The #1 Reason Most Ghostwriters Don't Make Money
This stat will shock you
Want to know why most ghostwriters struggle to make money?
It’s not their writing.
It’s not their pitch.
It’s not even their portfolio.
Ghostwriters fail to make $$$ because they don’t follow up.
Here’s a stat that might shock you:
Only 10% of clients say yes immediately. The other 90%? They need to be reminded again and again and again.
But most writers do this:
They pitch once.
They ask for an intro once.
They send one follow-up email.
Then… nothing.
And then they start making up stories:
"I don’t want to be annoying."
"I don’t want to seem pushy."
"They probably hate me."
"They’re clearly not interested."
Here’s the truth: None of these stories are real.
They’re just excuses that keep you from making money.
Why Successful People NEED Multiple Follow-Ups
Put yourself in my shoes for a second:
I run a large ghostwriting training program with 30 full-time employees. On any given day, I’m getting blown up with Slack notifications, checking in on my wife, taking the dog out, managing team meetings, and handling client work.
And in my inbox?
I have pitches from people I might actually want to work with. But I don’t respond immediately—not because I’m not interested, but because I have too much going on.
I need to be reminded.
Over and over again.
Most people do.
All The Money Is In The Follow-Up
Our agency grew to millions in revenue because we relentlessly followed up:
For 12 months straight
Once every 3 days (sometimes once a week)
And this is what nobody does.
While most ghostwriters sit around waiting for clients, the best ones take control of the relationship.
How To Follow Up (Without Being Annoying)
Want to know what good follow-up looks like?
Steal these:
"Hey, I’m sure you’ve been busy. Just wanted to bump this up in your inbox."
"By the way, I just saw you put out this amazing piece of content. Would love to turn that into a LinkedIn carousel for you. Let me know if I can help!"
"I know the holidays are busy. Just wanted to follow up and see if you'd like to discuss ghostwriting."
See the pattern?
Short, polite, and valuable.
When Should You Stop Following Up?
My rule?
Follow up until they call the cops.
Literally.
Keep following up until someone explicitly says:
"I have made the definitive decision that I am never going to work with you. If you email me again, I’m blocking your email and calling the authorities."
Until they say that? It’s fair game.
About 3% of people might eventually say: "No, I don’t want to work with you. Stop emailing me." And that’s fine.
Because the other 97%?
That’s where all the money is.
Here’s Your Million-Dollar Follow-Up Framework
Never assume your potential client is not interested.
Never make up stories about why they haven’t responded.
Never take silence personally.
Keep following up until they explicitly say no.
Provide value in each follow-up.
Not once a month. Not when you like it. But every few days, for up to a year.
Most of the clients that helped our agency generate millions?
They didn’t come from a first pitch.
They came from months of consistent follow-up.
Your Next Steps
This wraps up our 5-day series on becoming a LinkedIn ghostwriter.
Now you have everything you need to get started:
A bio that attracts clients
A case study that proves your worth
A list of leaks and faucets in your network
A strategy for pitching in public
And now, a follow-up system that turns opportunities into clients
So the only question left is:
Are you going to take action?
Reminder: The LinkedIn Ghostwriter’s “Client Getter” Prompt Library disappears tonight at midnight EST.
Chat soon,
—Dickie & Cole
Co-Founders of Ship 30 For 30
Co-Founders of Premium Ghostwriting Academy
Co-Founders of Typeshare
Co-Founders of Write With AI
P.S. How did you like this week’s emails on LinkedIn Ghostwriting?
I’m experimenting with week-long email series that go a little more in-depth on a single topic.
Are there any questions you have about LinkedIn Ghostwriting that you wish I’d covered? Are there other topics about Digital Writing, Writing With AI, or Ghostwriting you’d love for me to talk about?
If you could take 30 seconds to fill out this three-question survey, it’ll help shape what content you see in the coming weeks. I’d love to write about whatever will help you accomplish your goals.
This was amazing. Only regret?
Not checking my emails soon enough.
Now I missed the “Client Getter” Prompt Library.
I'm going to die a sad man 😓