Self-Publishing

There seem to be two trends in publishing at the moment. On the one hand, larger presses are making cutbacks. On the other hand, there is a proliferation of self-published books and the process of publishing your own book is becoming cheaper and more convenient.

Does anyone have thoughts on self-publishing? Has anyone done it and can recommend it (or recommend not to do it)? I have a very short book that I might try to publish that way if I can’t secure a traditional publisher for it soon. Would you be less likely to buy a book that looked interesting if it were from a self-publishing source rather than a traditional press that has shown itself to be a publisher of reliable books? If you’ve used a particular service, which did you choose, and how did it go? If you’ve bought a self-published book, were you satisfied or disappointed with the product you received?

I’m also thinking about doing something like this when I have something I want to use in an adult Sunday school class, or perhaps even in classes at Butler.

I look forward to your input!