By Javacia Harris Bowser
Three years ago when Keith Lee was in his last year of law school the job market was bleak for young lawyers. Lee knew he needed to do something to make himself stand out. So he started a blog.
Lee’s blog Associate’s Mind soon became one of the most popular law blogs around and eventually landed him a book deal with the American Bar Association.
Lee’s first book, The Marble and the Sculptor, was released last week and is shaping up to be the fastest selling book the ABA has published.
Despite the success of his blog and debut book, Lee says, “I still have trouble thinking of myself as a writer.”
The Marble and the Sculptor is intended to be a manual for young lawyers but has life advice that could be useful to anyone in any career. The book’s title is from a quote by the controversial Nobel Prize-winning surgeon and biologist Alexis Carrel: “Man cannot remake himself without suffering, for he is both the marble and the sculptor.”
And this title speaks to the essence of the book: self-transformation. Lee, who works at Hamer Law Group in Birmingham, Ala., told The Birmingham News: “That quote describes the transitions I made in life to grow. It’s not so much adding to my life, it’s what I’m cutting away from it that matters.”
Just as Lee’s book can be useful to people who aren’t lawyers, his blogging journey has lessons for bloggers of any niche.
While working on his book, Lee continued to blog regularly, practice law, spend time with his wife and son, and attend networking events around Birmingham.
“Sleep is for the weak,” Lee says with a laugh, adding that he doesn’t watch much TV. He does, however, make time to exercise regularly as it gives him the energy he needs to be efficient and productive.
Though Lee still struggles to see himself as a writer, he’s accomplished what many writers dream of doing: landing book deals through their blogs.
When the ABA conducted a survey asking their young lawyers division where they turn for industry news, Lee’s Associate’s Mind blog was one of the top three websites these young attorneys listed. And so when the ABA wanted to publish a book for emerging lawyers, they knew Lee was just the person they needed.
Lee says he built his following largely through online networking. He stresses the importance of commenting on other blogs. Find other bloggers in your niche and become a part of their communities, he says.
Instead of depending on social media, Lee says, “Email is king.” When he was growing his blog Lee would often share, via email, interesting and important information with popular law bloggers. To show appreciation, those bloggers would then mention Lee in the posts related to the information he passed along. And after Lee built relationships with these established bloggers they were also willing to promote Lee’s site more directly.
This type of marketing takes time, Lee says, but it works.
“It’s about providing value to other people,” he says.
Keith Lee’s book launch party for The Marble and The Sculptor will be held Nov. 14 starting at 5:30 p.m. at Aloft Hotel, 1903 29th Ave S. in Homewood. The event is free and open to the public.