I think, as the gap between people with lots of money and ordinary people grows bigger, things get more extreme. It was complicated to publish something in Gutenberg’s time, it was complicated in 19th century, and it is complicated now, but that are very different kinds of complicated. I would guess, that there was an optimal time with least friction, and I think we’re past that time.

Of course, I never tried that or researched, maybe the internet gives reach that is so wide that if something gets popular it will be noticed and get funding