This article was edited by Sharan Phillora and Chima Mmeje.
One week, I was juggling deadlines for three clients, and the next, my inbox was silent. The only message I got was from a former client who said, “We’re experimenting with AI for content.”
At first, I brushed it off as a slow period. But when the briefs stopped coming altogether, I realized the momentum I’d spent over six years building was slipping away.
I tried everything to stay afloat. I lowered my rates, refreshed my portfolio, and contacted old contacts, but nothing seemed to work.
AI tool was replacing me, and it was scary!
I was being replaced by AI, and it sucked
Before AI entered the picture, I barely had to chase work. I had retainers, steady projects, and a pipeline of B2B brands needing blogs, ebooks, and SEO content. Life was good.
Then things slowed down in 2023. At first, it seemed minor—a regular client casually mentioning they were “trying out AI content.”
But soon, invoices started coming in late. The usual monthly briefs disappeared, and within weeks, I went from a packed schedule to nervously checking my inbox for new leads.
The real panic hit when a dependable client paused their retainer indefinitely. Instead of pivoting, I continued using the same pitch, services, and pricing.
I didn’t reassess what the market needed or what I could deliver.
Here are a few mistakes I made:
I waited for things to return to normal
When clients paused projects to experiment with AI, I kept my head down and hoped good writing would speak for itself.
However, while I waited, other freelancers had already begun adapting. They were testing prompts, offering AI-assisted services, and openly helping clients integrate these tools into their workflow.
I didn’t realize fast enough that clients’ needs had changed. They didn’t just want a writer; they wanted someone who understood how to work with AI without sacrificing quality.
I lowered my rates to stay in the game
I tried to stay competitive by lowering my rates. One client offered $100 for a 1,500-word article, complete with SEO, internal links, and two rounds of revisions due within 48 hours.
Another paid me $50 to clean up an AI draft, but the edits took just as long as writing from scratch. I said yes because I needed the work. But after hours of effort, I was barely breaking even, and creatively, I was burnt out.
I let my brand stay small
While I was still calling myself a freelance writer, my day-to-day life had changed. I edited AI drafts for tone, created content briefs in Frase, and advised startups on integrating AI without losing their brand voice.
Yet, my website and LinkedIn said “I write blog posts.” When clients needed someone to guide their content ops or build AI strategies, they didn’t think of me because I didn’t advertise my expertise.
I tried to figure it out alone
When things got hard, I pulled back. I stopped posting, and I didn’t ask for help. I tried to figure it out alone, and that silence slowed my growth more than AI ever could.
None of my mistakes were fatal, but they were avoidable.
One small change turned things around
After months of reacting, I figured out the solution. I stopped pitching deliverables and started selling outcomes.
Here’s what I mean.
Most clients weren’t looking for someone to simply “write content”; they wanted to use AI without compromising their brand voice. Some didn’t have a clear process, and others were drowning in drafts that felt flat and robotic.
That’s where I came in.
- I offered audits
- Created editorial workflows
- Optimized AI content
- And built SEO roadmaps that felt human
The more I focused on solving those problems, the more the work returned.
I also began using AI to support my work, first with ChatGPT, then Copy AI, and slowly tinkering with other AI workflows.
Initially, some clients didn’t understand. A few even asked, “Why do we need a writer if you’re using AI?”
So, I pulled up an AI-generated draft and walked them through my changes: where the voice fell flat, the customer story lost its emotional weight, and the CTA didn’t land.
One client looked at the final version and said, “This actually sounds like us.”
That was the moment it clicked for me. AI can fill a page with content, but it doesn’t know what matters, and that’s my edge
I reconnected with other freelancers in Slack groups and on LinkedIn to share what I was working on.
In one Slack group, I offered feedback on a community member’s AI-edited draft. A week later, they referred me to a client who needed help managing a content calendar.
Then, a founder sent a DM after seeing a short post about the services I’m providing. They needed briefs, so we booked a call. One lead turned into two, then more.
None of it happened overnight. But little by little, momentum returned.
These are the tools in my AI content toolkit
I used to write everything from scratch. Now I work with an AI system that helps me move faster without losing quality, voice, or strategy.
Content and ideation
- ChatGPT helps me brainstorm angles, build outlines, and overcome writer’s block. I also use it to test structure and direction before I start writing.
- Perplexity is my go-to research assistant. It surfaces reliable sources, summarizes content, and helps me quickly dig deeper into unfamiliar topics.
- Copy.ai is an excellent tool for generating marketing copy. I rely on it for variations in email, product messaging, and quick drafts that require brand voice.
- The Relay app is great for automating repetitive tasks across tools. I use it to streamline briefs, send client updates, and link workflows between Notion and Slack.
- Notion AI works directly in my project dashboard. I use it to summarize notes, create briefs, and organize content ideas in one place.
- Frase helps me build outlines and optimize articles during final revisions.
Editing and refinement
- Grammarly cleans up tone and polish. I use it to improve client drafts, especially those initially generated with AI tools.
- Hemingway helps with clarity. If something feels stiff or bloated, it shows me how to simplify it.
Workflow and delivery
- Trello helps me manage content projects with visualizations that’s easy for clients to understand.
- I use Loom to explain strategy or revisions asynchronously, reducing the need for calls.
Concluding thoughts: You can adopt AI in your workflow without letting it lead
My freelance career didn’t end with AI. But it did force me to pause, pivot, and rebuild.
I kept doing the same thing for too long, even though everything around me had changed. Work only returned when I stopped resisting AI and started offering my clients guidance on AI adoption and human thinking.
Use the tools. Learn where they help and then focus on the parts only you can do.
Communities to explore:
Kesar Rana
Kesar Rana has been a content strategist and writer for SaaS and tech brands for the last five years. She’s a science graduate with a coding background. She started her career as a writer intern for a local magazine. As a content writer and strategist, she had the opportunity to work with a wide range of startups and marketing agencies worldwide. Aside from her experience in content and marketing, she also has UX and data analytics expertise that has helped her create content that converts.
