Simon & Schuster recently launched a self-publishing division for writers on Tuesday, according to Reuters.

One of the largest publishers, Simon & Schuster partnered with self-publisher Author Solutions Inc. to create the new Archway Publishing division which "will let writers self-publish printed books and e-books for a fee. In return, the publisher will arrange for distribution and marketing and give the author a portion of sales," reported Reuters.

"Self-publishing has become a viable and popular route to publication for many authors, and increasingly a source of content for traditional publishers," Carolyn Reidy, president and CEO of Simon & Schuster, said in a statement.

The report said that the number of titles self-published increased by 60 percent in 2011 to 211,269 books, according to publishing research and management company Bowker.

E-Book reads like Amazon's Kindle have shined a light on the self-publishing industry. According to Freep.com, self-publishing has become one of the fastest growing sectors in publishing.

Some self-published titles made USA Today's Bestselling Books list, which drew attention to the industry. Freep.com gives two examples:

"After Amanda Hocking had seven self-published paranormal romance e-books hit USA TODAY's list, she signed a multimillion-dollar deal with the traditional print publisher St. Martin's Press last year."

"Brittany Geragotelis attracted 13 million readers to her free serial e-book aimed at teens, Life's a Witch, before offering the book as a print-on-demand paperback through Amazon's CreateSpace. She then signed a traditional book deal with Simon Schuster, a New York-based division of CBS."

Peter Osnos, founder of PublicAffairs, a traditional publisher, says self-published authors "are no longer consigned just to the margins of the marketplace," but what hasn't changed is that "with so many books pouring forth, gaining any attention is a formidable challenge," reported Freep.

Wall Street Journal pointed out that Author Solutions will handle the publishing and distribution part of the new division. Archway will focus on fiction, nonfiction, business and children's books, which will be available physically as well as digitally.  

"We're excited that we'll be able to help more authors find their own path to publication and at the same time create a more direct connection to those self-published authors ready to make the leap to traditional publishing," said Reidy in the statement.