Publishing advances that once funded authors have dried up. A few decades ago, writers could get big upfront payments and speaking fees, working just a few months every other year. Now only figures like Obama can still command that money.
Leading to the slow withering of publishing as we know it, and with it the entire economic model of authorship. This is a key point. Like, there used to be, before most of your day and very early in my career, like a really cool business model with authorship where I get to work for like a couple months every other year, I get paid a big advance, and then I go to speak. Doesn't work like that anymore unless your name's Obama.
