate outlines, intros, Tweets, sample LOIs, and more. Not to rip, copy, and paste, but to help me get started. To get over looking at a blank page and feeling stuck.
Sometimes, just seeing something there on the page is all you need to get started.
AI Can Help Freelance Writers Get Headline Ideas
When we were brainstorming for ideas about how to write about AI tools, ChatGPT helped:
You might recognize the headline of this post tucked away in there — with a few tweaks.
I’m usually not great at headlines. And yet, headlines are some of the most important things you write. If you aren’t catching eyeballs on that headline, then no one is clicking.
So ChatGPT has helped me stop overthinking my headlines to death. Instead, I ask it to generate some. I see what it creates, and then I tweak.
I’ve gotten some awesome ideas in seconds I’m not sure I would have come up with on my own.
Here’s another example from Jasper Chat, that we prepared to help a new freelancer get ideas for writing samples:
They aren’t perfect, but you can easily tweak any of these headlines or continue the chat to have a virtually limitless number of ideas for samples or posts.
AI Helps Us to Write Better Content
This is where freelancers can get the most out of AI tools.
For most of us, we can create content quickly. So while ChatGPT or Jasper or Content at Scale can spit out 1,000 words much faster than I can, it will be 1,000 ok words.
I still have to edit and add more context, personality, and so on to make it more than a mediocre post.
No one (good at least) can take what these tools spit out and slap them on a blog. Google is checking for AI content. Auto-generated content is a big no-no from Google now:
And if you want to create content that passes Google and the ever-growing list of AI content detection tools, you have to do more.
Ben Goodey from What the Fxck recently timed how long it took to get an AI-generated post past content detection.
The total? About 40 minutes.
But the post was average at best. And that’s the rub with many AI writing assistants. It’s so easy anyone can do it. As a result, we’re about to see a tidal wave of generic, boring content.
That means there’s a massive opportunity for freelance writers.
Be better.
Write better stuff. Be more engaging. Make people stop and read what you have to say.
Where you stand out is your experience, your creativity, and your empathy.
Those are your superpowers — learn to use them.
AI for Freelance Writers: It Helps Work More Efficiently
Freelance writing is a service business, and that means time = money.
As a soloprenuer, you can create only so much content in a day before your brain turns to mush. So time is a finite resource you need to protect.
So lean on AI to help.
As Sam Woods says:
Using chatGPT every day is like having a personal assistant to ask questions to throughout the day, have it write notes on important things, and drafting all sorts of writing.
— Sam Woods (@samuelwoods_) December 27, 2022
PS Get on his newsletter if you really want to see the potential of AI.
I’ve found myself keeping ChatGPT open all day long. When I’m stuck, I ask it to generate ideas. And almost every time, it gets me on the right track, and my brain fires up again.
But, of course, ChatGPT isn’t the only tool writers can start using. Here are a few others we’ve been relying on at LRA to help boost productivity, get more organized, and more done in less time.
Grammarly
I can't think of a good reason why anyone shouldn't at least have the free version of Grammarly installed. It's SO incredibly helpful. And if you upgrade? It's even more useful. Here's a free month of Grammarly premium on us.
*Free plans and paid plans.
Full disclosure, I recently became a Grammarly Ambassador (aka Grambassador). So, it shows you how much I love this tool. Install the Chrome plugin, and stop worrying about making stupid spelling and grammar mistakes ever again.
Check out my full Grammarly review here.
Content at Scale
Simply put, this is the only AI writing tool I can recommend for long-form content. It's not perfect, but it's as close to magic as I've seen from an AI tool. Highly recommended.
Sean has been playing around with this AI writing tool for more long-form content, and he’s been pretty impressed. For him, it’s the only tool he recommends if you want to create long-form content. It still has some limitations, and it’s on the pricey side, but can get you going.
Canva
Did you know Canva has all sorts of AI tools now? You don’t have to spend hours searching for images to go with your posts — especially if you need a photo of something unusual. Instead, use Text to Image and tell it what you’d like to see.
Consensus
If you have to gather a lot of research or data for your writing, you know how long it can take to find the info you need. Consensus is a tool that pulls from millions of scholarly journals. Ask a question, set the date, and see what results come up. It can save you a ton of time.
Otter AI
Another massive timesaving tool for me is Otter AI. It’s a fantastic tool for transcription. If I’m on a call with an SME, I turn on Otter to ensure the call is recorded and transcribed in real-time. If a client sends me a pre-recorded video to quote from, I use it to get the transcription automatically. And I’ve started using it on walks to take voice notes when ideas pop up.
Freelance Writing Isn’t Going Away, But It’s Time to Evolve
AI writing tools make it possible to build your content machine more efficiently and effectively. Use these tools to blast through fears of the blank page, spark ideas, and help you outline posts.
The more you play around with AI assistants and learn how to use them, the better off you’ll be in the long-run. These tools aren’t going anywhere, and AI will improve by leaps and bounds in the coming years, so turn this moment into an opportunity to get ahead of the curve and do more with it.
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Liz Froment
Liz Froment is a full-time freelance writer and the one who keeps Location Rebel running like a well-oiled machine. If she's not writing something informative or witty for her clients, she can most likely be found reading a good book.Join over 40,000 people who have taken our 6 part freelance writing course. Sign up below and let’s do this together.
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