Konrath Blows Away Notions of Traditional Publishing

So, I'm wandering around my usual haunts this afternoon, and decided that I needed to take a peek at Joe Konrath's blog site.  By the way, I HIGHLY recommend you do as well, if you haven't yet - you can find a link to his site from my "Blogs I Read" on the right side bar.  Do it, do it now!  But then come back...

Okay, so I read his latest entry, then proceeded to the comments section - always a good time.  There's the usual postings about thanking him for sharing his thoughts, yadda yadda yadda (still good for a pick-me-up, BTW).  But then, an Anonymous poster decided to throw his or her thoughts into the mix about why a traditional publisher is still VERY valuable in the publishing world, and not to be a hater, etc., etc.  Oh my, I could almost see Joe just jumping up and down at his computer, chomping at the bit to answer it.  And answer he does!

Behold, I have copied from the comments section of Joe's blog, Joe's responses to the Anonymous posters comments.  I had a righteous laugh too!  (Italics are the Anonymous poster)
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This is why I still allow anonymous posts. Because every so often someone engages in intelligent debate.

JA, it's clear you're making lots of $ self-publishing but it's an error to make a broad brush conclusion that "traditional /legacy" publishing is automatically wrong or stupid.

Legacy only wrong and stupid if you're making less than a million bucks a year.

The benefits are print (with distribution momentum and push)

A dying market. Ebooks are now outselling print. Do you want to give a legacy publisher 52.5% for ebooks when print is a subsidiary right?

library shelf space,

I'm on OverDrive now. http://overdriveblogs.com/distribution/2011/04/13/embracing-overdrive-ja-konrath/

bookstore shelf space,

That's like buying real estate on a sinking island.

editing, cover design,

Fixed costs, not worth paying 52.5% in royalties.

validation,

Ack! Sorry, just spit Red Bull on my monitor.

reviews (PW, Kirkus etc.)

LOL. How many books have you bought because you read a great Kirkus review?

Contrast that to Amazon reviews. I now have 8 books with more than 100 reviews each.

I think I'm okay in the review dept.

book signings

Double ack! You do know who I am, right?

That and all the other things that come with a publisher is clearly worth something,

Actually, no, they aren't.

not even counting the advance and downstream royalties.

An advance is a loan that costs too much to repay.

And royalties? Hell, I just got $25k in royalties.

It would have been $200k if I had those rights back.

Many people and almost all big authors have concluded that this is the way to go.

Yeah. And lots of people joined the Tea Party too. That doesn't mean it's a smart way to think.

I don't think anyone can say they're wrong. And certainly no one can say that it's not their decision to make.

I can. And I did. And I'll continue to do so.

But thanks for playing.
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If you've ever had these questions run through your head at one point or another, consider them answered.  Now, the only question left is...  Why haven't you self-published yet?  Hmmm???