Taking ourselves seriously is probably a mistake

I snipped this list from Authorlink.com that is pretty succinct in what their stable of insiders think of the rest of us:

Traditional publishing may be for you if:

1. You have had your book professionally edited
2. You have taken the time to search for and land a literary agent who can represent your book to the traditional houses.
3. Are willing to take editors’ suggestions for revisions
4. Have realistic expectations about how much money you will make
5. Have a solid promotional platform, such as a large website, speaking schedule, existing record of book sales or are a known celebrity.
6. Are willing to wait for one to two years to see the book in print.
7. Are willing to self-promote like crazy, even though a traditional publisher should be doing the job.
8. Don’t mind turning over the rights to your book.

Essentially, the website that dedicates itself to writers, agents, publishers and readers has made it clear that we should probably not bother because (No. 5) we just aren't successful enough.

Dunno, but this sort of advice is the reason people publish their own books, which Authorlink is proud to advise us about as well. It's just not as interesting.