Time to break down and pick a self-publishing tool

I have decided that it's time to self-publish Where the Gold is Buried. I'm disappointed I couldn't find a traditional publisher for it. I've read too many stories about novels published by obscure publishers and figured if I kept snooping around online I'd find a home for it. Not being agented, I naturally sought the small, indie press, and from that group tried to find those that would take on a work of historical fiction. There are a lot of small presses that specifically support groups (lesbians, poets, south americans, women poets, people from Canada, gay writers from Michigan, etc.). Bless these folks for providing outlets for titles that would not be picked up by bigger presses. I didn't find one for middle-aged white males writing historical fiction.

So then I pursued the many companies that offer self-publishing. Since I did Weathermen in 2001 the field has deepened considerably. There is a fierce debate within the self-publishing community consumed with the stigma of it. Some argue that they have opportunities with traditional publishers and choose to self-publish because they get more control, make more money... maybe that's true. My traditional publisher made some fundamental errors in marketing and timing books to market... can you say made it into stores on December 23rd? Sort of missed the Christmas rush... I can say that the experiences I had with mismanagement (the publisher, Barnes and Noble) were magnified and extended by other writers I've spoken with.

So maybe the stigma of self-publishing (your book isn't good enough to get a real publisher) will fade at some point. I finally chose to self-publish because in my hometown, where this novel is set, friends of my family who read the first book kept asking if there would be a second. Since I have an audience, however small, I might as well publish it.

So picking the right self-publisher... I'm leaning towards Lulu as they offer services free, simply asking you to pay for the books. There are dozens of self-publishers and they all charge several hundred up to the thousands for their services. And I can all but guarantee that they are all thieves, as the irony of the process is that if one gets a traditional publisher, one is best off self-promoting. (wait for a small, indie publisher to organize readings, etc., and you can spend a lot of time writing the next book).

I am setting up my own imprint. Cataract Press. Keep an eye out.