Freelancers vs. AI: Why Human Writing Still Wins – Write Your Story – November 13, 2024

AI this… AI that… 

Artificial intelligence has become such an exciting buzzword over the past few years that many people aren’t even sure what to think anymore. 

For freelance writers, the “headline” question is whether AI is going to steal all our jobs. 

Short answer: no. 

Long answer: AI is an extremely powerful tool with a huge range of applications. While LLMs can write plenty of words, human-written content will always reign supreme. 

Of course, not all content is created equal. By picking up a few key skills (shared below) and learning to adapt to this new world, freelance writers can give themselves plenty of job security. 

This week, I’m sharing some tactics I’ve personally used to attract high-paying clients and separate myself from the horde of AI writing tools out there. Hope you find them useful!

(P.S. Let me know what you liked about this edition and what you’d like to see more of in the future. I’m just one click of the “reply” button away. 😉)

Best, 

     🪶Cody DeBos


Freelance Bites

Google has dominated search for decades. But right now, AI is offering stiffer competition than ever. Here are some insights you should be aware of if you want to create high-ranking content in the forthcoming era of AI-powered search engines. 

  • Everything you should know about OpenAI’s new ChatGPT Search tool (WordStream).
  • Will AI search tools finally start taking away Google’s share of the market? How you should prepare to compete for rankings in this unprecedented new landscape (Content Marketing Institute).
  • ChatGPT isn’t the only game in town. Tech giants are going all-in on AI tools and billions of dollars are being raised by AI companies (Doug Neal of eLab Ventures – via LinkedIn). 
  • Of course AI search features aren’t perfect… a hilarious look at some AI search fails and illustration of why Google isn’t dead (yet) (Jeremiah Johnson via Twitter).

Letters From My Desk

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.

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.


Cody’s Top Picks

This is the part where I share some of the content I’ve been enjoying lately. Hope you enjoy!

  • 📖 Read “5 Choices: The Path to Extraordinary Productivity” by Kory Kogon, Adam Merrill, and Leena Rinne: If you’re feeling bogged down by a constant influx of emails and tasks, this is the book for you. The authors outline an incredibly useful framework for sorting through the busywork so you can be more productive and end each day fulfilled. I had this on my reading list for a while and am kicking myself for not starting sooner! 
  • 📺 Watch “Under the Thicket” by Caleb Worcester: This is a delightful little short film about a ghost going for a walk in the woods—but it’s so much more. The story is brief, but intensely haunting. I’ll leave the interpretation up to you, but this film is a great example of what I mean by infusing your work with emotion and personality.
  • 🎧 Listen to “Pagan Forge – an Epic Instrumental Folk Metal Playlist” curated by Antti Martikainen: I’m a metalhead and can be found listening to instrumental songs for hours while I work. I’m also a self-proclaimed fantasy nerd. This playlist hits all the right notes if you need something upbeat, energetic, and inspiring to listen to while you write. Fair warning, you might start daydreaming about riding into battle. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. 
  • 🧠 Remember (Quote): “If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.” – Martin Luther

Subscribe to the newsletter

(It's free!)

Keep Reading. Keep Growing.

Get More Awesome Resources!

Get freelance writing tools, insights and freebies in your inbox weekly. No spam, ever. 

© DeBos Ventures LLC // Ravenwood Writing Academy 2024