Writing is an important skill that people in different areas of life use to pass information or personal opinions to others. Writing for publication goes beyond the ordinary writings that people engage in for the day-to-day running of their businesses. One can define it as scholarly writing that involves research, adequate planning, documentation, and is meant for public consumption. It includes academic writing, media writing, creative writing, etc. Some examples are research papers, features/articles, news, editorials, letters to the editor, books, and many more.

The basic reasons for writing for publication are to inform, educate, explain, argue, or entertain, but the writer’s primary aim may include to disseminate information and influence the course of events in society. Meanwhile, a more objective aim for academic writing is to discover and refine knowledge.

Each type of writing has some features peculiar to it. While academic writings demand clarity, conciseness, originality, review of literature, methodology, or well-tailored research, creative writing may adopt other forms or styles that emphasize their types of writing. This may include the narrative, argumentative, descriptive, expository, or some other forms and styles.