150+ words are said to be coined by him
The first use of a new word tends to be in conversation (so the first use is not recorded) or in a non-fiction work, where the meaning of the new word can be explained. Or in fantasy novels, as MrJohz points out. (But what's the earliest example of the sort of fantasy novel that has invented words in it?)
But Shakespeare used them in a context which people remembered, so that's why it matters, and in the process Shakespeare gets to choose some parameters for these words which are not set by the rules such as their emotional valence - is this a good thing or a bad thing? The rules usually don't dictate that, but usage does and Shakespeare can set the trend.