To get featured in Forbes editorial coverage, pitch the editorial staff directly, as the Forbes contact page advises, using the email on a writer’s personal page or the writer’s social accounts. Forbes 30 Under 30 accepts public nominations at no cost, and the 50 Over 50 list begins each spring by asking the public for submissions. Forbes Councils is a separate, paid membership, so before you work out how to get featured in Forbes, decide which of these you want. A name as big as Forbes can seem a long way from a growing company, and it helps to know which of these doors fits where you are now.
How to Tell Staff, Contributor, and Council Articles Apart
The label under each Forbes byline tells you what kind of writer you are reading. Staff journalists carry a Forbes Staff label, as on the 2026 50 Over 50 list article, and writers in the Forbes Contributor Network carry a Contributor label, as on this ForbesWomen article.
The Forbes editorial standards page says Forbes prohibits staff members and contributors from accepting compensation or favors of any kind from people, companies, or groups featured in their coverage.
Council content follows a different model. In the Forbes Business Council section, articles are marked as Council Posts with the note “Membership (fee-based),” and the council describes itself as an invitation-only, fee-based organization. The standards page lists Councils with BrandVoice under its affiliate, branded, partner, and sponsored content.
What It Takes to Join Forbes Councils
According to the Forbes Business Council membership page, your business needs at least $500,000 in annual revenue or $500,000 in funding to date. A selection committee vets eligible applicants, and those approved are invited to buy a membership package on a one-year or two-year payment plan. The page showed no price on our October 2026 visit, so ask the council for current costs before you apply.
Members can submit bylined articles to Forbes.com, each edited with the council’s editors to meet the publication’s guidelines, and they can answer short Expert Panel questions that editors gather into one article. That is a paid way to publish your own ideas, and it is a different thing from a Forbes reporter deciding to cover your company.
Forbes Lists That Take Public Nominations
According to Forbes, the Forbes 30 Under 30 U.S. list names 600 people across 20 industries, and its open portal receives more than 20,000 nominations on average across the U.S., Asia, and Europe lists. Anyone can nominate themselves or another candidate, and Forbes says there are no fees and no way to pay for a spot. Reporters build a shortlist for each category, and four independent judges score the finalists. Candidates must be 29 or younger on December 31 of the year the list is published.
Forbes also publishes Under 30 Local lists. Nominations for the 2027 Arizona list close at 11:59 p.m. ET on December 1, 2026, for nominees who are 29 or younger on January 13, 2027, and who live in Arizona or run a business based there.
For women later in their careers, the Forbes 50 Over 50 list, produced with Mika Brzezinski’s Know Your Value, named 200 women in 2026. For 2026, candidates had to be based mainly in the United States and born on or before December 31, 1975, and founders of for-profit companies were generally expected to have at least $4 million in revenue.
How to Get Featured in Forbes Editorial Coverage
Writing to a Forbes reporter you have never met can feel like a long shot, so start with the section that fits your story and the recent articles by the writers on that beat. Write a short pitch built on one specific angle, and support it with a number that shows scale, since the Under 30 team asks nominees to “give us numbers” about their impact.
The contact page also notes that story ideas sent to the press inquiries address will not be forwarded. For news you would like Forbes to cover, the standards page lists tips@forbes.com. If this is your first pitch to any outlet, Mariya walks through a full pitching process in her guide on how to get press coverage. For other outlets worth reading, see our roundup of women in business magazines.
It can help to practice telling your story on camera before you pitch a reporter. A Pink Fins Media interview would give you a full conversation about your company, and the editorial we would publish afterward would be a page you could link to in your next pitch. Whether the founder is you or a woman you know, you can send her name through the Nominate a Woman button at the top of this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Does It Cost to Get Featured in Forbes?
Editorial coverage and Forbes 30 Under 30 nominations have no fee, and Forbes prohibits its writers from accepting compensation from the people and companies they cover. Forbes Councils membership is fee-based, and the Forbes Business Council page did not list a price in October 2026.
Can You Pay to Get on Forbes 30 Under 30?
No. Forbes describes the list as an editorial project with no application fees and says no one can pay to secure a spot. Forbes also says extra nominations for the same person do not raise their chances.
How Do I Get My Business Featured in a Forbes Article?
Find the staff writer or contributor who covers your industry, read their recent stories, and send a short pitch with one clear angle and supporting numbers. Forbes asks that pitches go to writers directly, by email or social media.
What Is the Difference Between a Forbes Contributor and Forbes Staff?
Both publish on Forbes.com, and each byline carries a label: Forbes Staff for staff journalists and Contributor for writers in the Forbes Contributor Network. The Forbes rule against accepting compensation from featured people and companies applies to both.
Is a Forbes Councils Article the Same as a Forbes Feature?
No. Council articles are written by members who buy a membership, and they are marked as Council Posts with a fee-based membership label. A feature is a story a Forbes journalist chose to report.
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