When to Use a Human Editor vs AI for Editing Writing

…And What It Does For Your Ability To Charge More

written by Sarah Check & AI Sarah

TL;DR | Choosing between AI and human editing depends on your goals and budget. Opt for professional copyediting when working with high-stakes sales copy and types of copy you’re new to writing. Use AI tools for fast, cost-effective suggestions. Skip hiring an editor if you can’t afford it, submit AI-generated copy, or struggle with deadlines. Copyediting, whether by AI or humans, sharpens your copy and boosts confidence—helping you charge more and deliver better results. For quick editing help, my AI for editing writing, Calla, give you free, customized feedback.

If you’re a copywriter and a perfectionist, editing probably feels like second nature. 

Why use ai for editing writing when you’re so good at it? Or delegate it to a human editor? Especially when it can be so fun!

I’m right there with you.

In the beginning, I couldn’t understand why anyone would pay for something I enjoyed doing myself.

I had Grammarly and a detail-oriented eye. I was convinced that professional editing was an unnecessary luxury. For people who weren’t as perfectionistic a *me*.

My humble pie got Door Dashed to my step soon enough.

The first piece of copy I got professionally edited was back in 2020 – a guest blog submission to Sarah Turner’s (Write Your Way To Freedom) blog. The lovely Carley DenBoer handled my work.

I didn’t know what to expect. Maybe I’d get an A+ and no recommendations. Or maybe she would tear it up.

Turns out, the feedback didn’t change things as much as it made the work fresher. And I didn’t ever feel judged. Better copy AND an esteem boost.

Now, I’m converted. You need a second set of eyes for your work. Preferably a human, but AI works too.

• Obviously, you need the proofreading stuff cleaned up.

• But you also need someone who’s got a 10,000 view of the funnel & CTA.

• And if you need ideas to fix flow/voice/whatever problems, what’s Grammarly gonna do? Not give you the suggestions you need.

In this blog, I’m covering stuff I wish I knew from the beginning – including when to hire a real copyeditor (and when not to).

I’m also sharing my recommended editing resources.

Plus, I made you a chatbot copyediting assistant. Her name is Calla, and her input is free, professional, and on-demand.

1. What I Didn’t Realize About Copyediting (And How It Effects Correctly Using AI For Editing Writing)

When I first started, I assumed that all editors did the same thing—clean up grammar, fix spelling errors, and maybe make a few suggestions for improvement. Looks like that’s not the case.

For example, proofreaders focus on the general cleanup. They’re the last line of defense, catching typos, punctuation errors, and minor grammatical issues. They make sure that your work is technically error-free before it’s published.

On the other hand, copyeditors are specialized. They don’t just correct mistakes – they make sure your writing is coherent, on track, and tailored for its place in the funnel.

They’ll cover the grade level of your writing and whether the copy aligns with the brand’s voice. Most importantly, they’re keeping the copy on track with the call-to-action assigned to it.

Crazy important, considering that’s why we copywriters get hired.

I also didn’t realize that different editors specialize in different types of writing.

A copywriting editor isn’t going to take on someone’s fiction manuscript. They handle persuasive writing that sells stuff, which is going to have different editing needs.

That’s why something feels off when you use grammar/editor tools for copywriting. Or ai for editing writing. It’s a nuanced skill set that doesn’t always roll over to other kinds of writing. You tend to need a more relaxed writing and grammar style, which lots of tools flag as too casual.

But clearly, those tools are still helpful.

So when do you hire a copyeditor, and when do you use the tools?

2. When to Invest in Professional Copyediting

Can it be expensive? Yes. It’s a premium service. But can it be the bridge between getting better clients, boosting your skills, and getting paid more.

Here’s when I’d recommend looking into copyediting services.

You’re Trying Out New Types of Copy

Imagine you’re writing a landing page for the first time. It’s a very lucrative kind of copywriting. But it’s a high-stakes project where wasting words is wasting attention.

A professional copyeditor’s handled plenty of them. They know what works. If anyone can help set up your landing page for success, it’s them.

That gives you the kind of confidence (and success!) to try out those higher-paying projects – even as a beginner.

Editing tools (like Hemingway) and AI for editing writing (like Grammarly’s AI tool) don’t know what they need to about your funnel and the target audience. These elements are significantly more important than the “quality” of your copy. Impressive copy that speaks to the wrong audience and at the wrong point in the funnel is bad copy.

A human copy editor knows what to look for — and what questions to ask to make sure you’re not aiming your copy in the wrong direction.

You’re Unsure About Your Work’s Quality

It can take a while to build your confidence when you’re flying solo as a freelancer. How do you know if your copy is hitting the mark?

A copyeditor’s expertise can really stand in the gap. They don’t just make changes. They provide rationales for why something works or doesn’t. It’s helpful for learning (when it’s constructive criticism) and helpful for an esteem boost (when it’s affirmative).

They draw from their experience with what has worked for other copywriters, so you’re not left feeling like you need to test everything yourself.

You Need Really Comprehensive Feedback

Copyeditors help keep you on track with your ultimate goal—conversions. Copy is just a piece of a funnel, not a stand-alone essay.

Unless you really know what you’re doing with the whole funnel, having AI for editing writing is super dicy. Copy’s effectiveness relies heavily on being able to step back and see the whole picture. Cobbling together a bunch of awesome copy does not create an effective funnel that gets people to buy.

You don’t want your copy to be the part of the funnel where leads drop off, so having it’s super helpful to have both the up-close and 10,000 foot perspective. Especially with direct response copy, like landing pages and sales emails.

You Want To Save Time

If you’re tired of hopping between a million different tools, a copyeditor can streamline your process. You get to focus on what you do best—writing. Copyeditors save a bunch of time you’d otherwise be re-reading your work.

Plus, AI for editing writing takes its own time. You have to set up prompts, decide on what you want to use or ignore, and apply the edits. A great copyeditor has the edit suggestions applicable by a single click or already done. That’s way less time for you!

You Want the Max Amount of Awesomeness in Your Copy

What can I say? The professionals make it more professional. It lets you charge more. You’re getting the value of your expertise AND theirs. Wins all around.

Now…full disclosure.

I’ve absolutely paid a copyeditor when, in hindsight, I should have skipped it.

Let’s talk about it.

3. When to Skip Professional (Human) Copyediting

Professional editing can be incredibly valuable, but here’s when I would skip it:

You Can’t Afford It

I had a season where I made this mistake. I felt too guilty giving it a break, but I let it pinch my budget until I had no margin at all. Which left me without a professional copyeditor even longer.

You’re Submitting AI-Generated Copy

By all means, use AI to help with your writing process. But if you’re just submitting a piece you coughed up with ChatGPT or Copy.ai, you’re essentially asking your editor to re-write your copy.

It’s lazy. And they can tell it’s AI. It’ll flag for so much plagiarism and struggle to fit in the overall funnel.

Giving copyeditors AI copy creates WAY more cleanup work for both you and them.

You’re Submitting Lazy Copy

If you’re hoping a copyeditor will magically fix subpar, rushed writing, maybe hire a junior copywriter to clean up your work. Or get better at copywriting.

Professional editors are there to refine and elevate your work, not to rescue poorly written copy. Deliver your best effort before expecting someone else to polish it.

You Struggle With Deadlines

I’ve also made this mistake in the beginning.

Copyediting requires planning. If you’re consistently running behind on deadlines, it’ll be tough to fit in time for an editor to review your work.

You need to plan ahead to write your copy in time to get it to the copyeditors (and back) before it’s due. Working on self-accountability in that case will be more helpful than hiring an editor.

Whether you’re at a place to hire a human copyeditor, or you need some free/cheap resources, I’ve got some recommendations after 5 years of writing.

4. My Recommended Copyediting Resources ($0 AI For Editing Writing to $$$ Human Editors)

As a copywriter, having the right tools at your disposal can restore a bunch of confidence. Here are some of the resources I’ve found incredibly helpful:

• Google Docs’ Spelling/Grammar Checker (⌘+alt+X): This tool is a great first line of defense. It pulls up each error with a suggested fix and allows you to click “Ignore” or “Accept,” then moves on to the next one. You can blast through corrections in a minute. While it’s pretty basic and sometimes misses things, it’s fast and integrated right into your workflow.

• Grammarly: A fast and free tool that works both as a website and a plugin. Grammarly is great for catching basic errors and making sure your writing is clean. It tends to lean a bit on the formal side, so you may want to tweak its suggestions to match the voice your copy needs.

• Hemingway: This desktop app is excellent for toning down overly complex or flowery writing. And if you’re new to copywriting, I promise, it’s too fancy. It highlights sentences that are hard to read and gives you a readability score, which is particularly helpful for copywriting, where we need to convert, not impress.

• Quetext: A subscription-based tool that checks for plagiarism and can detect an “AI” tone in your writing. It’s a user-friendly resource when you want your content to sound both original and authentically human. It’s over $15 month, but if you’re looking to explore free options, check out Adam Warner’s breakdown of plagiarism checkers.

• This Copyeditor Chatbot: My AI for editing writing is a ChatGPT “team member” that reviews my work and gives me a list of editing suggestions without altering the actual copy. It’s a super fast second pair of eyes, trained by an experienced copywriter. It’s especially helpful when I’m struggling to connect one section to another or I need a quick review. You can use it right now for free.

• The Editing Marketplace: These are real humans who specialize in copyediting. I’ve had great experiences with Carley’s team—they don’t just edit your work; they also provide copy coaching. It’s an investment, but you get a lot of value from the feedback and the learning experience that comes with it.

Copyediting Keeps Your Copy From Acting Like Content.

As long as it’s helping conversions, AI for editing writing and hiring human editor can both be great choices.

Beyond the technical improvements, one of the biggest benefits of working with a copyeditor is the confidence it gives you.

That boost – knowing your work has been sharpened by a pro – can give you the courage to charge more, try new kinds of copy, and ultimately step up your skill.

That’s why I trained Calla to help you out, for free.

She’s my copyeditor chatbot.

Calla is like having a second set of eyes on demand—she reviews your copy and gives you a list of editing suggestions without tampering with the actual piece (a common issue I’ve found with many AI tools).

If you’d like to have Calla in your corner, I’ll send her right to your inbox.