Proof that self-publishing is becoming more prominent from your statistic. As well, it is the only option for some writers that do not have enough time to dedicate to editing, writing queries and sending them out to agents and publishers. I personally think if you are more in it for the writing than the money, self-publishing is the best option.
This! How do you find the time to promote your work and all the other aspects of self publishing? And why would you be willing to take that time if your story isn't the very best it can be? If I didn't have the time to edit, I don't think I'd have the courage to publish it, in either way.
easy-read... you need to take into account how amazon's 'best-sellers' are awarded that label... check out their ranking system before buying that 'best-sellers' ranking...
Well, I can't imagine having time to write a whole book but then not having the time to form a query letter. If you're in it for the writing, get an agent who will have your book published and available in bookstores, so more people can read your writing. More readership and more money. People who get into self publishing (ideally) want a little dough and want to put the time and effort into getting it.
I haven't gotten a full-length novel published yet (I'm working on a series that's going to take me a while because I want to make it really, really good). When I do get to that point, I definitely will go the traditional agent/publisher route. However, I think people who choose to self-publish via Amazon.com are respectable. It comes with disadvantages -- having to promote yourself, probably less exposure -- but there's also advantages, like you get to keep most of the income on each copy sold, and you start getting profit immediately (no 10,000 copy minimum that you're pressured to sell or face penalties). I have a PR degree and think the self-promotion could be really fun, but I wouldn't want to self-publish something extremely important to me that I'd want to do well (like the series I'm working on). I might try it in the future for something easier to write, like a simple mystery/romance story: something where it was fun to write, but if it flops, it's no big loss. Bottom line: I'd prefer traditional publishing, but I think Amazon self-publishing can be just as legit. What I think is UN-legit is when people spend hundreds/thousands of dollars to have a ton of hard copies printed. You know, "vanity press" houses.
Most of us don't have any reputation to damage. Self publishing and the 'traditional' method of finding a publisher, both have their pros and cons. The industry is very much betwixt and between at the moment with the past couple of decades having a surge in communication technologies. The music industry faces the same delema with new-generation free-for-alls' creating there own record labels and taking on monopolizing industry giants. If believe that if your writing is any good, and your in it for the long-haul, you can build a good reputation either way.
