@Morgan-Wallace it is relatively easy to publish using Amazon's KDP, and free. It's print-on-demand (POD), meaning that a book is only printed when it's ordered and Amazon handles all the printing,distribution, & shipping so that's something you don't have to worry about. If you'd like a small inventory of books, you can order author copies at cost, which is something like $4 a book plus shipping.
There are some things to be aware of about KDP, though:
- They only print in paperback. It sounds like they are beta testing hardcovers, but that option isn't available yet.
- The quality control is at times lacking, which could irritate your readers. A few times I've gotten KDP-printed books with entirely different books printed in the middle (2-for-1, I guess, but it's still annoying). The printing quality could differ depending on where the book is printed (KDP has several printing locations in the US and overseas).
- The printing quality is just okay. It's not as good as a book printed on an offset printer (printing in bulk, how books are traditionally printed) - the paper is thinner and the printing is not as vibrant. It has to do with the paper, inks, and the type of printer that these books are printed on.
- KDP requires that the last page of a book be reserved for their use. Which is fine in a novel. But for a picture book, if you're printing 32 pages, you design and plan for only 31 pages of content, page 32 being reserved for KDP's use. It leaves an extra "blank" page at the end because KDP's print date and location notice is really small and nothing else goes on that page.
- The printing is automated. You don't have a lot of options to choose from and if you need to troubleshoot and contact customer support, they often are not very knowledgeable. (This is my experience. Perhaps things have changed in the past year or so and KDP has given their customer service reps more training.) On the plus side, if you need to make changes or correct something on the fly, it's free and easy to do and your book remains available for purchase.
If you would like a hardcover picture book, as most readers prefer hardcover nowadays, there is the option of printing through Ingram Spark, Ingram's POD. They offer a few more printing options to choose from and 3 levels of printing quality (hint: because it's a picture book, you want to choose the premium color option, which is of course the most expensive). Like KDP and other PODs, Ingram Spark is relatively easy to use (though more complicated than KDP), the printing quality is okay (the quality of Ingram's premium color is better than KDP, but still not as good as offset printing), and you need to leave the last page for their use. Ingram Spark does have a setup fee and does charge for revisions made to an uploaded file.
Note: you will want to purchase your own ISBN. (KDP offers a free ISBN option, but it's advisable to purchase your own so that you are registered as the publisher of your book.) In the US, an ISBN can only be purchased from one place, Bowker. One ISBN costs $125; 10 cost $295. If you live in Canada, you get them from ISBN Canada and they are free. In the UK, you'd get an ISBN through Nielsen UK ISBN Agency. (Obtaining an ISBN is different for each country.) If you print a hardcover and paperback version of your book, you will need an ISBN for both. At this time, KDP doesn't require ISBNs for ebooks.
There are other costs involved in self-publishing. (Even though as an author-illustrator, you are cutting those costs way down.) You'll want to hire a professional editor. If you don't know how to format a book or if book design isn't in your wheelhouse, you'll need to hire a book designer to design your cover and the interior of the book. If you start your own publishing company, there are going to be DBA fees and other setup fees. There are marketing costs. And there is also the cost of time -- the time you spend on making your book, you can't spend making money some other way.
Self-publishing can be rewarding and a really good experience. But it's a lot of work. It will take a lot of time, money, and energy. Are you someone who has the time and is willing to put the effort into selling your book? For a book to be successful, it needs to be marketed. There are so many books out there right now that uploading your book to KDP and expecting people to find it amid the 250,000+ of children's books already listed on Amazon ... yeah, that probably won't happen. People have to know it's there, which means you have to market, market, market!
It's good to sit down and consider why you may want to self-publish and what you want to get out of it. Is this a passion project, a book that you've dreamed of making, and you don't really care how much money it makes (or if you lose money on it), as long as it's out in the world? Is it a book that a traditional publisher probably wouldn't pick up, for whatever reason? Or, on the other hand, is this a project that you want or need to make money for you?
If it's the latter, my recommendation would be to take an honest look at self-publishing, what you can realistically expect, and what it will take for your book reach its goals. Do you have the resources to do that?
If, after you evaluate, it seems like it will take too much time and effort, or if it's something you can't afford to do, then perhaps traditional publishing is the way to go.
One more note: you said that you're leaning towards getting a literary agent to build your brand and network -- it may be worth considering if self-publishing will help you in that goal or not. While it is gaining ground in being considered a legitimate form of publishing (cuz it is), there still is a stigma surrounding self-publishing. It's something to be aware of. However, if you put out a self-published book that is just as high-quality as a traditionally published book, that could go a long way in counteracting that stigma in building your brand. If you're a member of SCBWI, The Book (updated every year and available to all members) has a self-publishing section that has a ton of information that may help you in weighing that option. It also has an agents directory and tips on submitting to an agent. I've personally found SCBWI extremely helpful in learning about the industry, in networking, and building my career (such as it is).
Did it again -- got really long-winded! Hope you found this info dump helpful. If there's anything you have questions about, feel free to ask!