The most prestigious academic journals have rejection rates of around 90%, so it is important to start applying correct formatting to the writing style of a journal. Style guides establish rules for writers and editors so they can produce content with consistency.

A writing style is a style adopted by a writer to effectively convey the required information to the audience. The style to which the author adheres makes the writing unique.

The choice of vocabulary, sentence variation, sentence structure, tone, and overall voice play a critical role in defining the writing style or genre.

Why is writing style important?

The writing style is what distinguishes one author from the next. If everyone used the same style, it would be impossible for any writer or piece of literature to truly stand out. While style has a role in all types of literature, its role in works of fiction is what’s discussed most often. That’s because writing style is more important in a journal.

The writing style can be categorized into four types:

Expository writing

Descriptive writing

Persuasive writing

Narrative writing

Expository writing

Key traits of expository writing include:

Clear organization

Concepts described thoroughly

Only objective facts included

No author bias about the topic introduced

Examples of expository writing are textbooks, cookbooks, technical writing, instructional manuals, business writing, and news stories.

Descriptive Writing

Key traits of descriptive writing include:

Often described metaphorically

Inclusion of many adjectives and adverbs

Evokes the use of all five senses

Enables to grasp the beauty of the language

Examples of descriptive writing are poetry, novels, short stories, magazines and diaries.

Persuasive Writing

Key traits of persuasive writing include:

It slightly resembles expository writing but does not depend on the facts pertaining to the subject

The writer’s opinions and views are included

Clearly conveys a particular perspective

Provides justification as proof of the accuracy

Examples of persuasive writing are scholarly articles, argumentative essays, advertisements, white papers, letters of recommendation, cover letters, reviews, and some editorial news articles.

Narrative Writing

Key traits of narrative writing include:

Employs narrative structure and style, capturing the interests of the reader

The narration is vivid and detailed

Used in novels, epics, sagas, oral histories, short stories, and anecdotes.

Examples of narrative writing are novels, epics, sagas, oral histories, short stories, and anecdotes.

Lapiz has authors and editors who are well-versed in various writing styles.