What are some similarities and differences of academic and non-academic writing?

Academic writing is typically considered a formal mode of
writing intended for an educated audience.  As such, it is generally written in a 3rd
person or objective voice, and tends to rely heavily on research, factual
experimentation and evidence, and the opinions of other educated scholars and
researchers, rather than on the opinions of the author.  The range and variety of
subjects within academic writing are as vast as the number of subjects anyone could
study within a scholarly context, but in any academic piece, the topic (or argument) is
very clearly stated and maintained throughout.  Some common examples of academic writing
include essays, theses, dissertations, and lab
reports.

Non-academic writing is any other mode of writing
that is not directly intended for an academic or scholarly audience.  Non-academic
writing can be more informal in tone, and may even rely more heavily on emotional appeal
or the opinions of the author.  Non-academic writing samples could include things like
journal articles, opinion pieces, and letters (even to an editor).  Additionally, novels
and most non-fiction books could be considered non-academic in
nature.