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What is the main publishing format authors should be using today? 

I've recently begun investigating the publishing process, and what I as an author need to do to get my book read. I'm aware of the self-publishing option, but as I have not studied any options extensively yet, I want to get a good feel for all options before I make a decision. 

However, the resources I'm studying, despite being written only a few years ago, are woefully out of date. With physical bookstores nearly a thing of the past now, and many books being bought on online stores like Amazon, I'm wondering how much of what I'm studying is relevant (they all assume physical publishing and physical bookstores are where everything is at). 

Here's my question: Is getting my book physically published something I should be aiming for? Or is it smarter to look at something like print on demand or ebooks, and only go into physical publishing as a secondary thing? **What is the main publishing format authors should be using today?** 

Obviously, please back up your opinions with logic and/or references.