He's not talking about ROI for the consumer, he's talking about ROI for the author who put time into writing a novel. Take Dickens, who was famously opposed to the lack of copyright laws in America at the time and felt that he was getting cheated by people who read his work without paying him. I wonder how many people sent him money out of good will?
Yes, there is Patreon for supporting creators, but very few people make a decent living this way. And many authors would prefer a publisher who helps them take a risk by fronting money to something like Patreon, where you are at the mercy of your consumers who may or may not give you enough money to create your work.
Yes, there is Patreon for supporting creators, but very few people make a decent living this way. And many authors would prefer a publisher who helps them take a risk by fronting money to something like Patreon, where you are at the mercy of your consumers who may or may not give you enough money to create your work.