I've tried, time and time again, to introduce groups of authors outside the platform to this formula and few follow through. Just yesterday I shared a link to this post in a Facebook writer's group I belong to and it was flagged as spam and taken down.
Honestly, I think the concept of cryptocurrency is the biggest hurdle. It's is so foreign to some people that it scares them away (hard for us to believe, I know). Also, so many authors are still locked into believing that antiquated system of traditional publishing that they can't think beyond it.
Thankfully, I never had much success going the traditional route. My one traditionally published book experience was a complete nightmare and turned me away from publishing that way ever again. The editor was a super-controlling know it all whose opinions were decades outdated, then the publisher put zero effort behind the book promotion. This way is so much better.
People will come around, they'll be forced to eventually. It's just frustrating to watch so many authors needlessly struggling, wasting years trying to win the approval of gatekeepers when they could be seizing control of their own destinies this way.
Publishing does seem a very traditional industry, but with lots of self-publishing going on these days you would think authors would be looking at new outlets. Maybe we need to place less emphasis on the crypto aspect of Hive. It is also about freedom and the rewards can translate into more conventional currencies through various channels. A lot of creators are talking directly to their fans and Hive offers a way to do that without interference from some central company who may make you pay to reach them.
Publishing undoubtedly is a very traditional industry. Many of the minds of these young authors are thwarted by academia who teaches them there's only one proper way to do things. I believe it's more about control than anything else.
I think focusing less on cryptocurrency would be a good strategy for bringing in more of the mainstream to Hive. So many people believe the MSM's negative narratives of crypto....how it's only used for nefarious means, how exit scams steal people's funds, etc. Anyone with a little experience in the crypto-sphere will know that that's far from the truth. There's much more unsavoriness in traditional finance than there is in this space.
The removal of "the corporate middle man" and not having to pay for outreach is reason enough for people to be coming here in droves.