[David Maister] is is Self Publishing his latest book. Publishers, like record companies, would be incredibly valuable if they marketed your book for you - most authors can use all the marketing help they can get. But just like the record business, the truth is that publishers don't do any marketing for you unless you're already a star. Since so few books succeed, it's not worth them spending anything on an individual book: they put a portfolio of product out there and wait to see what succeeds. So, as every author knows, you have to do our own marketing: hire your own PR at your own expense, etc... In the old days, the publishers (again, like the record companies) could get away with this because they controlled access to distribution. (Publishing Industry)

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