Never in the history of category fiction was there as huge a gap between
advances and sales as there was in science fiction from 1965 to about 1985.
Hype sold, awards sold, personal contacts were vital. Well, more people are
making more money from sf than ever before, but nowadays there is only one
criterion: sales. And in this day of instant computer access, any publisher
can cut through the hype and the bullshit and determine how your last 5 books
sold in,  not to be too pessimistic about it, 2 minutes flat. THAT is what
has changed the field, and that's why so many "established" writers have
gone on the Internet to complain that they can't sell anymore (or for as
much as they need to pay their creditors).

Darwin wins again.

-- Mike Resnick