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For clarification of my position after having listened to the interview. I think writers should never give up on the idea of being paid for their writing. But what kind of writing is something they need to discover through trial and error.
However, not everyone who enjoys writing is "a writer" as in professional quality. It depends on the presentation and promotion and what your niche market is. I think a lot of authors believe they are good novelists, but sometimes are surprised when their book doesn't sell very well. The opposite also occurs, sometimes a person has a good novel waiting to come out but doesn't realize it until they see how their book is topping the charts.
I read a lot of Smashwords, I download lots of free books that authors first promote. There are some books that are "well, nice start, but you need lots of improvement" and a few others that are, "wow, this is an excellent book and I am surprised it was actually FREE". But I happily will pay for a book that I know I will like. Most books I buy are "favorites" as in, I've already read them at the library. As in, I could easily have continued to read for free, but chose to give that author a vote with my personal dollars to continue and to re-read.
I see the library as a place where authors can "audition" for the part of future sales.
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