• 3-minute read
• 21st October 2018

4 Tips on Writing for a Non-Academic Audience

If you are passionate about your subject area, you may want to share your knowledge with the public. Getting your work read by a wide audience looks great on your CV, too. But writing for a non-academic audience is not like normal academic writing. If you want to reach an audience beyond your colleagues, then, you may want to check out our tips below.

1. Who Are You Writing For?

Your writing should reflect who you are writing for. You may therefore want to read other articles from the publication you are writing for to get a sense of who it is aimed at and its general tone. You may also want to read articles on similar topics to gauge the level of public knowledge.

If you have an idea for an article without a specific publication in mind, however, you may want to visit your university’s media relations department to see whether they have advice or contacts to share.

2. Hooking the Reader

When writing for a non-academic audience, you need to hook your reader from the first lines. One way to do this is to pose a question. For example, for an article about artificial intelligence, we might begin by asking:

Could a computer do your job? And what does the rise of AI in the workplace mean for the humans that are being replaced by technology?

As well as setting up what the article will address, this makes the issue personal for the reader. Alternatively, you could begin with an anecdote, or even structure your article around a personal experience. The aim is to provide an emotional core that readers can relate to.

3. Keep It Focused

The best articles for non-academic audiences are often short and simple, offering a quick summary of a single issue. If you find yourself straying from your main topic, you risk losing your reader.

Think, too, about what you want to achieve with the article. Is it meant to explain a complicated issue for a non-specialist audience? Or is it an opinion piece where you are seeking to convince readers of something? Whatever your aim, let this guide your writing.

4. Simple, Not Simplistic

Your style of writing will depend on the publication, but you should try to keep it fairly simple, maybe even informal. This typically means:

• Using everyday terms when possible, avoiding unnecessary jargon
• Defining any technical terms that you use in your writing
• Writing shorter sentences than you would in an academic paper
• Using subheadings to structure the article and guide the reader
• Using bullet points and formatting to highlight key details

Remember, though, that using simple language is not the same as dumbing down. You may need to avoid the complex justifications, technical language and endless footnotes of standard academic writing, but this does not mean you should talk down to your audience.

Instead, treat your readers like you would undergraduate students. They might not know much about the subject right now, but they are intelligent and eager to learn. Your job is help them do this!

Summary: Writing for a Non-Academic Audience

If you are writing for a non-academic audience, we recommend that you:

• Read similar articles and tailor your writing style accordingly
• Hook the reader from the opening lines (e.g. by posing a question)
• Focus on your main topic and what you want to achieve with your writing
• Keep your language simple without talking down to your readers

And don’t forget to edit and proofread carefully before you submit your work. Or, of course, you can ask the professionals to do it for you!