Self-Publishing

[hazineju]

Hi Everyone, i was about to hijack Southpaw's thread about publishing and PRO's but decided to write a separate thread with some more questions. I've got my "This Business of Songwriting" book right here but am still unsure about some of this stuff. I'm registered as a writer and not a publisher. In the book, Jason says if you don't have a publisher, you ARE the publisher. My question is, does this mean i have to be REGISTERED as a publisher to collect publishing? If I list a song as "unpublished" on ASCAP, does that mean the publishing royalties won't be given, just the writer's share? Would you say starting your own publishing company is worth it or a hassle?