On a base level I think some people just simply don't like change. Hive is blogging on a blockchain and that adds another level of change/complexity. On the other hand many of the literary career tracks in many ways mirror the hierarchy of the traditional academic system. It's like a class-based walled garden that hasn't changed all that much in the last hundred or more years. People on the inside grow to seek comfort in the traditions and the sameness of it and their thought process grows rigid, institutionalized in a sense. That's one reason so many segments of the industry are dying.
For over twenty years I fought like hell to get through the gatekeepers and break into that traditional publishing world but I'm so glad now that it never really worked out. I have far more creative freedom and reaped far more rewards here over the years. That traditional literary world is a for a chosen few, you have to have gone to the right schools, or know the right people, or just plain get a really lucky break. When you do make it you only get to keep a small fraction of your book sales. Most traditional authors have to resort to speaking tours to make anything resembling real money now.
I really do think that Hive is a early glimpse of the future of content --- decentralized, crypto-rewards, and with the freedom to let the audience choose what they want to read and how they want to reward the author. The part I love the most about this place is the direct feedback and interaction you get from readers, that's priceless.
You are most certainly a writer. Here, you don't need a piece of paper you've paid $100k (or more) for or the nod from some editor or literary agent to prove you're a writer. Audience engagement and response to your work will tell you all you need to know.
I hope your brother-in-law has a change of heart and at least tries it! It might open him up to a whole new world.
Thanks for the awesome response. I knew you would have something great to say! No, I'm not just praising you because you called me a writer either 🙂. Those are some really good points from someone who has been in the trenches! I appreciate that! It's possible after plugging away for years he just realized it wasn't his passion. I will have to have a conversation with him about it when the time is right.
You're welcome! I appreciate it and am happy you found some value in them! You'll know when the time is right. : )