Write About Right About Now

by Bar News Editor Michael Heatherly

When I began as Bar News editor just over a year ago, I solicited article contributions from our readers. I am pleased to report an enthusiastic response. In 2008, we published roughly 100 articles, not counting regular columns and staff-written material. Many of these pieces were contributed by readers who simply had good ideas for articles and sent them in. Some of these submissions were among the best things we ran.

We expect to publish fewer special-topic issues this year than in 2008, which means more space for contributed material. I thought this would be a good time to again invite your submissions and provide tips on how to maximize the chances of your work gracing our pages.

1. Keep Our Readership in Mind. We have approximately 30,000 readers. The only thing they all have in common is a current or past license to practice law. The person deciding whether to read your article might be a retired family law practitioner in Moses Lake, a 28-year-old deputy prosecutor in Spokane, or a Supreme Court justice. We look for articles with the best chance of catching the attention of as many diverse people as possible. Articles about general trends in law practice, fascinating personalities, or unusual adventures are of interest to everyone. Pieces about specific areas of law have a narrower natural audience, but their appeal can be broadened by emphasizing the practical aspect of the article and using real-life examples to illustrate points. If your article involves a limited area of law, try casting it as a primer on the subject (e.g., "Five Things Every Business Attorney Should Know About Antitrust" or "What to Do When Your Client Calls From Jail and You've Never Handled a Criminal Case in Your Life").

2. Write About People. I have no doubt that the best-read section of Bar News is the disciplinary notices. Why? Well, morbid curiosity is part of it. But more fundamentally, it is the one place in the magazine guaranteed to tell true stories about real people. Look at the covers of magazines on a newsstand or the home pages of online publications and what do you see? Pictures and headlines about people doing things. As social animals, we're fascinated by what other people are doing. Some of my favorite Bar News articles from last year were President Stan Bastian's Q&As with notable Washingtonians (Governor Christine Gregoire, former U.S. Attorney John McKay, Gonzaga Law School Dean Earl Martin), Aaron Caplan's piece on his experiences in 10 years as an ACLU lawyer, Michael Bond's reflections on his first job as a Marine Corps lawyer, and Suzanne Parisien's piece on why she kept going to work while undergoing cancer treatment. There must be thousands more stories like these waiting to be told.

3. Keep It Short. We accept articles of up to 3,500 words (roughly five solid pages of print). But I seriously doubt that many readers actually hack their way through pieces that long, no matter how good they may be. Most of us simply don't have the time or attention span to read that much of something we aren't legally required to read and aren't getting paid for. If we really need to know 3,500 words worth of information on a subject, we'll probably go to a library or online and research it for ourselves. On the other hand, it's easy to read a well-written 1,500-word piece while eating lunch or riding the bus.

4. Talk to Us Before Writing Your Piece. Some of our submissions were originally written for another purpose, e.g., a speech, a CLE presentation, or publication in a law review. However, most are written specifically for Bar News. Talking to us before writing an article can save you a lot of time and trouble and make it more likely we will publish it. I enjoy talking to authors and I'm happy to discuss what would make your article more appealing to readers. If we have this conversation before you start writing, you can better plan your article and alert me to keep an eye out for it. It will also lessen the chances that I will extensively edit it or send it back to you for a substantial rewrite. 

Bar News Editor Michael Heatherly practices in Bellingham. He can be reached at 360-312-5156 or barnewseditor@wsba.org.