Self-publishing used to be synonymous with unprestigious "vanity publishing," where well-off authors who couldn't get their books into print by traditional means paid small, independent presses to publish them. But with the advent of e-books, social reading sites and simple digital self-publishing software and platforms, all that has changed. An increasing proportion of authors now actively choose to self-publish their work, giving them better control over their books' rights, marketing, distribution and pricing.