I'm still learning about the publishing industry. I can't say if self-publishing is better or worse than traditional publishing, but it seems to come down to personal preference. If you write a quality book and can get it out there then there's a good chance readers will find you (so says the internet anyway). I'm still working on getting my debut children's fantasy novel out there - SOMNIUM: Beyond the Darkness (Book 1 in the Somnium Series), so for me, the jury is still out.
I wanted to document my journey for my own reference because when it's time to get book 2 out there I'm going to need this information again! I'm a big DIYer and self-publishing my book has been no different. So far I've done everything myself (and by everything I mean everything - from setting up my website to formatting my files for print). To give credit where credit is due, my talented artist/husband created my cover, but since he doesn't do that for a living I consider it part of my DIY journey. If you're planning to self-publish your book and want to try doing it yourself as well, then you might find some of these posts helpful.