Even if the goal is not to make money, I'd think that most would at least want an audience to read their work.
Publishing a book, especially paperback is a considerable commitment, yet there's no lack of them coming out in paperback. Even a kindle version is a huge time commitment.
Do you consider that most authors simply have unreasonable expectations when deciding to publish?
Very few authors have reasonable expectations when publishing. In the old days they just wouldn't find a publisher willing to publish their work, or only after many edits for quality. In today's world, publishing is so cheap that there are no standards anymore.
Do you consider that most authors simply have unreasonable expectations when deciding to publish?