From Fanfiction to Self-Publishing: Ten Tips for Making the Move

Tip #1: To make money, write a lot and write for a long time. Don’t think of writing as a quick path, but as a long-term trek. Every book you write is a seed you’re planting. It may take a long time to reap the rewards, but you could be harvesting that seed indefinitely.
Tip# 2: Spend what you’re comfortable spending. You can self-publish while still treating your writing as a hobby.
Tip #3:  Download Building Your Book for Kindle from Amazon for everything you need to know about formatting an ebook. Your filtered HTML file should work for ePub, too.
Tip #4: Editors aren’t magic.
Finding an editor: www.alanrinzler.com
Faking Editing: Find readers at fictionpress and wattpad; critiques at critiquecircle.com, critters.org, and projectteambeta.com, and an online software editor at prowritingaid.com 
Tip #5: Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good enough, but take your time while editing.
Tip #6: Cover design isn’t rocket science. Some basic guidelines:·         The thumbnail is the most important size·         Keep the imagery simple·         Use colors to catch attention and set a mood·         Good typography matters for than fancy art – make your title readable·         Attractive doesn’t matter
Design site: 99designs.com
Tip #7: Distribution decisions aren’t set in stone, but it’s easier to start small and expand. For audio: ACX.com
Tip #8: Dead trees actually do sell and CreateSpace does a nice job.
Tip #9: Most promotion is a waste of time and energy.
Info on A/B testing: www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/06/24/the-ultimate-guide-to-a-b-testing
Tip #10: Write fanfiction!