Although vanity is certainly a factor, in my view self-publishing is driven mainly by flaws in the traditional approach. I say that as someone who has self-published two books using the print-on-demand service Lulu. One of the flaws is, as you describe, the lack of space for certain kinds of writing. But another motivating factor is instant access to a global market. Conventional publishing is too segmented geographically. If you want your book to appear in the UK, for example, you need to sell those rights separately. Also, publishers don't always know how to promote niche works or are uninterested in a title after a certain point, which is usually when a sufficient return on investment is reached. Finally, I'll add that I continue to be shocked by appalling typographical errors and misprints in books from leading publishers. Those, along with errors in facts (which might relate more to non-fiction works) can be easily fixed and uploaded for print-on-demand titles.
Overall, self-publishing gives you greater agency as an author. The one glaring weakness in it is that booksellers such as Amazon continue to exert their influence. It is impossible to receive more than pennies from sales through online retailers. If I raise the cover price, the retailer simply takes a higher percentage. That said, if you're self-publishing you are probably willing to do the marketing work and can push readers to your own store or Lulu's (as an example) for fulfilment and a better-than-industry-standard royalty.
Keep on thinking the unthinkable, Mark. It's not such a bad alternative. It can also prove to publishers that readers are interested in the kinds of stories you want to write.
Although vanity is certainly a factor, in my view self-publishing is driven mainly by flaws in the traditional approach. I say that as someone who has self-published two books using the print-on-demand service Lulu. One of the flaws is, as you describe, the lack of space for certain kinds of writing. But another motivating factor is instant access to a global market. Conventional publishing is too segmented geographically. If you want your book to appear in the UK, for example, you need to sell those rights separately. Also, publishers don't always know how to promote niche works or are uninterested in a title after a certain point, which is usually when a sufficient return on investment is reached. Finally, I'll add that I continue to be shocked by appalling typographical errors and misprints in books from leading publishers. Those, along with errors in facts (which might relate more to non-fiction works) can be easily fixed and uploaded for print-on-demand titles.
Overall, self-publishing gives you greater agency as an author. The one glaring weakness in it is that booksellers such as Amazon continue to exert their influence. It is impossible to receive more than pennies from sales through online retailers. If I raise the cover price, the retailer simply takes a higher percentage. That said, if you're self-publishing you are probably willing to do the marketing work and can push readers to your own store or Lulu's (as an example) for fulfilment and a better-than-industry-standard royalty.
Keep on thinking the unthinkable, Mark. It's not such a bad alternative. It can also prove to publishers that readers are interested in the kinds of stories you want to write.