Tracy Merda
Senior Project Manager, Speakeasy Marketing, Inc.
Jacobs & Whitehall Publishing
Dear Attorney,
Ever wished that potentials and clients saw you as more than “just a lawyer”?
As an attorney who stands for something. As an attorney who folks associate with a large cause or
ideal? As the first (and maybe) only attorney who immediately comes to mind when a friend, loved one,
or they themselves suddenly need a lawyer in your practice area or specialization?
If so, you’ll want to pay close attention to what I’m about to share with you.
It’s about an opportunity that has been created by the COVID-19 pandemic. An opportunity to elevate
your local profile by getting featured in the local news. Not only as an experienced attorney and an
expert on the law, but as a pillar of the community and a light in dark times. And, in the process…
Even if their legal problem or need has nothing to do with your practice area. Even if they live in a city
or metro area that you don’t serve. Simply because your name is known, trusted, and respected.
Imagine what this kind of positioning can do for you.
More phone calls than you could probably handle. (Definitely a good “problem” to have!) A docket or
calendar that’s stuffed full of high-quality cases that you relish taking on. A bank account stuffed full of
cash because your position allows you to command higher fees. Hiring more staff. Building the team
you always wanted. Driving into the office every day to work that makes you feel fulfilled, with clients
you like and respect. Leaving at a reasonable time, and living the kind of lifestyle you deserve.
For most attorneys, this is just a pipe dream.
However, there is a small circle of elite lawyers who have been quietly enjoying this kind of authority
positioning for several years now. Attorneys like Ronald Hedding, Esq., a defense lawyer.
Around San Fernando Valley, Mr. Hedding is now one of the most respected figures in his community.
He is a member of the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. He served as a commissioner in the State
Bar of California’s Judicial Nomination Evaluation Commission. And he was designed the Criminal
Defense Attorney of the Year by Consumer Business Review on three separate occasions.
Mr. Hedding is also the author of three published books.
You can go ahead and type his name into Google. You’ll see that he dominates everywhere, almost
every channel he’s on. Folks see him everywhere they go. He’s known for the outstanding work that he
does, and the fact that he’s one of the few attorneys in America who succeeded in getting a presidential
pardon from George W. Bush. When someone in San Fernando Valley needs an attorney, he is at the
front of the line – automatically – simply because of this superior positioning. When the phone rings, it’s
almost always for a case that he actually wants, one of his favorite cases. And, as Mr. Hedding freely
admitted on a video testimonial on our website, he is now:
What more could you want as an attorney?
Martin Asatrian, Esq. is another lawyer who recently acquired this positioning. If you have been
following our work for a while, his name might sound familiar to you. He’s an immigration attorney, and
is well respected among the business community in Fort Lee, New Jersey – so much so, Mr. Asatrian
currently sits on the board of directors of the Greater Fort Lee Chamber of Commerce.
A few years ago, when Mr. Asatrian published his second book, local dignitaries attended the book
signing, and photographs of them shaking his hand subsequently appeared in the local news.
This exposure elevated his personal brand to the next level. Now, when potential clients see his name
and face online, they already know that he is in a different league to his competitors.
Mr. Hedding, Mr. Asatrian, and any of the other 250+ Jacobs & Whitehall authors I could have talked
about – they have something that most other lawyers practicing in the United States don’t have.
They’re seen as more than “just another attorney”.
In the same way that folks associate Ferrari with Italian elegance and luxury living, potentials associate
these attorneys with a cause that is bigger than themselves, bigger than even the law itself. And in their
metro/practice areas, they are often the first attorneys who come to mind. They are icons. And it’s…
Before COVID-19 came along, the market for legal services and representation was already cutthroat.
More than a decade of falling demand, relentless oversupply of newly minted juniors out of law school,
and an ever-more-prevalent internet price shopping culture. It’s hammered legal fees into the ground.
The truth is that most attorneys have been reduced to little more than a commodity.
When a potential client shops on Avvo or FindLaw, what they see are dozens of smiling faces who all
pretty much say the same thing. Almost all of them are perceived as “just another attorney”.
Regardless of their merit, their seniority, or stellar accomplishments.
Are you struggling to make the phone ring? Are you struggling to get potentials on the phone, Zoom
call, or in-office consultation? Are you struggling to close them while also getting the fees you deserve?
Are you struggling to attract the kind of high-quality cases or legal matters that make you feel fulfilled? If
so, there’s a good chance that it’s simply because potentials perceive you as “just another attorney”.
Whose fault is it that the noble profession of law has become commodified to this extent?
In my humble opinion, that is the wrong question.
Yes, it could be that law school is to blame. Every year they keep enrolling more and more law
students, even though the market for legal services has been shrinking continually for more than ten
years. Each year, it takes another cohort of clueless and entitled Millennials, pumps them full of hope
and ambition, and then dumps them in the market without a realistic plan for earning a living.
Maybe it’s the large tech and legal platforms that are to blame. Avvo, Google, FindLaw, Yelp, and
others. They’ve created a price-shopping culture, and trained potentials to compare attorneys side-by-
side as if they were shopping for a new laptop or television set. Which is disgusting.
Or perhaps it’s “society” that is to blame. For no longer valuing attorneys and the vital work you do,
literally fighting on the front lines of the American constitution to protect our way of life.
All of these thoughts are valid. But they miss the point, which is:
Do you want to settle for the same commodity, “just-another-attorney” positioning that Avvo and
FindLaw want you to have? Or – do you want to be perceived as an icon who stands alone?
We need to shift your positioning so that you are seen as the pre-eminent lawyer in your metro/practice
area. The attorney who potentials – and their concerned family and friends – think of before they shop
around online for a lawyer. The attorney they already know, respect, and trust.
The “hero” attorney they’ve seen and read about in the news.
And, over the next few pages, I’m going to tell you about a new window of opportunity that’s just
beginning to open, for you to make this shift in positioning and elevate your personal brand.
(I’ll also tell you about a special Speak-a-Book package that we’ve put together, to help you seize it with
both hands, get featured in the news, and be seen as a respected pillar of your community.)
About rising from the ashes of this accursed pandemic, and turning it into a catalyst for growing your
practice. Not through exploiting others’ misery. But by raising your local profile, getting in the news, and
becoming the “hero” or “champion” figure that every city and county in America needs right now.
There has never been a better time to make this shift. There’s never been a better opportunity to
elevate your positioning from “just another attorney”, or even “an experienced attorney” – to becoming
the attorney who stands for something, who people see as a leader and an inspiration.
I don’t know about you. But I’m sick of smug marketers and faceless corporations reminding me how
we are in “strange times” of “unprecedented uncertainty”. It’s become a cringeworthy platitude.
Yet, they’re right. These are strange times. And when I step outside, patronize local businesses, and
speak with the brave folks who are keeping them going, I sense something interesting.
On one hand, things feel very dark right now. Not just with COVID-19. But with the riots. The bitter
ideological divisions that are ripping our country apart. And, of course, the looming election.
But I also sense a deeper feeling of hope. A sense that we’re going through the darkest hour before
dawn. That the sun is about to rise again. And that a new and brighter day is almost here.
Respected professionals who are ready to rise to the occasion, show some civic leadership, and, really,
provide a voice of sanity amid this craziness. Respected professionals like YOU.
There are several means of doing this, obviously.
Some of which you’ve probably already thought about, and may even be doing. One additional thing
that attorneys can do to help is to become a public figure in the local news and media. Share some of
their wisdom, experience, and knowledge one a “one-to-many” basis. Inspire hope.
Folks really do face an unprecedented level of uncertainty.
Many are going through major life changes that have been forced on them. Some are facing divorce,
bankruptcy, bereavement, injury, loss of property. Almost all have faced the specter of death, and are
thinking carefully about the plans they need to put in place and the legacy they want to leave behind.
They need someone like you to guide them.
A light in the darkness.
Not only when they come into your office or jump on Zoom. But when they listen to the radio, read the
morning paper, browse the local news online. This can be your opportunity. If you’re ready to own it.
What makes me qualified to be your publisher?
It’s a fair question. And it deserves a real answer rather than a soundbite. So, if you’re new to our work
or just started reading our newsletters, please allow me to introduce myself properly.
My name is Tracy Merda. And I live out in Dallas, Texas with my husband, two little girls, and two
schnoodles named Max and Mini. I’m the Senior Project Manager here at Jacobs & Whitehall.
You might know me as the editor of Authoritas, a paid monthly magazine that is read by attorneys in
just about every state and practice area. However, that’s not my day job. My day job is to oversee the
creation, editing, publishing, and promotion of every book published by Jacobs & Whitehall.
In other words, it’s my personal responsibility — and privilege — to jump on the phone with every
attorney who decides to author a book with us, get their “raw” content down on paper, and see our
entire Speak-a-Book process through from beginning to end.
Since 2015, I’ve helped author more than 250 books.
That’s 250+ attorneys who, when we first jumped on the phone, had just a loosely formed idea of what
they wanted their book to be about. Now, they have a polished, tangible book. A book that is officially
published, with a registered ISBN and a Library of Congress Catalog number.
What made me qualified to be help them author a book about law?
And why should you trust me too?
Rather than toot my own horn, let me share with you something that one of our clients said. Because it
perfectly summarizes the key factor you should consider if you’re thinking of working with me.
Martin Asatrian, Esq., who you met earlier, has done several books with us now. In fact, my boss,
Richard Jacobs — who has a very particular sense of humor — describes Mr. Asatrian as a “serial
Merda-rer”. Especially now that we’re about to start work on a third book together.
Anyway, he contacted Mr. Asatrian to ask what he, as an attorney, believes makes me qualified to be
his publisher. Here’s what Attorney Asatrian wrote back:
Tracy has been outstanding. She is great, the format [i.e. Speak-a-
Book] is good. Her questions really do make your book, and I think she
puts a lot of time into it and she makes your life so much easier.
You see, it’s the questions that make the book.
Ask the wrong questions during the Deep Dive Interview, and you’ll get 90 pages of “fluff” content. Ask
the right questions, though, and you’ll get a solid book that helps position you as a respected authority.
It’s as simple as that.
No matter what practice area your new book is going to be about, I know exactly which questions are
going to help draw out your best content. Because I’ve been through this process so many times. My
ability to step into your potential clients’ shoes and quickly get to the heart of what makes you unique as
an attorney — it not only makes for a more compelling book, it makes the entire process easy, even
enjoyable. Attorney Asatrian and I spoke about this again recently, and he added:
The way you handled it [i.e. the Deep Dive Interview] allowed a lot to
come out of me. It’s almost like I was in the therapist’s room and it
was really good. It was so therapeutic and it helped out.
Quite frankly, my wife is disturbed about the relationship I have with
you as my publisher. You know way too much about me!
No… it was all delightful. I’m not just saying that. It was fun. I
didn’t go into it saying, “This is going to be transformative”. But it
was. It was transformative.
Authoring a book is a serious undertaking. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the process.
Please understand — I’m laying out my experience and sharing this praise not to brag or be
pretentious, but to explain in clear terms why you can trust me to help you author your new book.
The book you want and deserve.
In many ways, “speaking” a book is like mining a diamond.
You see, we don’t just accept any attorney into our Speak-a-Book program. The attorneys we select
are experienced attorneys. Professionals who have accumulated a wealth of knowledge, experience,
and wisdom. I’m talking about the kind of lawyer who has fought many battles over the course of their
career. They kind of litigator or counsel who has had plenty of time to reflect on what they do, who they
do it for, and why they do it — who, over the years, has formed their own distinct “philosophy of law”.
Does this describe you?
If so, you probably feel that you have a book inside your head. And it’s a book that has been slowly
forming over several decades of diligent practice. Slowly coming together. Am I right?
This book, though, is raw and disorganized. Like a diamond in the rough. The content is there,
somewhere — just waiting to be mined from your thoughts and put down to paper, so it can be cut into
shape, polished, and transformed into something you would be proud to show off to others.
If you had the time, you might take a month or two away from paid work, hide out in a cabin
somewhere, and write your memoir in front of a log fire. But you don’t. So your ideas stay locked away
inside your head. All that knowledge, experience, and wisdom — it remains a diamond in the rough.
What you need is…
A realistic way for a practicing attorney like you, whose time is far too valuable to spend writing, to
transform it into a solid book. A professional-looking book. An officially published book.
Enter the Speak-a-Book method.
It’s a novel, unique, and proprietary way to mine solid content and valuable ideas from the heads of
practicing attorneys and polish it into a book. A book that is professionally designed, has a registered
ISBN and Library of Congress catalog number, and is listed on Amazon and in Barnes & Noble.
How do we do it? The same way YOU kick ass: through the power of careful questioning.
You already understand the power of questions, I dare say, probably better than I do. You’ve seen how
questions can make or break a case in court. A smart, nuanced question can pull the right story from a
witness and, in just a few minutes, leave the jury with no doubt about your client’s innocence. Yet, a
clumsy or uninspired question can make the same guy or gal look guilty as sin, and leave jurors
doubting everything else that comes out of his or her mouth.
That’s why smart attorneys consider their questions carefully.
Our Speak-a-Book method is about using carefully considered questions to “mine” your best content
from your thoughts and get them down on paper in a way that is clear, coherent, and compelling.
A master gem cutter can, through many hours of focused work, turn a rough diamond into a piece of
brilliance that turns heads and makes people gasp. Along the same vein (so to speak), we can…
Provided the lawyer we’re working with has enough “carats” of raw content in their head. And the
reason we can do this is that we ask the right questions in the right order.
That’s how our Speak-a-Book method works.
It took 20-30 years for your book’s content to form in your head. Using this unique process, it takes just
2-3 hours for you to turn it into a book. It’s so simple, but also so clever.
On March 20th, 1920, the first ever flight from London to South Africa finally landed in Cape Town, to
much fanfare and applause. Do you know how long it took them? One and a half months.
Not days. Months.
Imagine if you would have said to people, back then, that in just a few decades, airplanes would fly
from London to Cape Town multiple times every day. And it would take just 12 hours.
They’d have laughed in your face. Yet, here we are.
What used to take one and half months now takes mere hours, requires just a tiny fraction of the cost,
and, generally speaking, doesn’t put your life at risk. That’s the power of innovation.
Along the same lines – we too have developed an innovative new method that allows attorneys to
finally author their own book and get it published. Attorneys whose time is too valuable to waste.
Attorneys who have dreamed of writing a book “someday”, but know it is probably never going to
happen — because they are always too busy helping other people and fighting their battles for them.
It’s called the Speak-a-Book method. And it requires just a tiny fraction of the time it would take if you
had to author your book the “old-fashioned” way. Just 2-3 hours. That’s all it takes to author a book that
is 100% your own words, thoughts, and intellectual property — and then get it officially published.
How do we do it? By completing the following five steps:
At this point, almost all of your work is done.
At the end of this step, we will send you a copy of the manuscript so you can review it and
suggest any changes that you feel are necessary. You may take as long as you need to review
it, and we will make as many changes as required.
Those are the five steps of our standard Speak-a-Book service. It takes almost all the labor and time
investment out of writing a book. Yet, you still…
Who knows?
In the near future, perhaps just a few years, this will be the way every professional authors their book.
People will look back at the “old-fashioned” way of writing a book in the same way you or I look back at
that first flight from London to Cape Town. (“Did it really take them a whole year?!”)
After all, when your time is as valuable and scarce as yours is, spending a year or longer writing your
book yourself — it makes about as much sense as spending one and half months flying to Cape Town
the old-fashioned way, when you could simply jump on a 747 and get there in less than a day.
Don’t you agree?
Right now, few attorneys know about this method. In fact, there is a good chance that you are the
ONLY lawyer in your metro/practice area who knows about this opportunity.
Many of your peers no doubt dream of authoring a book and using it to position themselves as the
authority and “go-to” attorney for a certain type of client or case. But they’re putting it off until “one day”.
Because they don’t yet realize there is a way to get their book done in just 2-3 hours of easy work.
This gives you a first-mover advantage.
And, using the bonus services and deliverables – which I’ll take you through in a second – you’ll be
able to transform this first-mover advantage into a durable competitive moat around your practice.
An authority platform that helps you:
How? By seizing the zeitgeist. By using your new book as a platform for positioning yourself as a
champion or “hero” of a cause, getting your (and your practice’s) name showing up repeatedly in the
local media, and becoming known as an attorney who is more than “just an attorney”.
The attorney who is seen as a respected pillar of his or her community.
A mature, magnanimous, and wise professional who is rising to the occasion, sharing their expertise in
a public domain, and, really, kindling a sense of hope. A shining light in these dark times.
Someone whose name is going to quickly become associated with a cause and a certain type of case.
The lawyer everyone wants fighting their corner, even if their problem is outside your practice area.
This is the power of pre-eminence. There’s never been a more perfect time to acquire this positioning.
And there’s never been an easier and more efficient way than through our unique service.
As you know, our service is called Speak-a-Book. It’s the only way for practicing attorneys to ethically
author a book without having to give up months of income. A book that helps elevate your positioning,
so you can attract more of your best cases and build a moat around your practice.
The following are the actual deliverables that every attorney gets from our standard Speak-a-Book
service. (It doesn’t include the bonus services and deliverables. I’ll reveal these in a minute.)
Here is what you get:
(Those benefits aside, more than 248 MILLION people shop on Amazon.com. And for anyone
with an internet connection, it’s the first place they turn to when browsing for a book about any
topic. For some of our clients, their Amazon page is now a source of quality leads.)
Those are the tangibles you get from our standard service.
And if you choose the Speak-a-Book Platinum service, you also get:
somebody clicks your name (or types it into Google), they see an author page with all four of
your books listed.
As far as we know, there are only three ways to author a book.
First way, you can write it yourself.
The “old-fashioned” way. You stop taking on cases for a while, lock yourself in your office, and get it
written. How long does it take? In theory, a month sounds about right. You need to come up with a
compelling concept and hook. Then you need to outline the content, get a first draft down on paper, and
then edit it into a polished manuscript. And then, you need to lay out that manuscript so it resembles a
professional book, register an ISBN and Library of Congress catalog number, design front and back
covers, and get it published on Amazon.com, in Barnes & Noble, and on Audible.
That’s a lot of labor. So, although in theory you can squeeze it into a month of work, if you experience
writer’s block get bogged down in some of the tech (i.e. Microsoft Word/Publisher, graphic formats,
etc.), in practice it could take you longer. But let’s just say it takes four weeks…
According to Clio’s 2019 Legal Trends report, the average attorney racks up 2.5 hours of billable work
per day. That’s 12.5 hours per week. And, with 4.33 weeks in the average month, works out to just over
54 lost billable hours. What’s your hourly rate? Most attorneys, according to the same report, charge
between $297 and $398 per billable hour. Let’s just call it $300 to be conservative.
You’re going to lose $16,200.
Assuming of course, that your hourly fee is only $300, everything flows smoothly, and you don’t
experience writer’s block. (And, that you’re already proficient with the required tech.)
What about the second way?
You can hire a ghostwriter. A professional author who can get inside your head, discern your
philosophy of law, and write a book on your behalf. A short while ago, we emailed half a dozen for
quotes. The most expensive one came back at $35,000. The most affordable at $19,250. And the
others around the $25,000 mark. So, again, for the sake of being conservative, let’s just say it costs
$19,250 to hire a ghostwriter. That’s several thousand dollars more than writing it yourself. However, it’s
going to save you many, many hours of outlining content, drafting, editing, re-writing, laying out into a
book, creating graphics, and going through the whole publishing process and that hassle.
Not only that, if you’re an attorney who doesn’t particularly enjoy writing, working with a ghostwriter is
going to save your sanity. That said, they are not mind readers. Any ghostwriter who is worth his or her
salt is going to want to spend many hours following you around, interviewing you, and getting into your
head so they can learn how you think. Or, at least, try their best to approximate it.
Also, don’t forget – even though the finished book will have your name on the cover and photo on the
back, it’s not your work. It doesn’t contain your own words. And so, it’s not really your book.
I’ve shared these options with over 200 attorneys, and every single one told me the same thing:
It is categorically unethical for an attorney to pass off another person’s work as their own. So, hiring a
ghostwriter is not an option. But if it were, you should expect to pay at least $19,250.
The third option, of course, is to go through our Speak-a-Book program. As you’ve seen, this service
takes almost all the work out of authoring a book. It’s even easier than hiring a ghostwriter, and it’s
100% ethical. This is because the resulting book contains nothing but your own words and ideas.
If anything, our Speak-a-Book program is even more valuable than hiring a ghostwriter. Wouldn’t you
agree? So, if we wanted to charge $19,200 for the service we provide, we would be well within our
rights and it would be worth every last dime. We’d have no problem filling our project calendar.
But we don’t charge $19,200. In fact, your investment for authoring a book using our Speak-a-Book
service isn’t even half of this fee. For a reason that I’ll share with you in a moment.
What is the fee for our Speak-a-Book service?
$5,997.
(You can pay this in one payment, or across two monthly payments of $3,199.)
That’s the required investment to finally get some of the knowledge, experience, and wisdom out your
head and down on paper – to transform your smarts into an asset that elevates your positioning.
An authority asset that will help you attract more of your favorite cases. Help you command premium
fees and beat out cheaper competitors. Help you win the trust of high-value referral partners. Help you
get your name and your practice featured in the local media, by positioning you as a respected expert.
Ultimately, help you build the prestigious law practice you always dreamed of owning.
Ready to jump on the phone and get the ball rolling on your new book?
Click the button below to apply.
We will set you up with a strategy call with one of our top consultants, who’ll be able to run you through
the finer points of our program and tell you what you can expect if you are accepted.
(He’s not here to “hard-sell” you on authoring a book with us. If, after taking a look at your situation, it
looks like our Speak-a-Book program is not right for you, he’ll say so. There are only so many projects
we can take on, and we would prefer to give one of these limited spots to an attorney who is likely to
see a material improvement to their practice’s positioning and marketing. Not just anybody.)
Apply today. We’re looking forward to talking with you.
The following services and deliverables are NOT part of the standard Speak-a-Book package. They are
optional upgrades which we usually offer to authors after we publish their finished book.
And, together, they are worth $3,950.
You will get all of them on the house, complimentary, for no additional charge. Provided that you apply
for the Speak-a-Book program before the end of September 2020. And, that you are one of the first 20
attorneys to be accepted. (We cannot offer more than twenty spots, due to the labor involved.)
This special package is about one thing, and one thing only:
This is a fantastic way to build your authority.
When a potential client lands on your website, and he or she sees logos of newspapers, magazines,
radio programs, and TV stations they recognize, it creates immediate trust. It also elevates your
positioning viz-a-viz other attorneys and law firms who don’t have this kind of media profile.
These logos, name-drops, and hyperlinks to online articles and videos are signals — signals that YOU
are a public figure, even if just on a local scale, and that YOUR opinion is considered important.
What attorney doesn’t want that advantage?
Yet, there’s another, even more powerful effect at play. One that we talked about earlier: when folks
become used to seeing your name in the news, especially in relation to a cause.
It’s what I call “hero” or “champion” positioning.
Potentials, referral partners, media professionals, and, eventually, ordinary members of the public see
you as the attorney for a specific cause. The attorney who “not only” wrote the book on a certain type of
person with a certain type of legal need, but also stands up for them and their interests.
A great high-profile example of this (whatever you think of them):
Gloria Allred and Lisa Bloom.
These two are always in the media. And whenever news of another scandal breaks, the biggest
newspapers and TV stations in the country beat a path to their doors with cameras and mic booms,
eager for a quote and a photo. Now, we can’t make you the next Gloria Allred or Lisa Bloom. (Would
you even want that?) You can, however, position yourself as a smaller, local version of that.
As the attorney in your metro people immediately think of when news breaks of a story related to your
area of practice — or when someone’s daughter, nephew, or neighbor needs the best lawyer they can
afford. As the attorney who gets the first (and often only) call, before they start shopping around on
Avvo or FindLaw, or searching Google. How? By championing a cause or an ideal.
Liam Neeson said it best, in Batman Begins: “If you make yourself more than just a man. If you devote
yourself to an ideal. You’ll become something else entirely. A legend, Mr. Wayne. A legend.”
I call this “hero” positioning. It’s the secret to getting you and/or your law office in the news.
And when you have it working for you, when you make it your asset (rather than waiting around for a
competitor to beat you to it) — you’ll be able to build a personal brand that’s so powerful, every man,
woman, and legal person in your metro wants you fighting their corner, even if you can’t help them.
This special bonus package will help you leverage your new book to get in the media.
Here’s what you get:
(This list is going to cost us $300 to assemble by hand.)
We recently partnered with a media company, who has given us consulting and training on how
to dig out the kind of hooks and human-interest angles that are catnip to journalists. A good PR
professional or media consultant would charge $500 at least for this service.
($500 value.)
Third – Our copy chief, who is a six-figure copywriter, is going to personally write TWO press
releases for you and your new book. This service costs $500 per piece, and we will be covering
the cost out of our own pocket. Why? Because we are INVESTED. We want to see more of our
authors get featured in the news. It’s good for our brand. And it’s good for you too.
($1,000 value.)
Fourth – We’re going to send multiple copies of each press release to the contacts on our
hand-built media list, along with copies of your new book. Not only through email, but through
direct mail and fax as well. And we will follow up multiple times to make sure they see them.
(Estimated $150-200 in printing, packaging, and mailing costs.)
Finally – We can act as your media agent. If you would prefer not to have to deal with
journalists and media contacts directly, we can take care of the communication with them on
your behalf and handle all responses, requests for more information, and follow-ups, etc.
($1,000 value.)
This is the “RISE” bonus package. Complimentary with every book project. And if you were on the
fence about applying to the Speak-a-Book program and authoring a book with us, I hope this makes
you want to apply right now and talk shop. Because it represents fantastic value. Do you agree?
$3,950 of real retail value, as a matter of fact. And you get it on the house.
Ready to jump on the phone and talk shop? Apply today using the button below. We’ll set you up with a
call with our top consultant, and see if Speak-a-Book makes sense for your practice.
Do we guarantee results for the Speak-a-Book program, or for any of the services that we’re going to
provide as part of the special “RISE” bonus package? No. Absolutely not.
In fact, I’m going to be perfectly straight with you — there are a lot of attorneys out there who probably
won’t see a positive return on their investment in authoring a Speak-a-Book with us.
Why not?
Because a lot of attorneys aren’t cut out for authority positioning, much less to become seen as a
“champion” or “hero” figure. Due to their lack of experience, lack of ambition, or their unwillingness to
set themselves apart from their peers. For this reason, Speak-a-Book isn’t open to everyone.
We have a selection process.
We won’t offer a place to any attorney until one of my most trusted consultants has had a chance to talk
with them on the phone, get to know them better, learn more about their background and their practice
and their situation, and ensure that our positioning strategy is a good fit for them right now.
If it’s not, we won’t offer one of our limited spots.
Even if they insist on throwing money at us. Because we’re a boutique publishing house, and there are
only so many book projects and authors we can support at any one time. Whenever new spots open,
we’d rather offer them to an attorney who is likely to see a stellar return on their investment with us.
Not out of charity. But because it simply makes good business sense.
How do you apply to the Speak-a-Book program? Click the button below to start the application
process. We’ll set you up with a call with our top consultant Dennis, and we’ll take it from there.
So, you’re interested in our Speak-a-Book program.
You’re ready to get your own New-York-publisher-quality book and attract more of your most lucrative
cases. And our unique method for authoring a book in just 2-3 hours makes a lot of sense to you.
What now? The next step is to apply for a spot in our book project calendar.
At this stage, you don’t need to pay anything or enter your credit card details. You just need to
complete a short online form and tell us more about you. It takes about 5 minutes. When you click the
submit button on this form, your completed application will be sent to one of my top consultants. They
will review your answers carefully, carry out some preliminary desk research, and see if there’s a
mutual fit. If there is, we’ll set up a complimentary strategy session. Sound good?
As I said before, this strategy session isn’t a shameless sales pitch. It’s an interactive consultation. Our
aim is to get an accurate sense of how authoring a is likely to create value for you and your practice. So
that we, and you too, can make an informed “yes/no” decision on working together.
Depending on how this consultation goes, and on our availability, my consultant will formally offer you a
spot in our Speak-a-Book program and confirm that you are eligible for the September “RISE” package.
This will be in the form of a written proposal.
You can take it away, read through it carefully, and then return it to us signed. Provided you do this
within seven days of receiving the offer, you will qualify for all the complimentary bonuses above.
Ready to take the next step? Here’s where you need to go to apply:
Over the previous pages, you’ve seen how you can author and publish an authority book in just 2-3
hours of easy work, using our Speak-a-Book method. You saw how more than 250 other attorneys (so
far) have used this unique service to project more authority, beat out competitors, attract more of their
favorite type of cases, and command the fees their experience deserves.
You’ve seen how, with the right approach, it’s possible to use your new book as a platform for getting
your name and your firm featured in the media. Not just as an attorney and an expert on law. But as a
champion of a cause. As a respected pillar of your community. As a light in these dark times.
And, to help you seize the zeitgeist and make the final months of this pandemic your opportunity to rise
as THE pre-eminent attorney in your city or metro, we’ve prepared a special package of bonuses.
$3,950 of additional marketing assets, which you get on the house — provided you are one of the first
twenty attorneys who applies to, and is accepted into, our Speak-a-Book program.
Now it’s time for a decision.
The way I see it, you have three options. And either one is fine.
Option #1: Do nothing, and stay where you are right now. Forget about authoring a book. Forget about
getting in the news, raising your local profile, and becoming a respected pillar of your community. Let
another attorney seize this moment. You continue rocking and rolling with your current positioning.
If you already have all the cases you need, and you’re perfectly satisfied with the kind of clients you’re
attracting right now, and you want to go “back to school” as normal, this is the best option for you.
Because you probably don’t need to author a book.
However, if you need to attract more of your most lucrative, most interesting, or most fulfilling cases,
that leaves you with two other options. (And both of them are perfectly valid.)
Option #2: Author a book yourself.
We’ve already talked about this. It’s going to cost you dearly, both in terms of your time, your sanity,
and the ~$16,000 you would lose in billable hours.
However, I recognize that some attorneys have their heart set on writing a book one day, when they
can find the time. As strange as it might sounds to you or me, they cherish the idea of disconnecting
from the world and their life for a few months and pouring their soul into a true labor of love.
Good for them, I say. Each to their own.
Option #3: Let us do almost all the work for you, and help transform your experience and wisdom into
a professionally published book. A book that is your own words and ideas. A book that you will be
proud to hand out to potentials, clients, and partners. And with just 2-3 hours of easy work required.
All you need to do is follow the process we have refined and perfected through authoring more than
250 legal books. You just need to show up for a couple of calls, and answer my interview questions. In
as little as 30-45 days, you will receive a book manuscript, ready for you to review and approve.
No writer’s block. No grinding it out in front of a computer for weeks or months straight. No need to give
up work and income. Let us turn your spoken words into a book. Let’s finally get that book done.
These are the three possible paths you can take to move forward and make the most out of this unique
opportunity that you have right now to rise. And, out of these options, you need to ask yourself:
Which one is going to be easier for you?
You see, when the rubber meets the road, there are only two types of attorneys in this world…
Those who dream about being the dominant attorney in their metro/practice area, but aren’t willing to
take a chance and invest in something that none of their peers are doing. And those who are willing to
seize an opportunity and make it their advantage, before their competitor learn about it.
Most attorneys SAY they want to be the top dog.
But you and I both know, when an opportunity to step ahead of the pack presents itself, very few have
the courage to try something different. That’s why potentials treat them the same as everyone else.
That’s the price of authority positioning.
That’s what you need, if you want folks to see you as a champion, as a respected pillar of your
community, and maybe even a “hero” figure. The guts to put yourself out there and do something that
other attorneys in your metro/practice area are not, something they may even scorn.
Since you’re still reading this, and you haven’t closed this browser tab in disgust, I think you are one of
the few who are cut out for this kind of authority and hero positioning.
An attorney with the moral courage to step up and be a leader.
An attorney who has the guts to RISE to the occasion.
If I’m right and you’re still with me, I’m ready to jump on the phone with you in the coming days — so we
can get the ball rolling on your book, and make you the authority in your metro/practice area.
Only you can decide, though.
If you’re ready to do this, click the button below to apply to the Speak-a-Book program now:
That’s right. I’m being deadly serious with you. It’s an opportunity that’s on the table for every attorney
who is accepted into the Speak-a-Book program. And it’s not as ridiculous as it first sounds.
Something to consider:
The total investment to get your book written, published, and out there in the world working for you is
$5,997. And I use the word “investment” in the truest sense of the word. Because the objective of this,
for the kind of attorney we accept as an author — is to attract more of your more lucrative cases.
For most of our clients, all it takes is one. One new case, just once. A case that would otherwise have
gone to a competitor. And the investment in their new book now generates a positive return.
In other words…
Let me ask you an honest question:
Imagine that it’s a few months from now. You are now a published author. You are the attorney who
literally wrote the book on your favorite type of client’s case or legal need. And you are recognized as
the authority of this particular niche. Moreover, you’re seen as the champion of people who find
themselves in your clients’ shoes. An attorney who is seen as more than just a lawyer.
When folks read the news, or listen to the radio, or watch TV, your name comes up every once in a
while. And when someone they know mentions that they need a lawyer, your name is the first that
comes to mind – before they start shopping around on Avvo or Google for an attorney.
When potentials come into your office for a case review of consultation, you have a physical book that
you can hand to them to take home and read. A solid book that beats out cheaper competitors.
You no longer have to “sell” your service. Because potentials come to you pre-sold on retaining you.
They already know, like, and trust you. They already know you’re the authority on cases like theirs and
the champion for people like them. They expect to pay top dollar, and they do not mind. Because they
want YOU fighting their corner. They want YOU standing up for their rights, protecting their interests.
Not just any attorney. But YOU. And they are hoping that you will accept their case.
Tell me…
Is it reasonable to expect at least one new case from this kind of positioning?
AYE or NAY.
You know your practice better than I do. So, only you can answer this.
However, if you can see all these advantages getting you at least one new case, maybe even two or
three, then authoring a Speak-a-Book is a no-brainer. In which case, I’d urge you to apply right now.
Because this September “RISE” offer is only available to the first 20 attorneys we accept.
When the final book project has been offered and accepted to another attorney, we will still be able to
accept your application. But the special “RISE” package will be off the table.
Strike while the iron is hot.
Follow the link below, complete the short form (takes ~5 mins), and if it looks like your practice is a fit,
we’ll set you up with a call with my top consultant. Potentially, you and I could be on the phone,
planning your new book and brainstorming ideas in just a matter of days.
Ready to do this?
If you are, here’s the next step:
On the fence about applying to the Speak-a-Book program?
If so, here’s one last thing to consider:
A lot of attorneys will happily lay down $4-5k+ a month to put their smiling mug on a billboard, or pay
thousands for mass advertising or publicity. Maybe you’ve done this too.
If so, you’ll know that it’s not very effective. Most attorneys are lucky if their ads generate a few
lukewarm leads calling to ask how much they charge.
Why is that?
It’s because one does not simply explain what sets you apart from other attorneys with a five-word
slogan and a cheesy smile. “Have you been injured?” says nothing about you and your firm, and
conveys absolutely no authority. What’s worse…
My two cents of advice:
Maybe our Speak-a-Book service is right for you, and maybe it’s not. Regardless of whether or not we
end up working together, take that money — the $4-5k+ per month that you’d otherwise spend on
advertising — and use it to build your own marketing platform. One that enhances your image.
The kind of deep content we’ll be creating together is classy. It positions you as an authority, as a
respected pillar of your community, as an attorney who cares about his or her clients and is in it for
more than just money. It gives you pre-eminence. It’s something you will feel proud about showing off
to peers, colleagues from other professions, even your friends and family. And when people type your
name into Google, the official author pages (for Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble) they see will put
your absolute best foot forward. It’s the most respectable business card you could ever ask for.
The book we’re going to publish together goes deeper than a billboard slogan. It provides potentials
with the clarity, insight, and reassurance they need to feel comfortable hiring the right attorney.
It takes them through the “know, like, and trust” process before they pick up the phone. So that, by the
time they’re speaking with you, they’ve already made up their mind that you are their “guy” or “gal”.
You see, for most attorneys, when they get to the end of a case evaluation or consultation and the big
moment comes, potentials always ask the same question. “How much is this going to cost me?”
You’ve been in this game long enough to know what is implied:
“I’ve already met with another attorney, and I have appointments set up with two more a few blocks
away. I’m probably going to hire the one that is cheapest. So, what do you charge?”
At the end of your case reviews, though, potentials will instead ask:
Those three additional words, right there, are the essence of authority positioning as an attorney.
The implied meaning behind them is:
“Yes, I realize that you’re probably not the cheapest attorney in town. However, I want you – and you
specifically – to help me with this, and I’m willing to pay more for that privilege.”
The only way to get this authority positioning is through building a platform.
You want to be just another option? Spend the money on a billboard or a radio ad. And prepare to pay
the price later. But if you want to be an authority, click the button below and apply to our Speak-a-Book
program now. We’re ready to help you author and publish the book you deserve.
Q: “What is this Speak-a-Book service?”
It’s a unique and proprietary process — which we have developed through almost a decade of
continuous improvement, and through helping more than 250 experienced attorneys like you become
published authors — that helps you author a book in less time than it takes to watch a movie, without
writing a single word. (You can read more about it on this page.)
You and one of our top Speak-a-Book consultants will jump on the phone and agree on a high-level
overview of the content and structure of your book. They will then go away and craft a set of carefully
worded questions that are designed to “extract” this content from your head by means of an interview.
The interview sessions (usually two, but sometimes three) are transcribed, and the transcription edited,
chopped up, and rearranged into a manuscript. After you have approved the manuscript, our team of
designers will turn it into a finished book. You will then approve the book, or propose further edits,
before we publish it on Amazon.com and in Barnes & Noble.
Q: “What is the total investment to write a book?”
$5,997.
Q: “Is there a payment plan option?”
Yes. You can split the fee into two payments of $3,199.
Q: “Can I take advantage of this special bonus package for multiple Speak-a-Book projects? I
would like to author a book for a few different legal problems and/or practice areas?”
Yes!
In fact, whenever we offer a special package like this, several attorneys do just that — which is part of
the reason why the limited number of project spots are often snapped up faster than we expected.
Q: “How do I sign up as your next author?”
Access to the Speak-a-Book program is strictly by invitation only. This publishing and positioning
strategy is not right for every attorney, and there are only a limited number of authors that we can
support at a given time. For this reason, we are selective about who we accept into this program.
If you think that your law practice is a fit for the Platform program, the next step is to complete a short
application. You can do that by visiting www.jacobsandwhitehall.com/attorneys/speak-a-book/apply/.
Alternatively, you can call (888) 570-7338.
We will review your submitted application carefully. And if it looks like your practice is a fit, the next step
is to get on the phone with one of our consultants, who will be able to talk you through the finer points
of the program and answer any questions you might have.
Depending on how this consultation plays out – and our ability to take on new authors – our consultant
will offer you a written proposal and a place on the Speak-a-Book program.
Q: “Is there a waiting list for new clients?”
Yes, there is sometimes a modest waiting list of 1-3 months.
However, for special exceptions, our consultant has the authority to skip the waiting list and start
working on one or two new book projects immediately. We do this for attorneys whose situation is
urgent, or for attorneys who we feel are an exceptional fit for the Speak-a-Book program.
Our consultant will talk to you about this.
