Among the legal notices, marketing spiel, and publisher contact information typically found on a book’s copyright page, you will also find sets of numbers that may seem arbitrary to the untrained eye. But these numbers actually have a clear purpose and can help people and entities locate your book online. Groups of numbers, such as 978-1-7324999-0-4 and 2017949317, listed on a book’s copyright page are not arbitrary at all; in fact, they make up a large part of your book’s m

Self-publishing isn’t “self” publishing. It’s a misnomer, really. The word “self” in self-publishing gives the impression that an author can publish a book on his or her own with no input or help from others. Not so, grasshopper. Sure, it’s true that with the advent of digital technology, publishing a book is easier, quicker, and not nearly as intimidating. But it takes a team of professionals to publish a quality literary work. Is it possible for an author to learn the techn

Today, a book is whatever you make it. Do you have 50 pages of expert advice you’d like to share with your audience? Guess what? That’s a bo

Today’s self-publishing industry is a force to be reckoned with. In a recent report issued by Bowker, the U.S. ISBN agency, ISBN registrations by self-publishers have risen 375 percent since 2010. Even booksellers and libraries are seeking to incorporate self-published works into their offerings. If you’re thinking about writing and publishing a book, don’t get hung up on the idea of publishing through a traditional publisher. You may be unpleasantly surprised to hear that no

Attorneys have been known to write more than just the occasional appellate brief. Many are accomplished authors with several books to their name. Fictional novelists, such as John Grisham, Scott Turow, and Meg Gardiner, to name a few, are certainly at the top of the publishing heap. Not to mention the myriad attorneys who have devoted their careers to writing legal treatises and manuals—Hiroshi Motomura, Steven Yale-Loehr, Robert Divine, and countless others. Some even have t

As first-year law school students, we learned the fundamentals of legal reasoning and analysis, research, and the basics of persuasive legal writing. We spent hours writing case summaries, briefs, memoranda, and letters honing our legal advocacy and communication skills. Many of us can write a mean brief but are lost when it comes to writing an article for a newspaper, blog, or magazine. Clarity, comprehensiveness, and strategic use of speech are the backbone of good writing,