The curse of being known as a "writer's writer"

James Salter is one of those guys who bears the curse of being known as a writer's writer, which means exactly what? The other writers read him? That only writers read him? Started reading his novel "Light Years" last night and from the first 40 pp or so do get an idea of what the term might mean: writers can immediately appreciate his fine style, an almost unique blend of lush, even poetic description within a Hemingway-like syntax - short sentences (and some - too many, actually - fragments) with strong and unusual verbs. First sentence of the book is something like: We dashed the river, which could mean so many things: dashed across, turned it into a dash by moving along it quickly, used it as a dashboard? or some weird neological zeugma of did and crashed = dashed? I actually have no idea. But I was very caught up in his beautiful description of the Hudson around West Point/Poughkeepsie and then of the fine account of a dinner party among friends, the taut dialogue a precursor to (and influence on?) Raymond Carver - all to the good, and yet - the book, published in 1975 and set in the 1950s seems very dated - even for 1975. In first several chapters no theme or conflict established and characters are rather hazy: Mad Men-era characters with lots of serious drinking and spending; the main character, guy named Viri (they all have odd names) is an architect who commutes down to NYC; his wife actually drives down to NYC regularly to shop for groceries and clothes, parking (often illegally) right on the street - how much does this date the story? Prehistoric, right? They do have kids, and one couple, best friends, but in 40 or so pages I can't figure out the relations or in any way where this novel is going: Salter devotes lots of time to a chapter in which Viri orders handmade shirts- another retro touch, even in 1950 I think. It's easy to see from what I've read so far why Salter is still read and admired - but also why he was never particularly popular or famous outside of the narrow cult, i.e., a writer's writer?