Understanding Traditional vs. Self-Publishing

I listened to a keynote presentation by Jane Friedman where she highlighted the importance of knowing your “why” as an author and how it impacts the choices you make (branding, speaking engagements to accept or not, etc.). I think knowing your why is critical to deciding if you want to pursue self-publishing or traditional publishing. My mother-in-law self-published a children’s book at the age of 91 because that avenue fit her “why” of wanting to see her story in print and pass it out to her loved ones. It was the perfect choice for her because of her “why.”