The history of self-publishing has been filled with many failures and some very notable successes. Some authors who have achieved success through self-publishing include Walt Whitman, Virginia Woolf, Gertrude Stein, and Edgar Allan Poe. Many wonderful stories would never have been published if their authors had not become self-publishers. Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn and Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan series would never have been known if their authors had not taken matters into their own hands (Ross & Ross, 1985, p. 4-5). Unfortunately, when librarians think of publishing themselves, they tend to think of vanity publishing, otherwise known as subsidized publishing. Conceited publishers will publish anything, including things that only the author and perhaps a handful of family or friends want to read. They don't care whether it is commercially viable or not, because it is the author, not them, who is responsible for all production, distribution and promotion costs. The vanity publisher simply takes the manuscript and turns it into a book, usually for a very high price. People who approach vain publishers generally do not expect to sell their works (Chickadel, 1980, pp. 16-17). However, in self-publishing, even though the author pays all costs, as in vanity publishing, he or she not only writes the book, he or she arranges the design, printing, marketing, and distribution . Additionally, although some people who attempt to self-publish should not do so, most do so in hopes of making money. Therefore, if they self-publish, there is a good chance that they believe they have a marketable product (Chickadel, 1980, p. 17-18). Many authors can't get published by traditional publishing houses, from...... middle of paper...or I'll never hear about them. On the other hand, if they can learn to do them well or if they can afford to pay upfront for professional services; they can produce work of sufficient quality to be worth acquiring.BibliographyChickadel, CJ (1980). Publish it yourself. San Francisco: Trinity Press. Henderson, B. (1973). The Self-Publishing Handbook: Literary Tradition and Procedures Without Commercial or Vanity Editors. Yonkers, NY: Pushcart Book Press. Ross, T., Ross, M. H., & Ross, M. H. (1985). The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing: Everything You Need to Know to Write, Publish, Promote, and Sell Your Own Book. Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest Books. Printing is not dead, says Bowker's annual book production report. (May 18, 2011). In Bowker. Retrieved February 19, 2012, from http://www.bowker.com/en-US/aboutus/press_room/2011/pr_05182011.shtml