This is a great article about self-publishing and its pitfalls. It lives here http://criminalbrief.com/?p=6990.
This is one of the things I deal with on a day-to-day basis, and listening to people who’ve been taken in by the less scrupulous members of the community. Don’t get me wrong, self-publishing can and does provide an excellent opportunity for people wanting to publish outside the traditional system. There are, however, also some pirates – unfortunately, they aren’t easily identifiable because they refuse to wear eye patches and accessorise their shoulders with parrots. Rest assured that when I take over the world, they will be obliged to do so.