Is Freelance Writing Hard with ChatGPT?
ChatGPT and other content generators have taken the world by storm. Since they went mainstream in November 2023, it seems like Gen AI is the only thing anyone discusses online. This might cause you to wonder: is freelance writing hard with ChatGPT?
This discussion can become heated, with some insisting you should never use ChatGPT. I believe the conversation needs more nuance.
But here’s the thing: freelance writing with ChatGPT is a bad idea, assuming you use it for all your writing. I’ll explain what ChatGPT is suitable for and why you shouldn’t let it do all your writing. Then, I will discuss what you can do instead.
Understanding ChatGPT and Its Capabilities
ChatGPT is a generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) tool. When you ” talk” to ChatGPT and similar tools, you feel like talking to an actual human. That’s because ChatGPT can understand human language and respond how a human would.
It can even talk to you in different styles. The pirate-style response has become a meme, but it can also speak like Shakespeare or however you want.
ChatGPT’s abilities can be helpful when freelance writing. It can quickly generate content outlines or refine text you’ve already written.
For instance, you would tell ChatGPT, “Rewrite this to improve flow and readability,” then paste your text.
ChatGPT can even write short essays or whole sections of text. Pretty cool, right?
You can also use ChatGPT to do research. Search engines sometimes struggle to match your search query with relevant results. This can make it challenging to find the answer to your question. But ChatGPT understands human language and can answer your questions with all the knowledge of the internet.
The Advantages of Freelance Writing with ChatGPT
ChatGPT is an incredible tool with many advantages. One of my favorite ways to use it as a freelance writer is to generate content outlines and ideas.
Suppose I’m writing an article on “How to open a bank account,” and the client hasn’t given me an outline. I can tell ChatGPT, “Write an article outline on the topic, ‘How to open a bank account,'” and it’ll quickly give me an outline.
It can also give me a detailed list of steps to opening a bank account.
This addresses two of the main advantages of using ChatGPT as a freelancer. It can save a lot of time, and it can help you decide what to discuss when covering a topic.
This can make you much more efficient as a writer. Before using ChatGPT, I often got writer’s block because I didn’t know what to discuss related to a topic. As a result, I wasted a lot of time. But with Gen AI, that’s no longer an issue.
Limitations of Freelance Writing with ChatGPT
ChatGPT is an amazing tool with many advantages. However, it has limitations and downsides when used for freelance writing.
The biggest limitation: clients typically won’t accept it. It won’t help you get clients, either.
Many clients have a zero-tolerance policy regarding AI-generated content. They will likely stop sending you work if they suspect you are using it. They might even refuse to pay you for the work that appears AI-generated.
Beyond that, the quality of the writing isn’t there when using ChatGPT. Sure, the text will probably be passable to the average reader. But the overall quality is more like a B+ than an A+.
Why? Because AI-generated text is usually pretty bland. It often lacks nuance, and it probably isn’t going to match the client’s brand/tone of voice. Worse still, it can sometimes contain factual errors and make false claims.
You might have heard about this debacle of Google’s AI Overview. Funny enough, I’m using that same feature to summarize it:
These failures happen because Gen AI is just a technology and doesn’t have human intelligence or reasoning. This is why you should never take anything it says at face value.
Another problem is that AI-generated text usually lacks originality. It all relies on things people wrote in the past, so it makes sense that it isn’t original.
That might be okay when studying a topic, but clients often want a unique perspective. That is even more true as Google moves to prioritize first-person knowledge.
ChatGPT can be useful for creating outlines and developing ideas to discuss in a story. However, I wouldn’t use it to generate written content, especially for clients. This is a losing strategy and may cause you to lose business.
How Freelance Writers Can Effectively Use ChatGPT
To become a freelance writer today, you should know how to use ChatGPT. As I said, you should never use it to generate the entirety of your work. However, it can help you improve your writing process and be more effective.
For example, ChatGPT can help you start a story. As I said, I often use it to generate a content outline. However, I don’t usually use them as-is.
I may add or remove headings or change the wording on some. Still, it helps me get things going.
You can also use ChatGPT to generate an initial draft. But be careful doing this. You may need to make numerous changes for tone and check all facts. Ultimately, it might take more time, not less, depending on how many changes you must make.
You can also use ChatGPT for research. It can provide important points about a topic or background info. This can help you determine which points to cover in your article.
Although ChatGPT is useful, writers can sometimes fall into a trap that leads to over-reliance on these tools. Remember that the piece must be your own when writing for a client.
If your story is not original or seems AI-generated, it can damage your reputation. This may lead to losing clients. Always ensure the writing is your own, and try not to rely too much on AI.
Alternatives to Freelance Writing with ChatGPT
To avoid the trap of over-reliance on Gen AI, consider alternative options. The best way to avoid relying on it too much is to improve your writing process.
For instance, you can develop a structured outline for your content. This might include the intro, main points, and conclusion. You can also build content templates or use existing templates online and mold your outline around them. Then, define the purpose of the piece before starting, which can speed up the process and flow of your writing.
Practicing your writing also helps immensely. You create a repeatable method by refining your craft and developing a writing process.
In addition, having a specific content niche can help you refine things further. You become an expert in those areas by writing about one or two topics. This cuts down on research time and reduces the need to rely on ChatGPT.
Bottom Line
As a freelancer, you may find ChatGPT to be a helpful tool. However, you shouldn’t use it to generate the entirety of their work. You can use it to create content outlines, research topics, and even initial drafts. But you should create the final product yourself.
Over-reliance on ChatGPT can damage your reputation and lead to losing clients. To avoid this, develop a structured writing process, practice your writing, and choose a specific content niche.
