Most writers don’t fail because of bad ideas. They fail because their writing is too damn heavy. In the 1920s, Edwin Perkins had a thriving little mail-order business( that he ran out of the back room of the local post office). One of his bestsellers? A liquid concentrate called Fruit Smack. But there was a problem. Shipping glass bottles was expensive. They broke. They leaked. Customers complained. Instead of giving up, Perkins reimagined the product. What if the flavor could be condensed into powder? Small, light, and easy to ship. That pivot created Kool-Aid. A product so simple kids could mix it themselves. Cheap. Portable. Scalable. What does this have to do with writing? Your ideas are the “Fruit Smack.” If they’re too heavy, too complicated, too hard to deliver—your readers won’t stick around. The fix. Do what Perkins did. Strip it down. Make it portable. Create writing so clear and easy to consume that anyone can “mix it themselves.” Because great businesses—and great writing—aren’t built on complexity. They’re built on ideas packaged so well, they spread. So next time you write, ask yourself: Have I made this easy enough for my reader to consume every word. Every sentence. Every paragraph.
Not a big Kool Aid fan, but I did love grape soda!
I never cared for Kool Aid - way too sweet, but I know people who lived on it. But the interesting part is the way he reinvented it.
Sandy Franks Yes, indeed, writers fail because their writing is too damn heavy. But..... They also fail because they don't know how to market themselves. No marketing = no income. Once they learn how to market themselves (um, finding their niche is a clue!), they can market their hearts off!
Most writers don’t need better ideas, they need to strip out the waffle so the thought can actually make it clearly through to the reader.
Sandy, isn't that referred to as the "One Big Idea?" Love it!
Thanks for sharing, Sandy
Love this, Sandy. It’s very true.
I love "drinking the Kool-Aid" when it comes to great marketing insight and advice. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Sandy. I will keep this pearl of wisdom top of mind for everything I write.
The Marketing Guild, Inc.
2moYour hook grabbed my attention! Then “a smooth as glass” seque took me straight into a good story. Enjoyed this read!