Releasing a game for the Rift?

Hey there,
I've never published anything on any platform, so when I think about publishing something for the Rift, it appears as a huge mountain to me, with steep cliffs to climb up.
Would be really kind, if someone could just give me some hints on the rough roadmap, some words or places I can google. Or an overview of the process.
My ideas are about simple but fun concepts involving a bit of multiplayer, so someone with better coding skills (all of you) might pull off in a week what I did in 2 months.
So, would showing early prototypes invite copycats to get your ideas quicker to market (than yourself)?
What do you think?
Thanks,
Mike