As recently as ten years ago, self -publishing was not all that easy. You had to find a decent place to print your book, fork over some dough, and wait for the books to arrive. You couldn’t order piecemeal or wait for some orders to roll in first, you had to buy a bunch and hope for the best. Still, writers would pay thousands of dollars for this option if they were not able to find a publishing company. Like authors, independent musicians and filmmakers were in this same tough spot too. 

Today, we have more options.  You can self-publish by creating digital files of your material and sell an e-book. The most common format might be PDF, if for no reason other then they can be read on almost every system, Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, Apple's iOS as well as on different eBook readers like the Nook or Kindle. The advantage of PDF is that you can even sell it on your own with ease, using shopping cart/purchasing systems, like E-Junkie.

There are also companies that will print your book on demand; buyers choose to purchase your book and then they print it, bind it, and ship it off to your buyer. Some companies – like Amazon's CreateSpace - provide both an eBook and print on-demand option and use can use them to sell music and videos too.

Whatever your creative endeavor might be there is one thing you must do. You have to edit it. I cannot stress this enough.  One of the biggest problems a first time self-publisher can run into is poor editing. Hiring an editor might be one of the best things you could do for your career. Most will not only look over your book for spelling and grammar, but they will also check for a slew of common issues, cleaning up the story, and suggesting changes. If you have a savvy, willing, and well-read friend or two, ask them to read over your stuff for content and flow too. Accept and encourage brutal honesty!

Likewise, when you are working to release your first album, make sure you are recording at a studio that is well setup. You could record your songs in your own garage, but that doesn’t work out so well for most (Buddy Holly is an exception). Have someone help you with the recording, even if it is a friend or group of friends from another band that has recorded once before. If you pick the right partner, they can help you balance the different tracks (nothing is worse then the vocals being drowned out by the backup guitar) and let you know which take are the best. Finally, release on a current medium. Vinyl is fun, I own a lot myself, but if you are releasing your first album, CD and MP3 are your best bets.

Notice a theme yet? Working with others is a necessity unless you alone are perfectly well-rounded, good at everything, and your judgment is not compromised by being really close to your own project (unlikely!). Of course that is true of film (which is arguably the most collaborative medium on this list). You really want to have someone edit your film with you. They can help cut out parts that slow down the film, and make sure that the order of the story makes sense. Not unlike a book editor, a second person in the editing room is key to a successful first project. 

Remember the first thing your release into the world may not live in infamy, but those who find it will form their opinions based on it. If your first work is sloppy, your potential audience will be reluctant to give you a second shot when you churn the next one out. Even if it's a million times better.