I’ve seen some books — both electronic and print — from non-vanity publishers that look amateurish and that turned me off. Even the best books can suffer from those things. The best thing (marketing wise)a self-published writer can do is get a great cover and write a nice blurb.

There is a lot of stock photography available to use, and many cover artists take commissions.

I look at it this way. I have a finite amount of energy to spend each day. Worrying about what other people think about me, or the path I’m traveling, uses up way too much of that energy.

“Besides, considering all the garbage traditional corporate publishers pump out, I’m not about to swallow the idea that the simple presence of one of their logos on a book legitimizes anything.”

Very well put. I had probably a very similar religious de-conversion myself, so the analogy rings true for me.

Not so much with publishing status, but only because I didn’t have much expectation either way. I tend to look at it from a reader’s perspective, I guess; like you said, as a reader what reallty matters is that what I read is good, not where it came from. Besides, considering all the garbage traditional corporate publishers pump out, I’m not about to swallow the idea that the simple presence of one of their logos on a book legitimizes anything.