Self-Publishing in the Age of E

It's no secret that the increased access to digital distribution has dramatically changed the book publishing industry. One shift has been in the self-publishing space. Self-publishing was once seen by mainstream publishers as a last-ditch alternative for authors who could not get a traditional publishing deal. No longer. The international success of the originally self-published series Fifty Shades of Grey has reinforced the notion that bestsellers may be lurking in places other than the traditional slush pile, while igniting a rush to find the next E.L. James. How is this changing things for writers? Literary agents? Those looking for content in ancillary industries like Hollywood?

Additional Supporting Materials

http://www.wpix.com/news/morningnews/wpix-50-shades-of-grey-040312,0,7255089.story

Questions Answered

As an author, what does it take to find success self-publishing?
How are editors approaching self-published material? How different is it than their approach towards agented material?
What are literary agents looking for, when it comes to self-published material?
What kinds of self-publishing projects are literary agents proposing to their existing clients? And is there a conflict of interest when one of these projects involves publishing, and the agent suddenly becomes the publisher?
Has the success of 50 Shades of Grey, which Universal and Focus features optioned for millions, caused a shift in the way producers/studios think about self-published material? Or, are people in Hollywood simply looking for copycat erotic material in the vein of 50 Shades?