This week, we were joined by senior Forbes contributor and Founder of Coachvox, Jodie Cook, to learn how we can improve our pitching to Forbes.
Top Takeaways from Jodie
1. “Ask audacious questions and then stay quiet until they answer.”
On the day of our recording, Jodie was appearing as an extra in a film. Her career highlights, from landing a Forbes column to things like this, began with a bold ask and a confident pause.
2. Know the difference: Contributor vs Council.
- Contributors are typically invited and receive payment per view. They have a minimum number of articles per month. You can’t pay to become a contributor, but you can get on the radar of editors who commission columns.
- Councils are pay-to-publish membership programmes.
This is a pay-to-play opportunity; you apply and pay a set fee, after which you can write as often as you like.
3.Build relationships with the writers of your beat.
Jodie sources her own ideas. Only a few pieces come from cold pitches. You’ll have more success by building relationships first, commenting, engaging, and being memorable for the right reasons.
4. Make it about them, not you.
Find the contributor’s “swim lane” (their beat). Research their recent stories, spot the gap, and pitch ideas that serve their audience and earn them views.
5. Do your homework.
Explore Forbes’ left-hand menu — think Entrepreneurs → Small Business → Leadership.
Make a six-person “dream contributor” list and follow them on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
6. What a good pitch looks like:
