My plans are trade publishing. I considered self-publishing for a while. Here's why I changed my mind
-Accepting That I Need Help: My marketing experience is humble, I'm not skilled at graphic design, and my time is limited. Treade publishing with say, HarperCollins (gotta dream big!) could assist me with those areas. Yes, I know trade authors have to do some marketing, but knowing that a large company believes in it, and helps it get into bookstores / catalogues is a help.
-I can't afford self-publishing: I have set a budget for my hopeful debut, around $AUD4,500. That money took a year to raise, and I'm thankful that I'm on a university scholarship that encourages my ambitions. But still, that's not enough money to self-pub a book of 120,000 words, with costs like formatting, marketing, cover design, editing, proofreading, etc. I want my book to be the best it possibly can, and I'm spending that money on writing software, editing, beta readers, manuscript critique and thank you presents for family members that gave me slack or helped out in some way.
-An odd dream: I want to be eligible for prizes, and in my genre (literary fiction), it's the norm for trade publishing. That may change in the next 50 years, but for now, if your literary book wants success, some 'social proof' can help, particularly with sales. Also, the thought of a publisher handing me my shiny work, all nicely published, makes me cry. Silly, I know.
-The dream of trade publishing pushes me: When I think about querying and submission, I get all motivated and driven. Must be a psychological thing. But if I want an agent, I know I'll have to work for it.