One of the "good reasons" why publishing houses refuses books is because the author doesn't have an established fan base. So as a new author, you're in an uncomfortable double bind: it's really hard to get published if you don't have a fan base, and it's really go build a fan base if you're not published.
Sure, some authors build a fan base by themselves, go viral, and a publisher gets interested in them (see The Martian, or 50 Shades of Grey, etc). But as any viral phenomenon, quality is not necessarily the reason (see 50 Shades of Grey).
What if you're a good author but not a good marketer/salesman, or just not interested in that part?
I'm biased in all this. I have a full time job, I write as a hobby, publishers ignored my queries, so I self-published my novel. It's far from a masterpiece, but according to a majority of people who have read it, it's also far from crap. My main problem is how to get it in the hands of more people, but I don't have the time or the energy (nor the inclination, really) to also do marketing & sales. That's what publishers are supposed to do :(
Sure, some authors build a fan base by themselves, go viral, and a publisher gets interested in them (see The Martian, or 50 Shades of Grey, etc). But as any viral phenomenon, quality is not necessarily the reason (see 50 Shades of Grey).
What if you're a good author but not a good marketer/salesman, or just not interested in that part?
I'm biased in all this. I have a full time job, I write as a hobby, publishers ignored my queries, so I self-published my novel. It's far from a masterpiece, but according to a majority of people who have read it, it's also far from crap. My main problem is how to get it in the hands of more people, but I don't have the time or the energy (nor the inclination, really) to also do marketing & sales. That's what publishers are supposed to do :(