Legal book publishing services for attorneys and law firm leaders

A full legal book publishing service covers every step between your ideas and a book people can buy. The exact list varies by provider, so compare written scopes. For a practice-building book, these are the pieces that matter most:

• Book planning: audience, purpose and the topic your best future clients need explained.
• Manuscript development, which at Big Impact Books happens through guided interviews.
• Editing for clarity, accuracy and a consistent voice.
• Cover and interior design, formatting, and print and ebook production.
• Release and distribution so readers can buy the book.
• Promotion, including podcast placements and media coverage at Big Impact Books.

Traditional legal publishers mostly produce reference works for practitioners. A practice-building book is different: it is written for clients and referral sources, and its job is to show how you think. That is why many attorneys choose an independent publisher for it.

Independent publishing suits most practice-building books because the author keeps control of message and timing without managing every task alone. Self-publishing suits attorneys who want full control and will manage the work. Traditional houses suit reference works and authors with large platforms.

A publishing agreement is the contract between you and your publisher or publishing service. It decides who owns which rights, how money flows and how the relationship ends. Attorneys read contracts for a living, but publishing has its own vocabulary. Before you sign with any provider, confirm:

• Who owns the copyright and the finished design and production files.
• How royalties, fees and payments are calculated and reported.
• Exactly which services are included, and which cost extra.
• Subsidiary rights such as audio, translation and excerpts.
• How either side can end the agreement, and what happens to your rights then.

For complex terms, a publishing attorney can review the agreement. Your firm's ethics counsel can also help with confidentiality and advertising rules that may apply to the book's content and marketing.