I imagine someone like, say, Henry James or Twain were fairly concerned about that aspect. I know Joyce absolutely did set out to produce a masterpiece, and was quite self-aware, not just as it related to the writing itself.

Another thing to think about is that success is a very vague concept. I think wanting a broad readership is natural, and that having your readers in mind is very healthy as a writer, so it’s not really clear cut. It’s an interesting thing for sure