While I was looking around the Incisive Media family of legal technology posts for the functionally ignorant, I came across a post by Wayne Schiess entitled “7 Tips for Writing a Successful Legal Blog.” Who is Wayne Schiess?
Wayne Schiess is the director of legal writing at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. He blawgs at Blog.LegalWriting.net, and his blawg was named to the ABA Blawg 100 in 2007.
Well that’s certainly impressive. After all, I do some blogging and nobody made me director of legal writing at a law school (even if it is in Austin, Texas). And after all, I sure want to write a successful legal blog. So I read the post, fully prepared to take notes if necessary.
Lots of lawyers are blogging about the law, aka blawging. There are about 3000 blawgs out there, according to the ABA Journal , which began honoring the best law-related blogs in 2007 with its annual “ABA Blawg 100.”
That may be a bit of an overstatement of the worth of the ABA Blawg 100, given that it’s chosen by whatever strikes the fancy of a handful of nonlawyers in a backroom at the ABA Journal, and some aren’t even blawgs. But I guess since Wayne’s World got into it, and given how lawprofs love being on lists, he’s got to start out be establishing his credibility. Fair enough.
For a lawyer, producing a blawg can be a nice break from traditional legal writing. It’s a chance to try something new that demands creativity, skill and consistency. Although the blawg may not immediately pull in clients or referrals — the monetary rewards of blawging can be modest — it offers other rewards.
Other rewards like . . . keeping oneself off the street and at the keyboard? Avoiding any semblance of actual human contact? Wayne doesn’t say, but I bet it’s got something to do with tenure in his case. For me, it’s the joy of cooking.
So what are these 7 tips?
1. Blawg for the right reasons. Lots of blawgers begin with hopes of generating business and promoting their practices. But given the thousands of blawgs already out there, not to mention the thousands of other blogs and Web sites available today, getting business and promoting the practice might not be the best reasons to start.
Right on, Wayne!
2. Post consistently. Once the blawg is underway, keep at it. Post frequently, or at least regularly. Successful blawgers try to develop a following, and when the posts are consistent, readers stay with the blawg. When a blawg goes idle for weeks at a time, it slips from readers’ minds, and they might tune it out and stop visiting.
Definitely. Readers minds can very, very slippery.
3. Aim at someone and check to see if the blawg hits the target. Once a blawg has been publishing for a short while, the author may be able to focus the content more. What began as a writing outlet for the author may attract a following; by tuning in to reader comments, the author can begin to gear the content to specific reader groups.
Now you’re starting to lose me Wayne. So you told me to blawg for the right reasons, but now you’re telling to change the right reasons to attract a following. Am I writing for me, or for them? What if the audience wants to see naked pictures of me (just an example, don’t get scared)? So I should start writing to satisfy the demands of readers rather than write to satisfy myself? You’re getting a little too inconsistent for me here, pal.
4. Adopt a readable, personable style. It’s not the point of a blawg to write in a traditional, lawyerly voice. It’s the opposite: Make the posts readable, informal, alive.
There we go, we’re back on track again, brother. Nice how you avoided saying that lawyers shouldn’t write like the boring stiffs they are, but like human beings.
5. Advertise. Get the name of the blawg out there. If your firm or company allows you to do so, put a link to your blawg on its main Web site. Find blawgs on similar topics or blawgs by colleagues and acquaintances, then offer to exchange links. Embed a link to the blawg in the signature block of e-mail messages.
Oh crap. Are you getting some of that incisive media cash under the table that you’re not telling us about Wayne? What the heck is this garbage in here for? Link exchanges, the surest route to total humiliation and disrepute possible? Did you start drinking heavily between number 4 and 5? Did Wayne “party on?”
6. Avoid pitfalls. In trying to be interesting and relevant, resist the urge to engage in harsh criticism, personal attacks and name calling. Peers, colleagues, clients and even judges can and will see the blawg. Maintain a professional approach.
I’m gonna give you the benefit of the doubt here, considering your likely state of “ebriation” and the fact that being a lawprof, you probably live in abject fear of ever saying anything that might conceivably offend anyone by providing a clear, concise and cognizable opinion using words that actually mean something. “When something deserves harsh criticism, be a pussy” hardly seems like the sort of thing someone from Texas would write. But then, the old saying, “all hat and no cattle” had to come from somewhere.
And finally,
7. Try humor. Being professional does not mean being somber. Humor usually won’t work in court documents or letters to opposing counsel, and it’s a pretty tough go in e-mail, too. But a blawg is just the place for humor. The point is to let the blawg show the personality of the author.
Ah, you got me. You were just being a jokester, weren’t you? And I just fell for it, hook, line and sinker. What a dope I am, taking these “7 Tips” for real. Good one, Wayne. Party on.
Discover more from Simple Justice
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
The exception to #2 is “Take Vacations.” Posting at least 1x/day (or hoping to — because having that hanging over your head constantly, even if one doesn’t act on it) is exhausting. Court-o-rama’s month off did wonders, imho.
Yes, well it comes naturally to some, and other people need more (ahem) downtime to keep up the effort. 😉
I strongly agree with #6, but for slightly different reasons.
Negativity on a blog may be entertaining, but it is usually not effective. If we want our words to result in a positive results, we must communicate and disagree without personal attacks. The recipient is far more likely to listen and adopt our views when we are not serving low blows. Besides, negativity is a turn off and in the end more and more people will start to tune it out.
Name calling and personal attacks are for the sandbox, not the professional sphere.
I hate to ask a foolish question (not really, but it’s fun to say that), but who is this “we” you’re talking about and what exactly is the basis for your opinion? I note you don’t include a blog url, don’t recognize the name you’ve used, and am thus clueless as to the basis for your comment. So if you want to be a maven, you need to tell us why anyone should give a damn what you think. And you should avoid speaking about yourself in the plural unless you’re the King of France. It’s just a bit too pompous from an anonymous commenter.
Hmm. I’d say a little bit of advertising isn’t so bad. Link to the blog from your other sites, join a few rings or groups, get a Facebook page, register with Technorati. But unless you’re already a famous writer—and maybe even then—don’t start advertising until you have something to show. Run the blog for a month or two and have 20 or 30 posts up before you start your ad blitz.
What’s totally missing from Wayne’s advice, however, is for many people the defining attribute of blogs: Linking to other blogs. This is NOT trading links.
Just generously give out links to other blogs, regardless of whether they link to you. It tends to come back to you, and even if it doesn’t, your readers will appreciate it.
Also, memes. Bloggers seem to like memes.
Actually, judging by talk radio and news-commentary, negativity and snark are a huge attraction, and will get you a much larger audience than courtesy and pluralism. Of course, some of them will be crazies who want to kill you…
CommunicationBot wrote:
“Negativity on a blog may be entertaining, but it is usually not effective”
The ‘sheep’ are transforming into wolves
as the middle class continues to be decimated by this current economic crisis. The Public is fully aware that Justice is afforded to the affluent and politically connected but the inability to at least ‘play the game’ brings forth brazen but righteous contempt for the black robe once honored and respected but corrupted by politics and greed. Although self representation
is foolish even for your own profession, economics has forced the masses to swim in the Justice System Sewage unarmed in civil courts and constrained with ineffective defenses by public defenders.
This revelation and circumstance is bringing demands for your profession and politics to reinvent itself. Legal blogs are becoming a lifeline for information that can benefit entreupenors in your profession. The Public recognizes transparency is the only road to Justice. Legal blogs afford Attorneys with integrity and honesty expressed in humorous negativity to reach the public for legal services in this economy and beyond.
Yeah, Lenny Bruce and Don Rickles were never successful!
Whenever I see that old photo of the prisoners, I think it could be from the Old Montana Prison Museum in Deer Lodge, Montana where I usually drag my son on our annual summer drive to Minnesota. If you haven’t been there, check it out as it has all the lore, tough break stories and classic prison atmosphere of an era gone by. Just a few miles off the freeway and a great American restaurant across the street.
Play Nice, Little Blawger
Following my post yesterday about Texas Lawprof Wayne Schiess’ “7 Tips” for blogging, I received an email chastising me for not playing nice.
Now I don’t know Ken Adams.
Part of Schiess’ problem is his use of the word “negativity”, and his presumed purpose for blawging, self-promotion. If by negativity, he’s talking about gratuiously attacking others for the purpose of self-aggrandizement, then I agree with him wholeheartedly. Then again, that’s because of my disdain for self-agrandzement. But he’s the guy writing the tips, and if that’s what he meant, then that’s what he should have said (especially since he’s purporting to instruct others on how to blog).
But what he’s done, instead, is suggest that blawging is all about sunshine, lollipops and rainbows. Now that’s a fine way to use a blawg to market, if that’s your purpose, but then it’s just another worthless, slutty, self-promotional blawg. So then change the title to 7 Tips to Promote Yourself on a Blog and join the marketers fan club.
Courtesy is wonderful, but not at the expense of honesty or accuracy. We all make choices, and we all live with the consequences.
Play Nice, Little Blawger
Following my post yesterday about Texas Lawprof Wayne Schiess’ “7 Tips” for blogging, I received an email chastising me for not playing nice.
Now I don’t know Ken Adams.
Play Nice, Little Blawger
Following my post yesterday about Texas Lawprof Wayne Schiess’ “7 Tips” for blogging, I received an email chastising me for not playing nice.
Now I don’t know Ken Adams.
The predominant style or goal of journalism or journalists in this country has always been to try and be ‘objective’ trying to report both sides of every issue or story. A contrast is found in England where journalists editorialize and provide a lot of opinion and argument regardless of the topic. I think that what you get with an attempt to be ‘objective’ is a lot more watered down junk w/o much intellectual content. Another result is the English, especially their intellectuals, joking about how stupid our society/culture often looks from the outside. In the process even their humor gets sharper. No critical analyses = lazy minds. I went back and grabbed an old tweet: ‘don’t question much, just get along.’ because it reminded me of why I tried Twitter and then lost interest for the most part except as a means to gather information/links to articles of interest. People often try too hard to please everyone and ignore what they really think or want to say. No good to be hurtful or negative for the sake of self-promotion or just to make fun of someone, but it is no good not to write about how you disagree with something or even how you find it absurd.
Play Nice, Little Blawger
Following my post yesterday about Texas Lawprof Wayne Schiess’ “7 Tips” for blogging, I received an email chastising me for not playing nice.
Now I don’t know Ken Adams.
How To Blog, As If They Have A Clue
Blawgers, meaning those people who actually have blawgs and actually blawg with some modicum of recognition in the blawgosphere, disagree a lot about the way to do it.
How To Blog, As If They Have A Clue
Blawgers, meaning those people who actually have blawgs and actually blawg with some modicum of recognition in the blawgosphere, disagree a lot about the way to do it.
How To Blog, As If They Have A Clue
Blawgers, meaning those people who actually have blawgs and actually blawg with some modicum of recognition in the blawgosphere, disagree a lot about the way to do it.
How To Blog, As If They Have A Clue
Blawgers, meaning those people who actually have blawgs and actually blawg with some modicum of recognition in the blawgosphere, disagree a lot about the way to do it.
How To Blog, As If They Have A Clue
Blawgers, meaning those people who actually have blawgs and actually blawg with some modicum of recognition in the blawgosphere, disagree a lot about the way to do it.
How To Blog, As If They Have A Clue
Blawgers, meaning those people who actually have blawgs and actually blawg with some modicum of recognition in the blawgosphere, disagree a lot about the way to do it.
How To Blog, As If They Have A Clue
Blawgers, meaning those people who actually have blawgs and actually blawg with some modicum of recognition in the blawgosphere, disagree a lot about the way to do it.