How to Market Yourself as a ‘Human-First’ Writer in the Age of AI

1. Be a human.

Congrats, you’re already one step ahead in today’s complex world of freelance writing!

With artificial intelligence (AI) dominating headlines and striking fear into the hearts of writing job seekers everywhere, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. After all, isn’t every marketing department out there firing all their writers and dialing up prompts in ChatGPT for their next advertising campaign? Isn’t every blog article you read written by a faceless, cold algorithm? (Not this one!)

Believe it or not, there’s still plenty of work for human writers. That isn’t going to change.

Although AI writing tools are incredibly powerful and are advancing rapidly, you have many traits AI simply cannot replace. Empathy, personality, understanding of nuance, and even your unique life experiences put you in a separate crowd from our technological “overlords.”

When anyone can generate a thousand words of soulless text in an instant, what stands out is your ability to infuse humanity into every word you write.

What stands out is your ability to infuse humanity into every word you write.

That’s why marketing yourself as a human-first freelance writer is more important than ever.

Let’s explore how you can do this.

Understanding the Human-First Advantage

If you told someone they needed to be a human-first writer a decade ago, they would have looked at you like you grew a second head.

Of course, they didn’t have computers that could write an article faster than you can pour your warm-up cup of coffee back then.

But what does being a human-first writer look like in practice?

It isn’t about doing things “the old-fashioned way” or turning your nose up all digital tools. Think of it instead as writing with a heartbeat.

Though a bit of AI-written prose might be technically sound, readers can pick up on artificial language in an instant. Putting a finger on what, exactly, is wrong can be tricky. But ask almost anyone, and they’ll tell you that AI writing is just different.

This distinction comes partially from the way humans and computers understand language.

You and I know the meaning of each word we write. We know how to use words in sentences (thanks, spelling bee) and the nuances behind their usage.

AI writing tools classify words into different categories and choose the ones that are “right” in a given sentence.

This is why you’ll often encounter AI copy with odd repetitions or awkward words for the surrounding context.

Moreover, human writers have a talent for adapting. We can tell the same story a hundred different ways. Simply changing the tense or speaking to the audience directly can give you a vastly different end result.

We rely on our shared knowledge of language to avoid repetition. Using pronouns, shortcut organization, and inference of background knowledge makes our writing less “wordy.”

AI writing tools lack this contextual understanding. To make up for their blindspots, these tools rely on vocabulary alone.

If you’ve ever read a piece of AI copy that seems to get worse the longer it goes, this is why.

Unsurprisingly, algorithms don’t know how to write (well) for people. Because, well, only people know how to write for people.

Positioning Yourself as a Human-First Writer

If you want to stand out in a world that’s quickly filling up with automated content (aka, ours), your personal brand must scream, “A human made this.”

Telling clients your writing is different than AI isn’t enough. You need to show why your heart-infused words are more valuable than copy churned out by the byte.

Remember, a human-first writer is more valuable than any large-language model (LLM).

The data speaks for itself.

Just look at this study from Search Engine Journal, which found that human-written ads got 45.4% more impressions and 60% more clicks than AI-written ads.

But you still need to show why YOU are a better choice than AI.

Start by…

1. Defining Your Unique Value

Think about what truly sets you apart. Is it your knack for weaving humor into dry, complex B2B content? Do you turn basic product reviews into must-read narratives?

Pin down the skills and qualities that make you, well, you—the ones AI can’t duplicate.

In the business world, this is your unique selling point (USP).

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a USP as “a feature or characteristic of a product or service that distinguishes it from others of a similar nature and makes it more appealing.”

Today’s clients have their pick of some 123 million writers. Why should they choose you?

Better yet, why should they choose you over clicking a button and instantly having content on their screen?

2. Develop a Personal Mission Statement

After establishing your USP as a writer, you need to convey it to potential clients. Enter: your mission statement.

You’re probably thinking, “Aren’t mission statements just for big companies?”

Wrong.

A short, memorable statement encapsulating what you bring to the table as a human-first writer leaves a strong impression.

In your statement, showcase what makes you different and how you’ll bring value as a writer. In company speak, value = opportunity.

When you demonstrate how you create more engaging content that connects with people, and how the client benefits, your chances of success skyrocket.

3. Showcase Your Skills in a Portfolio

This is where you put your money where your mouth is. After all, if you don’t, why should anyone else?

AI can turn out generic writing samples all day long. You’ll never be able to compete with its speed or quantity. It’s a simple fact.

But AI can’t pull off the kind of deeply personal, audience-specific work that you can.

So why would you show potential clients anything else?

Your portfolio should highlight pieces where you’ve injected personality, emotion, or nuanced insight into your prose. Showcase content that’s clearly written by a person who gets people.

This isn’t easy to do. So if you haven’t already started honing your human-first writing skills, the time to do so was yesterday.

4. Network Authentically

Here’s another thing AI can’t do: build genuine connections.

Your goal as a freelance writer isn’t just to collect contacts who task you with articles to write. That would make you… well, just like an AI.

When you engage with others, both online and in person, focus on making authentic connections. Show your passion for learning about their work and goals (and don’t be afraid to talk about yours, too!).

Listen more than you talk.

That’s a tough pill for many people to swallow, especially those who are chronically online. But it’s key to the type of genuine networking you must do to stand out in today’s crowded market.

Beyond this, don’t treat every interaction as a potential job lead. You’re better than a dog salivating at the sight of a bone. You know that patience and relationships are key to long-term success.

Approach networking as a way to build relationships rooted in mutual respect. When you do so, people remember it.

I’ve made tens of thousands of dollars from people I had never met or spoken with—all because they were referred to me by someone in my network. I’ve built my brand (and my career) on these relationships.

There was never any promise of financial return. I simply believed in what my connections were doing, made an effort to support them, and enjoyed the ride. Later, when they needed a writer, I had a meaningful connection that no AI could replicate.

Building relationships = building your long-term success.

5. Emphasize Collaboration Over Automation

Working with an AI writer is highly transactional. You input a prompt. It spits out a paragraph. You input a prompt. It spits out a paragraph.

Rinse and repeat until you’ve got an article.

Yawn.

Clients can get this at the click of a button. To stand out, you must position yourself as a collaborative partner, not just a word machine.

A key strength of human-first writers is their ability to collaborate, adapt, and offer a fresh perspective. As you advance in your career as a freelance writer, you’ll gain a ton of helpful tricks and strategies. Chances are, your client doesn’t know about them.

And if they don’t know something, they can’t ask an AI to use it.

A human-first writer offers suggestions, perspective, and clever insights that add value to the final product and bring early visions to life.

When creating your website or talking with potential clients, make it clear that you don’t just deliver content—you are a dedicated partner.

Stand Out. Show Up. Write With Heart.

Before we wrap up, I want to tell you a secret:

As AI transforms everything we know about writing, the key to thriving as a freelance writer isn’t about resisting technology.

It’s about embracing what makes you beautifully, irreplaceably human.

Being a human-first writer isn’t the easiest path. Nor is it the most fun. But with AI in every headline and dominating discussions in the boardroom, you have an unmistakable edge.

You’re human.

You write with creativity, empathy, and genuine emotion. You understand what makes people want to read your writing. Because you’re “people” too.

Writing isn’t just your career. This lovely thing we do is a craft to shape, a story to tell, and a legacy to build.

So lean into what makes you human, and remember that while anyone (or anything) can generate words, only you can create writing that truly resonates.

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