Bonnie’s answer to “Was it just me or did anyone else not care for the ending?” > Likes and Comments

I thought that was a deliberate choice reflecting Jake's insecurity. He had a barely successful debut novel and hadn't been able to even come close to that level of achievement since. So when The Crib became a blockbuster, he was suffering from an acute case of impostor syndrome. He was unable to realize that much of its success could be attributable to his skill as a writer

Thanks Greg. That makes total sense.