Galley Cat poses the perrennial question about self-publishiing and concludes with:

In other words, yes, technology has made it possible for just about anybody to become a published author—but that’s only the first step in becoming a successful author, and only the people who have the courage and tenacity to see the project through, with or without a big company’s help, will reap the full rewards.

I coach several writers and one best-selling author and let me tell you …. it’s not the writers who are hauling bags of cash home. Nor, is it the book store owners.

That being said, I think self-publishing combined with skilled self-promotion ( a rare skill in the writing community) will put more $$ in writer’s jeans.