If you’ve ever hesitated to pitch your story to The Writing Cooperative on Medium, let me start by saying this: Justin Cox does not bite. He’s probably one of the nicest people you’ll meet in the Medium writing world. Pitching to him and his publication could change the course of your Medium journey.
Let’s start with a fun fact: The Writing Cooperative is not just any publication. With over 264,000 followers, it’s one of Medium’s top 10 publications, and its mission is simple yet powerful: helping writers improve their craft.
Who Is Justin Cox?
My guest today is Justin Cox.
Justin is the founder of The Writing Cooperative, a seasoned writer, author of “Write Now: How To Pursue Your Dream And Start Writing Today!” and a Star Wars fan :)
He’s been on Medium for 10 years (yes, an entire decade!)…
…and runs the publication solo. That’s right—it’s a one-man show. Justin reads 75 to 100 submissions weekly and somehow still manages to reply thoughtfully. Impressive, right?
Here’s what Justin believes about writing:
“Great stories come from personal experience. They’re not just about what you’ve learned but about how those lessons can help others.”
Why Writers Are Afraid to Pitch (And Why You Shouldn’t Be)
Justin knows pitching can be nerve-wracking, especially for newer writers. He hears this often:
“I’m worried my story isn’t good enough.”
“What if I get rejected?”
Let’s get real for a moment: rejection is just feedback. Justin himself says:
“It’s not a value judgment on your writing. It just means it’s not the right fit for our publication.”
Plus, if you’re rejected, Justin often leaves helpful notes to guide you. (And yes, you can resubmit!)
✅What Justin’s Looking For
If you want to write for The Writing Cooperative, here’s the secret: follow the submission guidelines (tribe member and Medium mastermind
loves them because they are so detailed!).
Seriously. Please don’t send off-topic pieces about your cat’s yoga routine (unless it’s a metaphor for writing!).
What gets accepted? Stories that:
Share personal experiences about writing.
Offer lessons others can learn from.
Are well-written and thoughtful.
As Justin puts it:
“Clarity comes from engagement, not thought. Take action, and the words will come!”
✖️What Justin Is NOT Looking For
Justin has a strict “no AI-generated content” rule. Why? Because he values the heart and soul behind every word you write.
“If I think something could have been written by AI, it’s not for us. I want human stories that come from lived experiences.”
🎙️I hope you enjoy the show!
Let us know in the comments if and how you like it. Your feedback is invaluable for Justin and me as we both are doing this part-time.
NEW: Video version: Click on the video above to watch now
Captions and transcripts are available for all video episodes. (A button on each episode makes this easy for you).
Audio version:
You can also listen on Spotify Podcasts (will you be the first? Please leave a rating for me on Spotify 😍 Thanks!)
» Past podcast episodes live HERE.
👇Meet Justin LIVE on Monday, Jan 20th, 2pm EST! - Pitching “The Writing Cooperative” Made Easy 👇
Pitching to a top-tier publication like The Writing Cooperative might feel intimidating, but remember: Justin isn’t just an editor. He’s a writer who’s been in your shoes. He’s cheering for you.
I hope I can inspire you to take a deep breath, polish that draft, and hit submit. As Justin says:
“The best way to start writing is to start right now.”
This is my first story for The Writing Cooperative, when I wrote a lot of parenting and kids stuff after I gave birth to my baby:
Pitching Justin is not as complicated as it sounds, all you need to do is….. join us for our LIVE writing workshop with Justin on
Monday, 20th January
at 2 pm
members will see the link inside the membership experience and in the chat
new members, just sign up and get the Zoom invite
Happy writing and pitching!
See you on Monday!
Kristina
P.S. Want more help with your writing journey in 2025? Join The Online Writing Club and learn how to craft irresistible stories that publications like The Writing Cooperative can’t say no to! 🚀 👇Medium top writer and million dollar entrepreneur Ayo joined today :)! YAY!
Oh… one more thing before you enjoy your FRI-YAY!
I’ll host a Substack Bootcamp with Medium superstar
(haven’t talked about it much, sorry ^^)It’s the complete guide to get started on Substack and the systems Derek and I use to build a Medium-Substack flywheel and quadruple our earnings writing on both sites. Join us, About 14 spots left. One is FOR YOU! You can also watch my testimonial video and flywheel video on the page. Maybe Sunday morning with a coffee in your hand. Enjoy!
Join my for a collaborative LIVE Video Chat with Derek Hughes & Ayo
Derek and I wil go LIVE in the next days.
You can also see me tomorrow at 2pm EST talking with Ayo LIVE.
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