I think there aren't very many women who self-publish because fighting your way through a system, facing terrible odds, and people taking advantage of you is nothing new--especially for women. It is not true that we don't have to put up with all that if we self-publish. It will still be there. Self-publishing feels like taking a step back. I'm tired of labouring in obscurity and proving my work belongs on a store's bookshelf. With a publisher, you don't need to prove those things. And it is true that you don't make a lot of money when you publish with a big publisher--based on sales. Most of the money comes from winning those prestigious prizes like the Governor General's Award. There's a percentage of that prize that goes to your publisher. But it's not just the GG, there are countless of them out there. When a writer wins one of these awards, the publishing house gains reputation and find grant money and donations growing larger and coming in more easily. As a writer, you'll say it's not about the prizes--but everyone wants to win, and hopes to win. And if they say they don't want to, they're lying. It's like a musician saying they don't want to be famous. The total of these prizes, if you can win them, can sometimes add up to over millions. In this way, big publishers are looking for the best writers who are saying something well that matters but also will win these prizes. There are many talented and good writers out there, but publishers are not interested in publishing a very talented, good writer--they want to publish the best writer. This is why if you are the best writer your work is going to fight it's way through a system and come out on top when the odds are there. This, however, does not explain why some publishers are still publishing horrible stuff. Sometimes it's simply because the person is famous and so sales will do really well. Money, we have to admit, has a lot of say in getting things done. This is not to say self-publishing is not a good idea. I admire those who self-publish. It's a lot of work and in the end you get very little respect. Having done it yourself, you'll gain a better understanding and an appreciation for those who are working to help you (the publishers). As a self-publisher you do it because you love it--and if you don't then don't get into it. I self-publish my chapbooks. I did this not because I couldn't get published but because I didn't like the quality of chapbooks being published. I wanted quality paper and I wanted the intimacy and closeness that hand-made books gesture. I didn't have a lot of money but it didn't matter. Making one book was all I needed. I showed it to people and got orders. I've given away and sold close to a thousand. If anything good is going to happen, it's the work itself that will get there in it's own time. And remember, James Brown was shining shoes outside of a radio station--years later, he would come to own that radio station.