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Many people ask me, “Is it better to try to find a traditional publisher or to self-publish?”

My answer is always, “It depends.”

It depends on your goals, your resources, your book idea, the marketplace. There are many factors to consider. (I do encourage you to consider them, and show you how, in Jump Start Your Book: 12 Questions You Must Answer Before You Write Your First Word.)

Nevertheless, there are several good reasons to consider self-publishing for your very first book.

In a brand-new article, I outline those reasons. Read it here.

(Note: This is the first article in the March Your Book Publishing Coach newsletter. If you are a subscriber, each week you will get a new article. At the end of the month, all the articles will be gathered into a PDF document you may download and print. To subscribe, click here. You will also receive, as a new subscriber, an instant, downloadable MP3 audio of an interview with Goal Guru Jill Koenig, answering frequently asked questions about book publishing. To view past newsletters, click here.)

You never know what a day will bring.

Last Saturday morning, I helped put makeup on young actors and actresses for a dress rehearsal of the play my middle-school daughter would be in (”The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”). It was great fun, but I had to rush home for a class I’m taking on Internet Marketing.

After that class, I was scheduled for a business meeting via telephone. When the phone rang, I thought it would be that person I was scheduled to talk to at that time.

To my surprise, it was someone else. Maria Veloso, director of Web Copywriting University , was calling to tell me she had gotten into a car accident the night before, broken her clavicle, and could not speak at the Hewlett-Packard Messaging Summit on Tuesday (yesterday).

“Would you go in my stead?” she asked.

My knee-jerk reaction was no. Such short notice! I had a busy week ahead already. I don’t like to travel…. Etc.

But then I thought about it some more. My friend was in need, and here was a great opportunity for me as well. I knew the material (how Web copy differs from offline copy), and she would send me the notes she had already prepared.

Hadn’t I been reading about stretching past my comfort zone? Haven’t I been urging others (including my coaching clients) to not let fear stand in the way of personal growth? What was holding me back from saying yes?

Granted, public speaking was not my favorite activity, but I have done it numerous times and knew I could do a good job.

I talked to my husband (who said “you can do it!”–bless him). I called Maria back to say yes. The next hours were completely crowded with making travel arrangements, rearranging my schedule, and of course, preparing the speech. On Monday I flew to Vancouver, Washington (where it was sunny and spring-like–I drank in the warm air, the green grass, and even flowers!), had dinner with the friendly HP crew, and crashed. On Tuesday I practiced my talk a few times, gave the presentation, and had to leave immediately to spend 7 hours or so traveling back.

It was exhausting, but worth it.

Not just because of the money, the opportunity, and the peace of mind I was able to bring to Maria. Not only because it forced me to write down and present what I know about Web copywriting.

Most importantly, it showed me I could do more than I thought I could. It proved my family could get along without me for a bit. (Gave them a chance to “stretch” too!)

Have you had a “stretching” experience lately? I’d love to hear about it! Please post a comment and let us know what happened.