Yes it is possible for anyone* to be a JK Rowling. It's not possible for everyone to be a JK Rowling. That is my point.
In order to create a system where it's possible to become a billionaire by writing a book we also create a system where a lot of people can't become millionaires by doing essentially the same thing.
I'm speaking philosophically here, you're describing our current civilization.
* a specific subset of all people who posses the correct personal traits and opportunities.
"It's not possible for everyone to be a JK Rowling. That is my point."
So?
"In order to create a system where it's possible to become a billionaire by writing a book we also create a system where a lot of people can't become millionaires by doing essentially the same thing."
But they are not doing the same thing.
They also write, yes, but not so good. Or maybe also good, but not what the masses wants.
And that's the other point, the masses decided to buy it - so the masses decided to make Rowling a star and rich.
Where is the problem? That not everyone can have big fame and big success? Well, that's the nature of things.
It only gets problematic if the elite use their power to bend the rules of the game, so that not those who deserve it (those who create big value) get successful and rewarded, but those of other traits ... so the game should still be fair. But I think we made progress with that. Some decades ago, it mattered much more, where you came from (nobleman) than today.
He's basically pointing out that JK Rowling's success partly benefited from a feedback loop. For example, once everybody was talking about it, free publicity.
If somebody else had all the same skills and wrote another book that was just as good, there probably still wouldn't really be room for both of them. Only one series can be the pop culture youth fiction darling at a time.
Now you're back to the article! JK Rowling's success story is singular because the masses don't have oodles of disposable income. This is why companies are finding niches where they can earn income from "whales" rather than having to score the masses lottery.
JK Rowling's success story is singular because the masses don't have oodles of disposable income
Hardly, she could still be a huge success story if she split that pie of disposable income halfway with another author who was her equal- but public attention doesn't really work like that, is the problem.
But targeting whales to avoid the masses lottery, yes, I'm with you & the article there.
In order to create a system where it's possible to become a billionaire by writing a book we also create a system where a lot of people can't become millionaires by doing essentially the same thing.
I'm speaking philosophically here, you're describing our current civilization.
* a specific subset of all people who posses the correct personal traits and opportunities.