I would definitely suggest breaking things down in to manageable steps
Even the top pros started with zero knowledge!
Step 1
Get your "songwriting chops" up to scratch - ie the lyrics, melody and chords
Step 2
Understand "song structure" and how this can support your song idea - eg if you are writing "pop" you may want a "Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus, Chorus" structure, but if you are writing a "story song" (eg folk or country) then a "Verse, Verse, Verse, Bridge, Verse" structure may support the song better
Step 3
Learn a bit about "songcraft", which overlaps with the first 2 steps but will lead you towards making "the song" the best it can be - eg things like:
Does the title appear in the "right" place?
Is the chorus "hooky" enough?
Does it communicate the message/emotion you intended?
Are the lyrics appropriate for the song - eg "too poetry like" for pop or not deep enough for folk?
Is there enough variation between sections (eg verse & chorus)?
Is there enough "tension & release" in the song
etc. etc. etc.
There is a never ending list of things to learn - and they will be different for every song
Step 4
If you want to record yourself then I would suggest just learning enough to record a decent "working demo" to communicate the song
Eg - if you write on guitar just record a good guitar and vocal version - all you need is a PC/Mac/Ipod etc. , a basic DAW (likely to be free versions available), an audio interface and a mic - you can even record straight to a phone but I would personally advocate trying to record each element on to separate tracks so that you have a degree of control over the balance of volume between elements
This would also open up the option of you (or someone else) building the track up / producing it by adding more elements/instruments but keeping your original vocal (or other instruments) in the mix
I would suggest just focusing your efforts to get to this point - you may be happy with the song in its form at this point
If you want to create a more "radio ready" version, or you want to commercially pitch your song, then there is a good chance you will want it "produced", mixed and mastered
The rest can be either learnt later or "outsourced" to someone else
Step 5
Arrangement / Production - this is where other elements are added to support the song - and often to define the genre - eg if you have an acoustic / vocal demo of a heavy rock song there is a good chance you will want heavy guitars and drums on the "produced" version
Step 6
Mix - this is an art in itself but can be easily learnt
Step 7
Mastering - another art and it is often beneficial for another person to master a track you have produced & mixed
There are companies out there that specialize in taking songwriter's songs through Steps 5 onwards
I offer this service myself so feel free to drop me a PM for the special "forum member mates rates" if you are interested