I'm not self-published, nor do I recommend that. My current publisher is a combination POD/traditional press that couldn't help authors market even if it wanted to (like most small presses). Pooling resources allows authors to go a lot further that they could alone. For example, pick up the current issue of REALMS magazine and you'll see a full-page ad that includes my book. Normal price would have been $900 or so for my own ad. By pooling resources with 5 other authors, the cost was $150 per head. Economy of scale. And if one has no money to put into marketing? There are lots of free ways to get publicity. For example, dialyn, I could include your book in an ad in exchange for you getting bookstores iny your area to carry my book. Or something. We're only limited by our imaginations.