I have two great stories almost ready for print. Both illustrators will be done within two weeks, then the files will be sent to the printer. The printer, however, would like to get paid for his work when he delivers the product, not when I sell it. Even small runs of 1000 are going to require some creative accounting, and a small amount of flat out begging to come up with the capital necessary.
Large publishers have quite an advantage: brand recognition, distribution, and money.
I've run into a classic situation where it takes money to make money. I have to sell books to make money, but I have to have money to print the books, in order to sell the books, in order to have money... Argh!
However, I'm a writer, and that means I'm creative and tend to revise things until they turn out the way I want them too. So success is right around the corner... though I don't know quite when we'll get there, or what it will look like, or how may hoops I'll have to jump through... but I can smell it.
Onward!

It seems that funding a good picture book on Kickstarter is more difficult than I thought. It appears that we will fall far short of our goal, and thus get none of the money pledged. I have been studying elements of successful projects though, and will launch another attempt a week or two after this one ends.
Note to emerging authors: The writing is the easy part. Gaining personal and brand recognition is hard! Not impossible, just hard. The market is flooded with material, and gaining a following takes creative thinking and perseverance.
One thing is for certain, self-publishing is not for the faint of heart or those afraid to learn. It's like getting another Masters degree without the credits... and no one tells you what you courses to take; you have to discover them.
So here's to perseverance and discovery!