Look, being a self-publisher is not easy. There are resources that aren't available to you and no marketing department with skilled agents to get your book into people's hands - people assume your book is going to be awful without glancing at it and other people assume you self-publish because you weren't good enough at writing to snag an agent and publisher, even though that's probably not an option/route you even considered or tried.
Indie authors are our own agents and handlers, we're often our own cover designers and site builders and we have to pull twice the weight our traditional counterparts do.
But it's worth it. It's worth it because when you do make a profit, you get to keep more of said profit. It's worth it because you don't have a publisher forcing you to remove queer characters and romance from your book, because you don't have the chance of getting stuck with a cover you don't personally like or have to jeopardize your artistic integrity to please an in-house marketing agent.
I would never say don't go for traditional publishing - I plan to be a hybrid author someday, I understand the draw and benefits of that position - but don't eschew the indie route as a non-valid option. I didn't consider trying to traditionally publish when I started putting out books, this is not my backup route or my only option - it's what I wanted and what I went for because it worked best for me, and if you dismiss the fact that there are midlist and upper level authors turning down 6 and 9 figure deals to go it their own, then you haven't been listening.
40% of book sales today are ebooks, there are dozens upon dozens upon dozens of beloved writers with devoted fanbases self-publishing, there are amazing resources and a close-knit, intelligent community. Beth Revis wrote the Across the Universe trilogy and then chose to self-pub The Body Electric, and it was arguably her best work yet. (IMO - I highly recommend reading them all though.) Look at what Joe Konrath is doing, and what Amanda Hocking achieved. Look at Nenia Campbell who have close-knit fanbases and erotica authors like Selena Kitt who have basically built an empire. And then tell me this isn't a valid option.
Stop chasing dreams that revolve around gatekeepers and massive slush piles and rejection after rejection because you're letting valuable, good books go to waste because one agent didn't like it or one house didn't think it was a great fit for their imprint and take matters into your own hands.
