Why do I need a professional writer?

That’s kind of like asking “why do I need a professional surgeon?” when your appendix goes boiiing. One saves you from excruciating pain/probable death, the other from excruciating embarrassment/’most hilarious editing fails EVER’ lists. I understand words: I cuddle up to them on the daily (even words like ‘moist’), which means that I’ll do my very best to make you and your brand seem like genius communicators and storytellers.

Can I use ChatGPT for content writing?

Yes, you can. Should you, though? A tricky question, the answer to which all wordsmiths are carefully considering. (When we’re not gibbering in a corner about the future of content writing!)

My take on ChatGPT is that it can be a useful tool to put the basics of a content project in place and save time on certain simple tasks, as long as you’re aware that you’re not necessarily going to get fresh and groundbreaking work. It can help with research or a quick brainstorm for headline ideas, for example, or pull together a workmanlike piece of writing.

But ChatGPT cannot inspire, innovate, or read the room for nuance. It doesn’t understand what’s at the heart of your brand. It’s not human, and it cannot draw on the myriad experiences that make us human. It can parrot back at you, but will it bail you out of (metaphorical) jail when a message goes badly wrong? Nah. Also, one of these days it’s going to knock at your door and ask about John Connor and then you’ll be sorry.

ChatGPT (and generative AI generally) has certain intrinsic flaws, and there are ethical concerns regarding how it is used, which may or may not concern you depending on what you value. I’m not particularly keen on the generic content spiral it may cause, as Cameron Shackell describes in his piece for The Conversation, ‘Will AI kill our creativity?’

My most pressing concern, though? Your friendly local professional writer’s ability to afford food and Earl Grey tea in the future. We don’t live on air and ink, you know. Just call me ChatDeeDee and show me the money!

Who needs an editor anyway?

You do. Your boss does. And so do your interns, web developers, and the marketing guy who just signed off on dodgy billboard text. Even editors need editors. In fact, if there were any justice in the world, Oprah would be hiding editors under her audience’s chairs: “You get an editor! And you! Everybody gets an editor!”

I might be biased, but words matter - and so do the ways in which they’re put together. Editing is not ‘easy’. If language and communication is not your thing (and that’s fine - I’m not great at creating budget spreadsheets or sorting out plumbing), it pays to ask an expert writer to craft your message. Yes, there are many tools out there that help with spelling and grammar, and they’re a good place to start - but you can still get it wrong if you don’t have a gut feel for nuance and structuring a story. Ask an editor to help you find the right words, and the editor will ask you to come and renovate her bathroom instead of trying to do it herself. (Never again.)

How much do you charge for your content services?

Short answer? It depends. Different types of content services are charged in different ways. Writing an interview could be costed on the time it takes to do research, interview the person, transcribe the interview, and then actually write it. Feature writing or press releases could be costed per word, or at a flat fee. Content marketing services could be costed per hour, or a flat project fee. Editing gets costed per hour: but would be more expensive if it were intense structural editing (rejigging a story to make sense) rather than a quick final proofread. I prefer to have a conversation with potential clients first to suss out the scope of what they need, and then I quote accordingly. My rates are based on the Rachel’s List Pay Rates Report, which is a very good guide if you’re wondering what you should be paying your content writers.