5 AI tools that doubled my copywriting income and freed two workdays a week

5 AI tools that transformed my writing business (and freed two days a week)

I'm Jessica Camilleri-Shelton, a 35-year-old UK-based copy and content writer. Two and a half years ago I built AI into my workflow. In the last six months, I doubled my copywriting income, freed up two full workdays a week, and grew TikTok to 20,000 followers in eight weeks by planning and scripting with AI. The key is simple: each tool has a different strength-use the right one for the job.

1) ChatGPT: my personal assistant and momentum machine

I use ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) to plan my day, prioritize tasks, and cut procrastination. I ask it to build a realistic schedule with buffers, batch similar tasks, and flag anything to skip, delegate, or automate. It's also a great thinking partner for business strategy, trip planning, recipes, and even managing my investment portfolio.

My go-to starter prompt: "Act as my personal assistant and help me plan my day. Ask clarifying questions about tasks, priorities, meetings, and energy. Make a realistic schedule with buffer time and minimal context switching. Highlight what to skip, delegate, or automate. End with my top 3 must-dos and one tip to make the day easier."

For hard tasks, I ask it to break the work into tiny, sequential steps and only show me the next one each time I reply "done." If I'm stuck, I ask for a quick pep talk. This simple loop keeps me moving.

2) Claude: my creative writing partner for drafts that flow

I lean on Claude for writing that feels clean and human with less iteration. I switch between Pro ($17/month) and Max ($100/month) based on workload. It's been excellent for scripting social videos, generating high-grip hooks, and drafting my weekly newsletter.

My newsletter workflow: I send Claude the idea plus a few recent editions. I ask it to mirror my voice, structure the piece, and propose outlines. Then I have it prompt me for personal anecdotes to add texture. The end result is stronger than what I wrote solo three years ago-and much faster.

3) Perplexity: fast research with citations

Perplexity is the third piece of my stack. I use it to source current research for social posts, newsletters, and trend tracking in AI. If I have a newsletter topic, I ask for the most relevant studies and articles with accurate citations, then verify anything I publish.

4) Fathom: show up fully on client calls

I spend a lot of time on Zoom with clients. Fathom records video and audio, generates a transcript, and auto-summarizes action items into a to-do list. That lets me be present during the call instead of typing frantic notes, and it saves me from combing through transcripts later.

5) Canva: content production without the blank page

I pay $120/year for Canva Pro for quick image edits, magic resize, and background removal. I've connected ChatGPT with Canva so I can generate directionally correct concepts and open them right in Canva to refine. This kills the blank-canvas problem.

I also use Canva Sheets to plan content across platforms-captions, visuals, links, the lot-in one place. It's simple, visual, and fast.

Boundaries that keep AI useful

I avoid sharing sensitive or personal data. I don't use AI for mental health support in place of professional help. I fact-check key outputs and bring my own judgment, expertise, and taste. The tools draft and organize; I make the calls.

A quick start plan for writers

• Pick two outcomes for the next 30 days: for example, "publish a weekly newsletter" and "ship two client projects per week with less stress."
• Use ChatGPT each morning to plan a realistic schedule and run the "done → next step" loop for your hardest task.
• Draft with Claude: send samples of your voice, ask for 3 outlines, pick one, and layer in personal anecdotes.
• Research with Perplexity and save citations. Verify anything you quote.
• Record client calls with Fathom to capture decisions and action items without losing presence.
• Prototype visuals in Canva. Start with messy concepts, then refine fast with templates and magic resize.

If you want structured help

For a curated list of AI tools that serve copywriters and content creators, see this resource: AI Tools For Copywriting. Focus on one or two areas that will pay you back-large language models, image/video creation, automation, or agents. Getting good at a few skills can change your workload and your income.