With sites like Lulu and others, self publishing has become more democratized. Granted, you won't get the distribution channels that come with a major publisher, but you also will have more freedom (especially if you are a new writer).
With the advent of the Kindle, Amazon has added new way for the self- published to get more distribution. You set your list price, upload your content, and Kindle users can purchase your book right off their device. I am not sure what typical rates are for authors of books, but Amazon will pay you 35% of your list price.