I am a writing geek. I love pens, dictionaries, and  workshops about writing. I like to see what people are doing and the new technologies and trends.

I went to one  yesterday that was about getting yourself organized and writing your manuscript. It turned into a 90+-minute infomercial about the author's self-publishing experience. The writer ran out of time, so I didn't get to ask my questions. The author never really addressed the business end of this proposition (profits and losses) and the perception of the method. (These used to be called vanity presses.)

I've heard of genealogy groups and clubs using this method to put out family histories, cookbooks, specialized text/reference books, and other local-interest books. I haven't heard of any writers (with contracts with publishing firms) who have made their starts this way. Drop me a line and let me know your experiences.