There are many good reasons to self-publish your book. Perhaps the most important one is that traditional publishers print only about two percent of the acceptable manuscripts they receive, and they lose money on over eighty percent of the books they publish. Unless you are an already published author, the publicity they offer your book after acceptance is minimal. Most traditional publishers rely on a few “bankable” authors for their profits. To break into the ranks and establish yourself as one of these profitable authors is very difficult.

However, to publish and promote your own book is a challenge and it can be expensive. Perhaps the most difficult thing after the writing, editing and publishing of your book is that of making money from your efforts. The vast majority of books in the “traditional” publishing industry don’t break even, and an even smaller percentage of self-published books ever see a profit.

This said, there are many good reasons why you should self-publish your book. Many people do so because they do not need to publish their book commercially, They may want to publish books for specific organizations or associations, manuals, reports, teaching or seminar materials.

There are also many authors who are unable to find a commercial publisher because a book is tightly focused toward a small niche market and it doesn’t have a large enough audience to attract a traditional publisher's interest. (See "What Books are Best for Self-publishing.")

Many writers choose to self-publish because it provides more control of the finished product. A traditional publisher may require revisions, editing changes and cuts to a manuscript, which the writer might not want to make. When a contract is signed with a traditional publisher, the author has little control over a book’s design or cover or in the promotional process. The self-publisher retains full control over the content, design and marketing of his book.

An author may also choose to self-publish if his book is particularly timely. Traditional publishers may take two years, or longer, to bring a book to market. A self-publisher can get that same book to the marketplace in a few weeks.

There is also the fact that the author of a self-published book retains and controls all rights to his book. No matter how many or few he sells, he can keep his book available long past the point where a traditional publishing house would have taken it out of print, and the self-publishing author retains all revenues earned from the sale of his book.

Finally, for many authors, writers of family history, poetry and autobiography, for example, there is the satisfaction of seeing their books in print. A person's book is always a true expression of who he is, and seeing his work in print is one of the greatest thrills imaginable.