As head of publishing for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) for almost a decade, I helped build, maintain, and expand AILA’s print offerings with an eye toward quality and the needs of the membership. At the height of AILA’s unprecedented run as the premiere publisher of immigration law references, AILA touted an expansive line of how-to guides, toolboxes, treatises, primers, and periodicals, as well an online research database that housed more than 30,000 documents.
Over the years, I have worked closely with numerous attorneys who were committed to becoming published authors. Each of them had his or her motives for doing so—but all of them used the opportunity to build and expand their professional presence as well as their practices.
Now, as the founder of Ramses House Publishing LLC, I continue to help attorneys reach their literary goals independent of traditional publishing houses, which allows my clients to exercise more authority over the process and final product in an affordable, more streamlined way.
Are You Itching to Write More than Just a Court Brief?
Do you have a book in you? Don’t worry, not every lawyer does. But if you’re thinking that you’d need to write a 2,000-page tome, think again. The image of what a book is nowadays has changed dramatically. Years ago, books written by or for the legal profession were hard-bound or soft-bound treatises, textbooks, case books, and manuals—all of which typically ran more than 1,000 pages, and needed to be backed by a traditional publisher with the professional staff and funding to massage such a long manuscript into a publishable print product.
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 book. Do you want to write a how-to that eventually runs 32 pages? Well, that’s a book. Maybe you have what it takes to crank out more than 300 pages; again, that’s a book.
Not only has the length of a book changed over time, so has a book’s format. You now have the option to publish in print or in digital format (eBook), or both. Talk about affordable! Print is less expensive than it once was, while digital conversion is the most affordable way to publish and reach the largest audience through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple’s iBooks, among others.
Today, there’s nothing stopping you from becoming a published author except you.
As an attorney and 20-year veteran of legal publishing, I have ways of navigating the publishing process to ensure affordability and quality of the finished product—resulting in satisfied clients who are proud of their hard work. I’ve also written an article on how writing a book can boost a lawyer’s credibility. When you get a chance to read it, let me know what you think.
Contact me if you’re interested in exploring publishing opportunities. I’d love to discuss with you any questions you might have about publishing and the marketing that goes along with it.