> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.racketpublishing.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The Myth of the Necessary Reader Confusion - URL: https://www.racketpublishing.com/blog/necessary-reader-confusion/ - Published: 2025-08-11T03:41:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-05-08T20:13:40.000Z - Description: Certain books' subjects require feeling perplexed while reading them, right? In a word, no. - Author: Phil Simon - Tags: Publishing, Writing, The Catalysts, Ghostwriting, Marketing, Communication Somewhere along the line, you probably read a book about a relatively esoteric or inaccessible subject. Perhaps its author was a successful lawyer, a self-important academic, or a [business dude with an affinity for jargon](https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2022/08/business-dudes-need-to-stop-talking-like-this/676840/?ref=racketpublishing.com). Regardless of the writer or the topic, the result was the same: you struggled to comprehend the words on the page, but you slogged through each stilted paragraph and baffling sentence. You thought the nature of the book's content *required* opaque, even occasionally abysmal writing that perplexed readers like you. There was just no way around it. The fleas came with the dog, right? Call it *the myth of necessary reader confusion*. Let me reassure you: it's bullshit. ![a painting of a man with a surprised look on his face](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1641893588018-b958a5845cab?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fGVpbnN0ZWlufGVufDB8fHx8MTc1NDQwMDcwNHww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000) Photo by [Collab Media](https://unsplash.com/@collab%5Fmedia?ref=racketpublishing.com) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) ## Unpacking the Reasons for Poorly Written Nonfiction Books Don't get me wrong. There's no shortage of explanations for poorly written nonfiction titles. The list includes: - An author's laziness, inexperience, pomposity, ignorance, stubbornness, or deliberate disregard for the reader. - An editor's refusal to speak up—or the publisher's willingness to support her when she does. - Deadline issues that prevent proper edits. - A publisher's indifference, limited budget, or other short-term thinking. See what the list *excludes*? The book's subject itself. No text needs to be confusing. As Albert Einstein once said, “If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.” ![white and red greeting card](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1599172995721-49309fff2f21?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDZ8fG1lbnV8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzU0ODY5NjAxfDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000) Photo by [Karen Z](https://unsplash.com/@kivvii?ref=racketpublishing.com) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) ## A Recent Example Racket's latest [release](https://www.racketpublishing.com/titles/) is [Amanda Wick's](https://amandawick.com/?ref=racketpublishing.com) *The Catalysts: The Accelerating Forces Forging the New World Financial Order*. As its title and subtitle suggest, the book discusses heady, interwoven, and rapidly evolving topics. Cryptocurrency, existing regulatory frameworks, [DeFi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decentralized%5Ffinance?ref=racketpublishing.com), the rise of authoritarianism, social engineering, the erosion of trust, and Big Tech gone wild are all on the menu. > Recognize the need for clarity from the start of your writing project. Not exactly a breezy beach read. And yet, many reviewers of the 430-page opus specifically call out the clarity of Amanda's writing. Here are its last three Amazon ones: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/33/fa/33fa879c-f3fb-496e-890f-14505310beac/content/images/2025/08/review.jpeg) Recent Amazon Review of **The Catalysts* | Click on the image to enlarge it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/33/fa/33fa879c-f3fb-496e-890f-14505310beac/content/images/2025/08/other-review-1.jpeg) Recent Amazon Review of **The Catalysts* | Click on the image to enlarge it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/33/fa/33fa879c-f3fb-496e-890f-14505310beac/content/images/2025/08/review3.jpeg) Recent Amazon Review of **The Catalysts* | Click on the image to enlarge it. ## A Lesson for All Authors To her credit, Amanda recognized the need for clarity from the get-go. She simply refused to put her name on the cover of a nonfiction text that [lost its readers on page one](https://www.philsimon.com/how-not-to-start-a-book/?ref=racketpublishing.com). On that goal, Amanda was completely in sync with [her writing coach](https://www.racketpublishing.com/services)—yours truly. Looking for a ghostwriter or coach for your nonfiction writing project? [LET'S CHAT ](https://www.racketpublishing.com/connect) And it's not just everyday readers who have lauded the book's readability. Professional reviewers have taken notice. [Kirkus](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/amanda-wick/the-catalysts/?ref=racketpublishing.com) called the book “surprisingly accessible, considering the density of its information—a tribute to Wick’s command of the material and her skill at organizing and presenting her arguments.” ## Realistic Goals So all reviewers love *The Catalysts* and give it five stars, right? Of course not. Amanda and never expected *every* reader to accept all her conclusions and recommendations. To believe otherwise is downright naïve. We couldn't control their reactions, but we *could* make the final product as intelligible as possible. Mission accomplished. As far as Amanda and I know, the number of readers who have criticized the quality of the prose is zero. [Unpacking the Reasons for a Successful Book Project - Racket PublishingWhy did Amanda Wick stick the landing on her new book?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/33/fa/33fa879c-f3fb-496e-890f-14505310beac/content/images/icon/newball-1-44.png)Racket PublishingPhil Simon![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/33/fa/33fa879c-f3fb-496e-890f-14505310beac/content/images/thumbnail/suitcase-6.jpg)](https://www.racketpublishing.com/blog/unpacking/) ## What You Need to Know It's [hard enough](https://helenlewis.substack.com/p/the-bluestocking-379-the-economics) marketing a well-written book. No one can stop you from penning an impenetrable one, but expect to sell only a handful of copies—at best. Dense titles like *The Black Swan* serve as [the exception that proves the rule](https://kadavy.net/blog/posts/the-black-swan-book-summary/?ref=racketpublishing.com).