How to Get Published

Pen + Paper = Promotion

Get published: It's one of the least expensive and most effective ways to promote yourself and your practice. Once you have the hang of it, you'll find that getting published can be relatively easy and fun. And, in the publishing industry, several trends have made this the ideal time for nonprofessional writers to gain access to credible periodicals.

The number of specialized publications continues to escalate, and many of them are trade specific. For example, if one of your primary clients is a major California hotel, the periodical California In Touch, which reaches more than 7,000 readers, may welcome your article on the hot legal issues in hotel management.

Another trend in your favor is the atmosphere of cutback management that still permeates many publishers. Smaller in-house writing staffs have resulted in increased use of outside authors. Smaller budgets to pay for writers have resulted in increased use of free freelance writers such as yourself who are mainly interested in educating the publication's readers on important legal matters. Editors still prefer, however, that writers know their topic area. A service professional such as yourself who is expert in one or more fields can write with knowledge and authority. Editors love this. Now's the time to add your own bylined articles to your marketing arsenal. Here are a few pointers to jumpstart your publishing career.

Identify your preferred area of expertise. What slice of a topic do you know and like to write about? Focus on two or three topics, at most. Choose areas that are newsworthy, illustrate a hot trend, or have a practical, how-to angle. Find periodicals that correspond to your topic areas. Ask your clients what periodicals they read. Or, search a directory of periodicals, such as Bacon's Magazine Directory (published by Bacon's Infor-mation, Inc., in Chicago, (312) 922-2400). A visit to your local library or a targeted search of the Net will also help you find periodicals.

Carefully review your potential periodicals. Study the writing style and tone (formal or colloquial); types of articles; types of authors; length of articles; use of footnotes; standing columns; and use of charts, graphs, and other text-related graphics. The periodical's masthead may also give you information on how to submit unsolicited articles. Check to see if you know someone that's affiliated with the publication.

Contact the decisionmaker. It may take a few phone calls, but try to find out who decides what will be published. If there's an editorial review process involved, you may have to settle for getting as close as possible to the decisionmaker. Get to know the decisionmaker (or your contact); build rapport. Find out how she prefers to receive unsolicited materials: article idea first or full article; via phone, fax, snail-mail, or e-mail. Get a gauge on whether she views persistent follow-up as an indication of your strong interest and enthusiasm (a good thing) or as unwelcome harassment (a bad thing).

Submit a proposal. Make certain your proposal represents your best work. In publishing, the old adage rings true: the first impression is the only impression. Make certain basic information is accurate. Consider the practice of one female editor at a major legal publisher. She has a gender-neutral first name, and when she receives an unsolicited item addressed to "Mr. ___," she automatically rejects it.

Persevere. Oftentimes, the first article is the most difficult to get published. Once you have a byline, you're a "published writer" and it's easier to do it again.

Get Published in an ABA Publication!
The ABA is the world's largest legal publisher, with more than 3,000 titles in print. Visit ABA Publishing on the Net [http://www.abanet.org/abapubs/home.html] for more information on writing for magazines, newsletters, monographs, and books. The Tort and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) is actively seeking young lawyers to write for its magazine and journal. For information on publishing in TIPS magazine The Brief, contact Anne Spencer via e-mail [spencera@staff.abanet.org]; for information on Tort & Insurance Law Journal, contact Wendy Smith via e-mail [wjsmith@staff.abanet.org].