> Rewards are distributed to authors in a steep Pareto distribution because that is the distribution of talent.
I wouldn't be so quick to relate rewards to talent. Publishing has network externalities. In a given social circle where everybody knows everybody, reader number x+1 has x people they can talk to about the novel, feels x amount of pressure not to miss out, etc. -- What distinguishes an effective publisher from an ineffective one is mostly the ability to set the wheel in motion and get the hype going.
I wouldn't be so quick to relate rewards to talent. Publishing has network externalities. In a given social circle where everybody knows everybody, reader number x+1 has x people they can talk to about the novel, feels x amount of pressure not to miss out, etc. -- What distinguishes an effective publisher from an ineffective one is mostly the ability to set the wheel in motion and get the hype going.