MichaelSullivan
Maester
Just one thing I'd like to note first. Why does one have to chose traditional OR self-publishing? The hybrid approach seems to be working well for quite a few authors. You can self-publish books that aren't getting bites from publishers to keep your name out there and then publish the books that do traditionally. Sounds easy (in theory), but it's kind of like this idea that novel writers shouldn't write short stories. Just do both. It's not going to hurt anything, I don't think.
Hybrid works well for me ;-) I do think that it doesn't have to be one or the other. But here's the thing. Hybrid is only good for a very small % of people - because they have to do two really hard things.
1. Be able to get a traditional contract
2. Be able to successfully self-publish
If you consider that #1 is small let's say 1% and #2 is equally small - again 1%. The number of people that fall in BOTH sets is probably something south of 0.5%.