Academic Editing Versus Business Editing

Business Editing Business writers take as their audience non-academics and often non-practitioners. Therefore, those who offer business editing must attend to four principles: simplicity, informality, convenience, and action. Simplicity Those who offer business editing must ensure that writers use short sentences that express their ideas clearly and with simple vocabulary. Short sentences There are four sentence types.

Simple: Subject + Verb (expressing a complete thought) Compound: Two simple sentences combined using a coordinating conjunction (and, but, so, or, etc.) Complex: Two simple sentences combined using a subordinating conjunction (since, after, when, although, etc.) Complex-Compound: A complex sentence combined with a compound sentence using a coordinating conjunction Business writers should use mostly simple sentences with a few complex and/or compound sentences. They should avoid complex-compound sentences.

Writers craft more complicated sentences by using clauses that offer non- essential information. For example, appositives are clauses in which a writer describes an already stated noun in different words (e.g., the film, a Hollywood blockbuster, won three Emmys). Business writers should avoid such clauses. Simple vocabulary Don’t use a 50-cent word when a 5-cent word will do. Instead of comprise or compose, prefer make up. Instead of utilize or employ, prefer use. Informality Those who offer business editing must ensure that writers use informal language. Business writers should use I and we (when talking about themselves or their company) and you (to talk directly to the reader), as well as contractions.

Convenience Those who offer business editing must ensure that writers use language that’s easy to read (for example, bulleted lists). Business writers should assume readers are scanning the article. Action Those who offer business editing must ensure that writers use the active voice and action-oriented language. Active Voice The active voice is direct language beginning with whomever or whatever is doing the action (e.g., the saxophonist played the song). The passive voice begins with whomever or whatever is being acted on. You form the verb by using be + the past participle (e.g., the song was played by the saxophonist).

Action-Oriented Language Business writers should focus on action and results, using specific details and numbers (when possible), as well as the most descriptive, action- oriented verbs, avoiding have and be. Instead of increase, use boost or ramp up. Academic Editing Academic writers take as their audience academics and practitioners. Therefore, those who offer academic editing must use strategies that are almost the exact opposite of the strategies for those who offer business editing.

Simplicity Those who offer academic editing should make sure writers use scholarly vocabulary and sentence structure (i.e., many complex, compound, and complex- compound sentences, few simple sentences, and many clauses providing non- essential information). Informality Those who offer academic editing should make sure writers use I or we, but sparingly, and never you or contractions. Convenience Those who offer academic editing should make sure writers use bulleted lists infrequently. Action Those who offer academic editing should make sure writers use the active voice as often as possible. But their verbs need not be action-oriented.

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