The Operative Word in Self-Publishing is "Self"

As I do more and more research, I am honestly starting to think that publishing my books independently is the best way to go. The tide seems to be headed that way. Writers have always fought to get their vision out into the world without having it compromised somewhere along the way by interests other than their own creative ones. They have also usually had to go to third parties to make their books real because it was cost-prohibitive to create and distribute literary works, but that is changing. There is still some stigma against writers who self-publish, but that needs to change, too, and I think it will in the near future with the evolutions that the internet has brought so quickly. Musicians and filmmakers have gained respect for creating their works independently. Writers need to be given the same respect as well. The studio and label systems don't often work for the most creative people. They are processes that take control from a visionary and put it in the hands of a commerically-interested committee, and the publishing system is the same. How can someone else tell me how my books should be presented? They can't, is the only answer to that. No one else knows, because a book with a sole author is even more personal than an album or film. I want respect for my work and self-development in its process rather than the riches I might (or might not) accrue from acceding control. It's one thing if a book is non-fiction, or if the author truly does not care about things like how it is promoted or presented, but I do.