Lessons Learned: Self Publishing - Part One

Taking a break from reviewing, I thought maybe I could (or should?) share some information that's in my head.  It may be of benefit to some.  It may be stone useless.  As always, the reader decides what's useful.  (I hope eternally, at any rate.  Please don't let anyone tell you what information is useful to you! If they try to do so, at the very least be skeptical.) 

See, I've been doing a lot of panels lately, at Farpoint and Mysticon.  Some of them were just entertaining at best, some...