It’s an honor to be a book editor for lawyers and provide website and blog content as well.
Over the years, I’ve worked with attorneys — not as an employee but as a wordsmith. My involvement in the Pre-Law Society at Blinn College and my training at Southwest Paralegal Institute in the early 1980s opened up a whole new world. I learned that the law isn’t always “dry,” “rote,” or “black and white.” It’s actually filled with complex human drama driven by facts, figures, and accounts that are often at odds.
I wanted to be a lawyer so badly, but I could not afford law school in my twenties. I did, however, use what I learned in class (and what I learned from some wonderful attorney mentors) by applying it to my writing career.
Whether in fiction novels (John Grisham comes to mind) or legal memoirs, the plot or message generally reflects what has played out in the author’s career and the experiences that made the greatest dramatic impact. Audiences, too, can relate to the raw emotion, adversity, and the quest for truth and justice that is woven into each scenario, whether in court or in mediation.
However, some attorney authors go lightly on the legal components in their memoirs and instead focus on a positive social message which may include historical snapshots, nostalgia, and lessons learned.
Attorney Jim Matthews is one such author. He does share his hard-won, later-in-life path to law school but primarily focuses on his first love as a sports-driven boy. Shine the Light is an excellent memoir about sandlot baseball, from childhood memories to forming his own sandlot team of adults who enjoy the game today: the Austin Moontowers.
“When it comes to playing on the sandlot, the key is not if you won or lost,” says Jim. “Camaraderie, not rivalry, spurs you.”
Available on Amazon
Shine the Light
Find the Moontowers Baseball Club on Instagram and www.moontowers.co.
Testimonial
Jim left a wonderful testimonial for me, in lingo that segues nicely with his sandlot baseball book. I appreciate him very much as a client, lawyer, and athlete!
“Melanie, thank you so much! Your help is what got me across the finish. Your polish gave it the “crack of the bat!” it needed. Thank you again.” ~ Attorney Jim Matthews
I’m a Book Editor for Lawyers, Located in the Outskirts of Houston, with Remote Clients Nationwide and Around the World
Please feel free to check out my book editing, ghostwriting, and copyrighting services. Also, see how and why I was inspired to become a writer and editor in the first place! I’m happy to answer your questions.
Doesn’t it make sense to have a book editor look over your work? And if you have a story to tell but aren’t sure how to write it, a professional ghostwriter can help bring your manuscript to life. You no longer have to struggle with any of your projects when a professional writer can help you create compelling copy.
Contact me for help! Melanie Saxton | melaniesaxton@icloud.com