Write for Nolo

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Write for Nolo.com

Would you like to share your expert knowledge by writing articles for the millions of people who visit Nolo's award-winning website? We encourage you to submit articles to Nolo, following these guidelines.

Topics

When you're choosing a topic, keep firmly in mind that Nolo's mission is to provide relevant, practical information to nonlawyers. Review our website to become familiar with Nolo's writing style and the types of issues we cover.

Length

Articles must be between 600 and 1,300 words.

Style and Content

Here are some practical tips to help you write articles.

Provide practical, unbiased information. Avoid long narratives, legal history, and sensational language.

Use plain English. Avoid legalese and flowery language. Remember that most readers are not lawyers.

Don't submit a law review article. The average nonlawyer should be able to understand the article and find it interesting and informative.

Limit discussion of personal experiences or cases. Refer to a personal experience or case only if it helps explain a legal concept or provides a good example of what's discussed in the article. Don't discuss the size of monetary judgments or settlements that you helped obtain.

Don't promote yourself. Consumers trust Nolo's website because it is not filled with self-promotional material. (If you are an advertiser in Nolo's Lawyer Directory, you can tell readers all about yourself in your Lawyer Directory profile.)

Write a good first paragraph. The first paragraph should state what the article is about and offer a conclusion (when appropriate) so that readers can decide right away if the article will answer their question. Don't start with a case or client story.

Keep paragraphs short. When possible, use subject headings to break up paragraphs, and use bulleted lists when including a list of items or issues.

Be willing to revise. The best writing comes from several "eyes" and revisions. Nolo's expert editors will edit your article and may request revisions.

Byline

Your name, company or law firm name, type of law practice, and city will appear in the byline. (For example, "John Doe, an employment lawyer with Doe, Doe & Doe, practices law in Sacramento, California.")

If you are an advertiser in Nolo's Lawyer Directory, your byline will link to your Lawyer Directory profile.

How to Submit an Article

Send an email with the article attached as a Word document to articles@nolo.com. If your article is accepted for publication, a Nolo editor will edit it and send the finished article to you for approval. Guest authors do not receive compensation for articles.

How to Submit a Book Proposal

If you're interested in writing a book for Nolo, see our guidelines.