This isn't new. It's just become depressingly commonplace, since the advent of self-publishing, vanity press, and the ability to "monetize" a blog. It was bad enough when it was just writers craving more attention, but when non-writers (erroneously) see "writing" (or rather, pumping and dumping poorly written or stolen "content" all over the Internet) as a way to earn a quick buck, it's dismal and a bit grotesque. Maybe this is why the "gatekeepers" of traditional publishing have survived into the 21st century - they protect readers, even as they suck the life out of some writers they don't see as "commercially viable" for themselves.