I don't know. This is sort of arguing that a world in which publishers were gatekeepers/PR agencies/etc. meant that authors could sort of hide behind that front--at the cost of putting their fate in the hands of their publisher.

But I'm not sure how widespread/true that ever was. Authors went on book tours and TV shows all the time to promote their writing. I'm not sure how common the pseudonymous/reclusive successful author ever was.