How I Used Ghostwriting To Raise Nearly $1 Million in 24 Months (Not for me, but for others)
Box Cutter Co. Free Issue No. 70
In less than 24 months, I’ve helped raise almost $1 million — mainly through writing (largely through Ghostwriting).
No, this isn’t some clickbait story of raising venture capital for some new startup. Or, some bullshit ‘get rich quick’ scheme.
One of the most rewarding components is that the majority was for non-profit organizations. Better yet, non-profit organizations that I believe strongly in their work.
Writing — especially Ghostwriting — can be an awesome tool and instigator to support the work and mission of others. It's also a powerful tool for forging ahead on one’s own paths, work and purpose.
It’s the best of both worlds. And it’s by design.👇
Building Intentionally—Living On Purpose
About three years ago, as I was in the early months of a new role in the public sector when I came across a book at the local library.
Company of One: Why Staying Small is the Next Big Thing in Business
-By Canadian entrepreneur Paul Jarvis.
Profiled below with two handy office assistants👇
Jarvis’ book was published in 2018.
He shares his experiences and strategies for building a business with intention—choosing clients, projects, and paths aligned with his values.
The key, he advocates, is creating a small, sustainable business that supports the life you want to live, not the other way around — that is … the sort of life dominated or dictated by the demands of a business (or career).
For me, my goal was finding ways to build businesses from scratch —with little to no capital requirements, and where my joy and love of writing were at the core.
Ghostwriting is a huge part of doing exactly that.
I didn’t build my business to grow endlessly or to chase after higher and higher revenues. I’m building it so that I have more freedom and flexibility—freedom to choose my clients, freedom to decide what I write, and flexibility to pursue my own projects.
Such as writing stuff that I want to write, not constantly trying to fit writing pieces into some invisible audience’s expectation.
I’m not sure I could have mapped out — two-and-a-half years ago — something any better than what has been built.
Instead of focusing on a ‘thing’ like numbers, revenue projections, or external metrics — I have focussed on principles, purpose, passion and soul.
This approach is what drives me to be picky about the work I take on.
I choose clients whose missions resonate with me. Clients whose work I believe in. By ghostwriting for them, I support their causes while also building a foundation that lets me write for myself.
Ghostwriting (An Engine In My Soulpreneur Ventures)
Ghostwriting has done a lot to help pay the bills—for example, it powers my ability to write creatively and to share ideas that matter to me.
That balance is intentional.
All of this started with writing and posting, writing and posting, writing and posting. Not ‘relentlessly’ — but steady.
Through doing this, I was also learning and unlearning, learning and unlearning…
A current client initially reached out on LinkedIn about two years ago or so. They were looking for someone to assist build the profile of the non-profit organization they founded and managed.
What started as a small project at around $1k per month has grown and grown. At the same time, I’ve been able to assist that organization to grow—including assisting with securing about $700k in funding in the past 12-15 months.
At this point, it’s a mutually beneficial relationship.
This is part of what Jarvis promotes in his book — build a business that doesn’t require endless scaling or constant hustle, but one that sustains your life and your creative energy.
Writing Aligned with My Values
Not all writing, especially Ghostwriting, is created equal (Box Cutter says… stating the obvious).
Some Ghostwriters take on any client, any project, just to keep the lights on. And, I can appreciate why that may be the case — especially for those who may be earlier in career paths or building a business.
But, that’s not how I have chosen to operate. I’m deliberate about who I work with and why.
For example, early on (about 20 months ago), I was in an online digital writing course. A cohort colleague reached out to ask if I was interested in submitting a proposal to do some Ghostwriting for their tech startup (based in the US).
We had a digital meet-up. I asked some questions about goals, purpose, hopes for a social media and communications strategy.
I was excited by the prospect of landing another client.
At the time, I’d just reached the goal of securing at least $5k per month in revenues, within six months of leaving a six-figure corporate public sector salary.
However, I left the online meeting with a strong intuitive sense that this was not someone I wanted to work with or an organization I wanted to be engaged in. It felt like a lot of hustle hype, ideas for clickbaity writing, and a potential fly-by-night operation.
I still submitted a proposal. I saw it as a potential learning experience. And knew, I could always say “No.”
This operation came back with some counter-components, which confirmed my concerns.
I said “No, thank you” and pulled out.
Funnily enough, just this week, in an online community that I currently participate in (focused on Ghostwriting) someone was asking about frameworks for preparing Ghostwriting proposals for a prospective client. Mainly social media posts and marketing.
I went back over that old proposal and shared some of what I had proposed for the startup venture. For example:
x# of LinkedIn posts per week/month for $ x
x# of X posts per week for $ x
x# of newsletters per year, etc.
Then I got curious “What happened to that startup I had submitted the proposal to?”
A search online only showed old stuff — nothing new. It looks like that initiative was a crash-and-burn.
Intuition can be an awesome companion.
Who Do I Write For?
Over the past 18 months or so, my core clients have largely been non-profit organizations — and specifically organizations I believe in.
Added to that, last year, I was able to assist a business in securing over $100,000 in grant funding (post-COVID support). We leveraged that to build some online educational materials and a sustainable online learning platform so that they could diversify their income streams.
I’ve also started to work with — and getting inquiries — from fellow academics and educators. (I teach online Communications courses for a university based in western Canada). I have an intro meeting with an academic colleague this week to explore some Ghostwriting projects.
Why do I ghostwrite for specific non-profits, educators, and some businesses?
Because I believe in the work they’re doing.
I’ve helped businesses build educational materials and an online learning platform — supported by social media posts (e.g., LinkedIn) and newsletters to a subscriber email list.
I do similar for non-profits. Some might suggest that grant and proposal writing isn’t “Ghostwriting” per se — and maybe they’re right. However, grant and proposal writing is all about the art of persuasion — making a good case.
A great way to make a good case is to have an active and engaged social media presence and communications plan — including newsletters, ‘thought leadership’ pieces, and other marketing.
In two years, I’ve written for non-profits and helped them secure close to $1 million. This work includes diversified writing initiatives that include grant and proposal writing, alongside securing partnerships and keeping active social media and communications campaigns.
I’m also working on some educational projects building materials and strategies for delivery.
When I write for organizations (or individuals), I’m not just creating ‘content’—I’m helping them fulfill their missions, market their work, and build things that have meaning for them.
In return, writing, Ghostwriting, and thinking through strategy, gives me more freedom to write about things I care about and want to be writing about.
The things I learn from posting my writing and building small revenue generators like Box Cutter Co., Medium, and Humanity Academy — assist me in better-serving clients.
The same is true in the other direction too. Things I try with clients and then analyze — I can use to improve things in my creative pursuits.
All of this becomes a living portfolio for prospective clients to see what, how, and why I write.
Why Ghostwriting Doesn’t Have to be About Chasing Growth
From the outset, my goal was intentional business-building—one that doesn’t just serve a bank account, but also the soul. A business that can support the family — financially and flexibly.
In the traditional business model, growth is the ultimate goal. You grow or you fail. You scale or you stagnate.
As I’ve built a writing business from scratch, it isn’t about scaling endlessly. It’s about balance — and not in some static, stagnant sense. In an ever-moving dynamic equilibrium kind of way.
For example, I’ve just spent this weekend helping coach our youngest teen’s volleyball team. This is my second season of doing this. We practice 3x per week and have a tournament every weekend. I would not have this flexibility and time in previous career roles.
My writing and Ghostwriting business follows this path.
By working with clients who align with my values, I get to fuel my creativity while maintaining financial security.
I don’t have to choose between writing for others and writing for myself. They feed into each other. It’s a Both/And relationship.
The money I earn from Ghostwriting gives me the freedom to write about the topics I care about without worrying about where the next paycheque is coming from.
And when I work with clients whose missions matter, it doesn’t feel like I’m just working for a salary—it feels like I’m contributing to something larger.
Freedom, Purpose, and Choice
Ghostwriting is more than simply words written for others — for me, it’s about the life I’ve crafted — and am crafting — around it.
Some people, like me, enjoy writing (and all that comes with it). Others… would prefer to hire me to assist them with that.
In less than two years, I’ve raised nearly $1 million for non-profits and businesses. But equally important, I’ve built a business that gives me the freedom to write for myself. To follow my own path. To share insights I care about.
This balance didn’t happen by chance — it’s something I’ve pursued purposefully. A business that works for me, rather than the other way around.
Reflect and Connect
Are you building your own writing business?
Or maybe you’re experimenting with smaller creative projects like writing on Medium or building a Substack?
If so, or before you take on your next client or project, consider asking yourself:
Whose mission am I aligning with?
Does my work support the life I want to live?
What does success look and feel like beyond the numbers?
If you’re looking for support—whether through Ghostwriting, consulting, or ‘coaching’—reach out.
Have a question, please drop it in the comments. These will assist in drafting future issues.
Also, consider subscribing to Box Cutter Co. for more insights on building a writing business focused on purpose, meaning, and values.
And for those who want to dive deeper, consider becoming a paying subscriber for access to a new series of “Behind-the-Scenes” content starting this week.
This is noble course journey that you have. I love the fact that you're deliberate in your actions to maintain your main purpose of doing what you're doing.