Your ‘How to: write a law book’ article omits one downside.
As the author of about 30 law books, I find solicitors on the other side sometimes write to me in correspondence over a contentious matter, along the lines of ‘on page XYZ of your book you said the law means…’; or that I had indicated some matter, which I am now suggesting is crystal clear on my client’s behalf, is in fact a ‘grey area’ in the relevant book.
On the up side, people seem to think if you have written a book on the topic you may well know something about it. And there are advances and royalties too (although not large ones). It is certainly a good way to expand your knowledge and keep up to date with the law. No doubt there are continuing professional development points in it somewhere as well. I would certainly recommend writing law books to readers, particularly if they like writing and are interested in law.
Recently, I cleared some shelves in my office of older law books which I had reviewed over the years but no longer use. I came to pondering physical and electronic formats. As the author of one of the first books on internet law, this is an area I have always had to consider.
There certainly remains a place for printed books, which can be faster to use and easier to extract information from. Indeed, I also now publish 10 subscription newsletters, from Farm Law to Education Law Monitor, and there are many subscribers who find lots of advantages in having a paper monthly newsletter.
Susan Singleton, principal, Singletons Solicitors, Pinner
