Janet Ellen Raasch of Constant Content [LexBlog Q & A, Part 1 of 2]
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After years of contributing content to various websites, legal writer and ghostwriter Janet Ellen Raasch decided it was time to start writing for herself. "I had lurked long enough and wanted to start to interact," she says. She's now set up at Constant Content, where she houses her vast repository of books and articles and blogs about marketing, social media and other law blogs.
Janet's background in journalism and experience as a writer has made for a relatively smooth transition to blogging. "I use my blog as a vehicle to bridge the gap between traditional journalism in a print environment and 'citizen journalism' in a Web 2.0 environment," she says. She also talked about how past experience as a graphic designer helped in planning the layout of the distinctive design of her blog
We caught up with Janet for an email LexBlog Q&A, which yielded so much feedback that we're going to run it in two parts. Check back Thursday for part 2.
See the first part of our email exchange with Janet (after the jump).
Lisa Kennelly: Why did you decide to start a blog?
Janet Ellen Raasch: I started a blog because my consulting business needs a robust, RSS-enhanced Internet “home.” I built my writing and ghostwriting practice over the years by contributing free bylined content to other online sites – with the stipulation that these sites include my name, descriptive language and contact information along with the article.
With the advent of Web 2.0 and its vastly increased opportunities for conversation on the Internet, I realized that I needed an online location that would add credibility to my practice – generating content – and allow me to participate more actively in the ongoing conversation. Since I was monitoring 110 law-related blogs on my aggregator, I wanted to be able to comment on those discussions and provide links back to my relevant articles (and posts). I had lurked long enough and wanted to start to interact. I needed an online “office” that featured my work product.
I started a blog because I need a repository for the many articles and books that appear under my own name. (The site does not include the ghostwritten work I do for hire, for obvious reasons.) I need to self-publish. In addition, I want to teach. I have a graduate degree in journalism and taught this subject at the university level for ten years. I use my blog as a vehicle to bridge the gap between traditional journalism in a print environment and “citizen journalism” in a Web 2.0 environment.
Lisa Kennelly: What has been most rewarding about blogging?
Janet Ellen Raasch: The answer to this question will evolve as my blog evolves and I become a more experienced blogger. So far, I have been blogging for about one month. What I find most rewarding is the convenience of having all of my work in one place (and the ability to refer potential clients to this collection of work product samples), the professional “credential” a good-looking blog provides, and the opportunity to discuss the subject of citizen journalism (a benefit that I hadn’t really anticipated at the outset).
Lisa Kennelly: What has been most challenging?
Janet Ellen Raasch: The most challenging part of blogging came prior to launch – when I had to upload more than 100 work product files in different formats to the site and figure out a way to make them work within the somewhat standardized construct of a blog. The good folks at LexBlog were a great help in this process! The actual posting of new content is no problem at all. I am a writer and a teacher by profession, so this comes to me very naturally. In fact, I enjoy it so much that I have to limit myself to posting twice a week – so it doesn’t distract from the big stack of “paying” work I need do for my clients!
Lisa Kennelly: Your blog has a striking, unique design. Where did the inspiration for it come from and what response have you received from readers?
Janet Ellen Raasch: I have received quite a few positive comments on my design. Graphic design was one of the journalism courses I taught at the university level, and I used early online programs to so some graphic design for clients – but I haven’t kept up with it. But this experience really helps when it comes time to work with a graphic designer on a print or online project. I am very sensitive to how online layout affects the readability of a Web site.
The white owl came to me in a very significant dream when I was young and has long been a personal “totem” of mine. In Greek mythology, the owl is the companion of Athena, the goddess of wisdom. A ghostwriter must be wise, “fly high” enough above a writing assignment to see what is important and how it fits into the larger marketing landscape, and attack the assignment fiercely, tenaciously and with focus.
The hard part was finding the exact image of an owl to make all of those statements! There are a lot of images of “cute” owls out there. I did not want cute; I wanted intense. I did a lot of research myself, which led me to believe that I wanted a graphic rather than a photograph – but I could never find the right one. That’s where the folks at LexBlog were a great help. I told them what I had in mind and they found it for me on the first try.
Check back Thursday for Part 2 of our interview, where Janet discusses her journalism background and how lawyers can benefit from blogging.
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