To self publish or not

I wish that I knew the answer to this.

I have been reading a lot of information on the subject. Self publishing seems to be the wave of the future. It certainly seems that for people that can't/won't go through a "traditional" publisher, this is the way that they are choosing to go.

Let me say right here, that I am not endorsing or disputing the subject - I am not a professional by any means, I am just writing my opinion on the subject.

I guess that my biggest problem with the whole subject is the question of whether an author that self publishes is TRULY author?

Take for instance my book "Heart - Shaped Bruises" the link is here and on the upper-right corner of this page - this started out as a NaNovel - I took advantage of the opportunity of getting a *free paperback proof* of my book after I completed the 50,000 words.

I liked the way the book felt in my hands after it was printed and shipped to me. I loved seeing my name on that cover. Face it, I was ♥THRILLED♥ with the whole entire thing.

And I am selling paperbacks and e-books on Amazon, the books bring in royalty checks - does that make me a "real" author?