Discovering Valiulis
If you’re an attorney at some great big law firm, and you’ve just been asked to write a client alert, and it has to be ready in two days (why else call it an alert?), and you’ve never written such a thing before, and no one’s ever shown you how, and you’re wondering where to begin, start here:
Read what’s written!
Now, if you don’t much care whether people read your alert, or whether they find it timely or informative or well written, review some alerts published by your firm. You’ll see what’s acceptable (or accepted as passable).
But if you want to gather an audience, if you want to attract potential clients or impress potential employers (i.e., if you want to get something from your effort), then take a look at the alerts of Anthony Valiulis of Much Shelist. You’ll see what works.
Here’s one good example of a Valiulis alert.
Now, that isn’t really an alert. (After all, who publishes alerts on a regular schedule?) But it is a good example of an effective writing style for an alert. People will take their time to read alerts articles written the way Valiulis writes his. Which means his alerts (or articles) might do some good (i.e., persuade people to consider Valiulis).
Note: If people don’t read your alert (or whatever it is) you cranked out in two days, then you wasted the time you spent writing it. You could have spent that time being productive.
