[The latest in our series of Q&A discussions on successful writing in the business realm with recipients of JD Supra's 2016 Readers' Choice award:]

Linn  F. Freedman is a partner at Robinson & Cole in Providence, RI, is an adjunct professor at Brown University and Roger Williams University School of Law, and writes for Data Privacy + Security Insider. Two years ago she began blogging purely for client consumption but since then her readership has grown. Freedman has developed a niche as a thought-leader in data privacy and security issues and continues to intertwine her expertise in the field with her desire to teach by writing content on topics you can’t find in the mainstream media.

How did you get started?

Data privacy and security issues exploded and I wanted to make sure our clients were kept abreast of the issues they needed to be aware of in this fast-paced area of law. I was issuing client alerts on pertinent and current data privacy and access issues so frequently that we started compiling all of them in a weekly email and from there we started a blog.

...I gather information for my articles from a multitude of sources every day

What is your writing process?

I spend the first hour of my day looking to see changes in data privacy that happened yesterday. I write five to ten articles a week. I gather information for my articles from a multitude of sources every day and then I usually end up writing most of my articles over the weekend.

How have your expectations for your blog changed since it began two years ago?

It started as a client service mechanism. I didn’t know a lot about blogging, I just knew we needed a quicker way to get information to our clients. Then, affiliating with JD Supra, our readership grew exponentially. Today, two years later, we’re getting information quickly and efficiently to our clients, but from a brand recognition point of view, we’re reaching a larger audience than I initially expected. We are read by, seen by and known by a much wider audience and JD Supra has done an amazing job of getting our content out to readers in the public. This recognition has led to speaking opportunities, client engagements, and entities and clients coming to us as thought-leaders. It’s very fun when we get our monthly numbers to see how many people have read our content and how many companies are following us. That’s the power of the Internet.

This recognition has led to speaking opportunities, client engagements, and entities and clients coming to us as thought-leaders.

What inspires you to write?

The true motivation was to keep our clients informed because it is a very daunting and intimidating field. We very rarely write on what is on the front page of the Wall Street Journal or New York Times because everybody already knows about it. I write on areas that I believe will benefit our clients and that they might not know about or have access to otherwise. I like to find areas that are helpful to risk management issues, nuanced issues, and new laws and regulations that clients might not know about through the mainstream media. 

We’re technology and risk driven and we want people to know about the issues before laws and regulations come out.

I write on areas that I believe will benefit our clients and that they might not know about or have access to otherwise.

How do you benefit from your writing?

Personally, I enjoy it. I like finding things that readers will respond to; I get personal satisfaction out of teaching. I like sharing knowledge and it’s fun because you can reach a lot of people and I particularly enjoy the responses. And then when you get your name out there as a thought-leader it leads to speaking opportunities and new client engagements and existing clients having confidence in your abilities and your expertise.

I try to write more like a reporter than a lawyer.

What does success mean for you as a writer?

Success means the content is quick, efficient and easy to understand. I try to write more like a reporter than a lawyer. Success means the recipient can take something from what we write, get value from it and apply it.

What advice do you have for writers just starting out?

Keep it short. Keep it easy to read. Write on things that interest you. Don’t write to your audience, pick a topic that floats your boat. Your passion is going to come through and it will be more interesting to the reader.

*

[Linn was recognized as a top author in multiple categories in JD Supra's 2016 Readers' Choice awards. Follow her latest writings here.]