Why do people say self publishing isn't as good as publishing a book with a company?

[sensualgruv]

Most companies that help an author self-publish charge the author. In some cases it can be a costly endeavor. They offer packages for editing although sometimes it is still a poor job, there is very little quality control. These books cannot be sold in physical bookstores because the ISBN assigned registered it as self published and most bookstores don't carry them and so the numbers do not appear in their system.
Because of the cost of the publishing package being so costly the cost to recoup your losses raises the cost of your book. Most people are not interested in paying $15 to $25 dollars for a substandard book.

Some of those worries are becoming less of a problem. Some companies now offer print on demand and don't require the author to order any. Other also offer on line point of sale which means they can get an electronic copy of your book. And many of the copies are now associated with larger trusted companies such as Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Avon books and Harlequin. In these cases you are treated like you are with a traditional publisher having more reliable information at your fingertips.