[NoCat]

What do you mean, sharing royalties? With whom? Can't you track what comes in and pay those people their % somehow after the money arrives?

You should publish direct with Amazon and Kobo and perhaps use Draft2Digital for the rest. Not Lulu...

 

[NoCat]

You are paying the editor and cover designers a %? Meep. That's a huge red flag right there, though I guess too late for your to avoid it. I'd wait til the 5 years is up and leave the book unpublished while you write like crazy and publish new stuff. Nobody should pay a % of royalties for editing and cover art.  (I feel bad for the editor and artists, but... they shouldn't have gone for that deal either and you gotta take care of you)