Stand Out by Getting Published

The Young Lawyer, ABA Young Lawyers Division, November 2008

By Ari Kaplan

Good lawyers are well respected, but great lawyers are also well known. They have strong reputations that are supported by lasting impressions, demonstrated knowledge of the law and positive name recognition. Many of them have crafted this status over time by getting out and getting published.

Writing for publication is particularly powerful in professional services. It shapes your standing in the community, organically helps to expand your network and inspires your day. Writers tend to meet more interesting people, develop lasting relationships with them and find continued reasons to interact. They master the fundamental techniques associated with business development by concentrating on a few key points that contribute to their publishing success.

Craft an Appealing Story

Although everyone has an idea for an article, few can articulate it well enough to share it with an editor. Start by reviewing your most interesting work and identifying areas of the law on which you can provide clarity. If you are unsure, visit websites related to your practice and read trade publications that focus on your field. Most importantly, discuss your ideas with colleagues, particularly those with more experience and insight. Use the writing process as an opportunity to meet others and strengthen your relationships. Also, consider how your interaction will affect your reputation within your peer group and in the wider community.

Find the Right Publication

To properly manage that reputation, methodically select the right home for your idea. Consider what your target audience is reading and why. Is your idea regionally focused or practice specific? Are you trying to reach other lawyers or non-legal business professionals? The easiest way to identify an ideal publication is to ask your client or prospect what he or she reads. This will again provide a great opportunity to connect or reconnect, while demonstrating your sincere enthusiasm for answering a pressing question in the industry.

Craft a Persuasive pitch

Despite that enthusiasm, you should not write the article and then try to find a home. Rather, draft a pitch describing your idea in one or two sentences. Explain how your background is relevant and why the timing is appropriate for a piece of this type. Remember that editors, particularly those responsible for producing trade-related publications, are genuinely interested in your ideas. Pitching first also manages your time more effectively so that you can make the investment once you are guaranteed a return.

Make it Relevant

You can secure that guarantee by understanding that timing is a critical factor in getting published. Your proposal needs to address an issue on the mind of your reader at the time he or she sees the article. For that reason, writers who review editorial calendars have a tremendous advantage over their peers when pitching publications.

An editorial calendar outlines the general coverage a magazine or newspaper will provide on a particular subject over the course of an entire year. They are often available on the publication’s website and typically list the submission guidelines as well (e.g., length and editorial style). Understanding an editor’s calendar also demonstrates to him or her that you have conducted the necessary background research and are serious about your interest.

Once your idea has been accepted, use the process as a chance to connect with mentors, colleagues, clients and prospects in an organic way by calling to interview or co-author with them. Identifying a specific date for an article will provide you with the ability to calendar its development and completion.

Getting published is more about motivation than mechanics. People do not write just to see their name in a byline or send their article to others. They write to inspire. Ironically, it is not those others to whom they provide the inspiration, but to themselves.

Ari Kaplan is a lawyer and a writer in the New York-area. He teaches the mechanics of getting published and the art of promoting their work at law firms, bar associations and law schools nationwide. He is also the author of The Opportunity Maker: Strategies for Inspiring Your Legal Career Through Creative Networking and Business Development (Thomson-West, 2008). He is also a ghostwriter (ghost writer) of white papers, case studies, client alerts and profiles for law related, e-discovery (electronic discovery) and legal technology (tech) companies. Learn more at www.AriKaplanAdvisors.com.