Testify, brother! I've sold just a few copies but at least my book has had the chance of being read by people across the country and in Europe.

Exactly. It makes your work available to the world market, an opportunity that wouldn't otherwise be available to you.

The volume issue is an unavoidable consequence of the very fairness I outlined. Anybody can do it so an abundance of crapola is inevitable. It's up to me to find some way to get my work found amid all that clutter. Once found, it can stand on its own merits.

That's fair.

@Sgt_Spanky -- Did you read my little blurb on the subject?

@evidentialist I did and I agree with as much of it as I disagree with. The old way of publishing made the work of a few people talented and lucky enough to be recognized by the publishing gatekeepers available for all. The system was, and still is, set up to keep most people out. The ever increasing population means that competition to get found just gets that much more complicated and unlikely. More people with stories to tell vying for those precious few opportunities to make their work available through traditional publishing.

Something had to give.

Self-publishing became a reasonable option for all those left behind whose work was good enough but who would never get picked up for whatever reason left them out. They get no help at all other than to see their work made available. The rest is up to them.

Also, the term "vanity publishing" is just a pejorative coined by the traditional publishing industry to delegitimize the burgeoning self-publishing industry when it first started to rise. There's nothing vain about a writer trying to get his/her work seen any more than an artist or musician striving to get their work seen. Is an independent movie the work of a vanity filmmaker?

@Sgt_Spanky -- Riiiiight. What is this book you published? Is it available on Amazon?

Okay, never mind. I found it through your profile. I'll check it out.