5 Steps to Become a Contributor to Forbes, TechCrunch, and More

To become a contributor to Forbes, TechCrunch, and similar outlets, the article's Josh Stiemsle path starts with a tight niche, then a fitting publication, editor-ready drafts, and a visible body of work.

• Why it matters: CMI figures in the piece say 55% of B2B marketers lack enough content and 47% lack engaging content.
• How it works: pick one dragon to slay daily, then match that niche to a publication's focus.
• Reality check: editors need clean, compelling copy they can publish without heavy repair.
• Case in point: Stiemsle already had about 900 blog posts before a Forbes editor intro.
• The bottom line: baby-step the first byline; treat outlet intake rules as changeable after this article's era.

Content creation and publication is not simply an issue in B2B businesses, but B2C as well. B2B marketers cite their major challenges to be creating enough content (55%) and engaging content (47%) in the top three problems they face, according to Content Marketing Institute. Engaging content requires marketers to have their content in front of the right audience. Even if you have built your own audience, being published on well-recognized publications in your industry will grow your business and provide another channel to getting your unique voice heard. Focus on your mission and then get your content on the platform that will best serve your purposes. Publishers are looking for new ideas that are easy for their audiences to grasp and apply. Help publications serve up original, authoritative or even trail blazing content. You will find that your initial efforts will pay off in dividends.

How Do You Get Started?

Ever watch the movie, What About Bob? I’m obviously dating myself but in this comedy, Dr. Leo Marvin gets saddled with a new patient, Bob Wiley. Dr. Marvin recommends that Bob take “baby steps” to get him started on moving forward and breaking free from his anxieties. A significant hurdle for writers and marketers is getting that first piece out there. What are the baby steps to get established on one of the big boy platforms?

Step 1:  Pick Your Niche

Become an expert at one thing and focus on it. A Forbes editor told Stiemle,

“Successful contributors at Forbes choose a dragon to slay, and then they go and slay that dragon every day.”

You can’t write about everything under the sun. People need to know what they are getting. Get tight on your niche.

Step 2: Focus on a Publication

Find a publication that fits your niche. Publications have different focuses. Entrepreneur focuses on start-ups and entrepreneurship in the US. TechCrunch offers breaking news about new startups. Forbes has international appeal with different sections. Select the editor of the section of your chosen publication.

Step 3: Think Like an Editor

The editor is the one to make the decision to choose you as a contributor. They have little time and lots of work to do so you must show the editor that you understand their needs and can help them do their job. Make sure that your writing is:

• Correct and error-free; and
• Compelling, engaging and appropriate as to the responsibilities and area that the editor manages.

Don’t be difficult and don’t allow your writing to be plagued with typos. Be original and creative. Remember, editors need to satisfy the interests of their subscribers but they don’t need the extra headache of editing and revising your work. Serve up your content on a silver platter, ready to publish. Make it easy for editors to work with you.

Step 4: Start Writing

Have a body of work that you can show a prospective editor. You don’t need a large following. Editors need to see that you can create quality content on a regular basis. When Stiemle was introduced to the editor at Forbes, he already had 900 blog posts on his blog. This amount of content was generated over 10 years. Get started on creating your content. Editors can look over the body of work and see if you can write content that could prove engaging on their publication.

Lots of people worry about creating something groundbreaking every single time they put pen to paper (or, you know, fingers to keyboard). Honestly, sometimes what really matters is whether you’re consistent—whether you’re willing to keep showing up with work that’s honest and well-crafted. If you keep waiting on the “perfect” idea before publishing anything, you’ll probably keep waiting. Editors can tell when someone’s gotten comfortable actually finishing things, even if a few early pieces weren’t exactly masterpieces. It all adds up, and those attempts have a way of making you look, well, trustworthy.

Write about what you know. Put yourself into the content and make the writing personal. [Tweet it] No one else has your same experiences and perspective. Stiemle wants contributors to focus on their unique offering. Think about it this way:

“Here’s something that I found interesting, and here’s why it’s interesting to me. Here’s what I’ve experienced. Here’s my story; here’s how I see this topic.”

Sharing something of yourself doesn’t have to turn every post into a memoir, but those small touches—an opinion, a recent mistake, the odd nitpicky observation—can be way more interesting than the most clinical how-to guide. Readers pick up on the difference, probably quicker than you think. It makes you memorable (for the right reasons), and it’s what keeps people coming back or, better yet, passing your story along to someone else. If you want an audience, you’ve got to give people a reason to want you, not just your information.

Give this story to your audience—your take on your specialty. This is what you and only you can do. Stiemle gives a nice handful of resources to hone your writing skills, to get your content out there and to syndicate it on the webinar.

Step 5: Match the Style of the Publication

If you want to be on Forbes, Inc., or Mashable, write content on your blog that matches their style. Editors will review your blog and see that your voice is a match for their publication and their audience. A quick trick is to quote journalists that work for your targeted publication in your blog post. See how easy it is to get noticed and shared when you apply what Steimle’s advises on creating connections with journalists and their following via Twitter.com/webinar-archive/how-to-become-forbes-mashable-techcrunch-contributor/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">5 Steps to Become a Contributor to Forbes, TechCrunch, and More.

Get the inside scoop on how to pitch those editors and more from the takeaways of Steimle’s session at the 2016 Content Marketing Conference.

6-Star writer Lisa D is a reader, a thinker and a writer valuing a well-conceived and constructed viewpoint. She has a BA in English literature, receiving an award in Humanities within the Northeast Coast of Colleges during her graduating year. She has written specialized content in areas that include education, health, medical, non-profit, fashion, real estate, business, web development, agriculture, consumer goods and travel. Open your free account today.