I was surprised to read a CV recently from a professor who had written several books and published them through a self-publisher (not Lulu Press but similar.) Would you list self-published books on a CV or resume? Maybe only if you had a certain number of sales or an established track record as an author? I have a book coming out next month from Apress which is exciting. (Non-Referral Link for those who are curious: https://www.amazon.com/Measurement-Outcomes-Evaluation-Salesforce-Nonprofits/dp/1484297075/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=) I list that on my resume but don't know that I would list a book I wrote myself since that wouldn't have gone through technical review, copyediting, proofing or any of the other steps that normally accompany the publication process.
I wrote and self-published a book specifically for self-promotion. But since I don't work for anyone anymore, I don't have a CV or resume to put it on. I think I would, but I would indicate that it is self-published. When I mention my book to people (or give them a copy), I almost always include that it was self-published. Just as writing a dissertation on your own doesn't confer a degree, I'm a little dubious of claiming to be a published author when I simply self-published.
I'm not sure that's the real distinction. After all, I hired an editor for my last book as well as the one I'm writing now. (I also hired one for my thesis at Leicester. She was terrific.) I think the real difference is that a book publisher can only publish a finite number of books each year, and also has to take the financial risk in doing so. Thus, if a publisher decides to take a risk on you, it's a distinction.
