Hugo House blog linked to a piece by Douglas Rushkoff titled "Why I Left My Publisher in Order to Publish a Book." It begins in typical annoying-Rushkoff fashion...

Could I be doing this of sound mind and my own volition? Why would a bestselling author, capable of garnering a six-figure advance on a book, forgo the money, the media, and the mojo associated with a big publishing house?

...but he makes a ton of very good points about the publishing industry:

The corporate book industry can’t grow at the rate required by publicly held companies, anyway. This is why it is failing. Publishing is a sustainable business, not a growth industry. So it needs to be run by people looking for sustainable projects and careers—not runaway profits.

As I wrote when he released his last book, I can't stand what Rushkoff has become. But this is a really sharp look at the beast the corporate publishing industry has become.