How I Turned My ‘Best Cherrypick of the Year’ into a Technical Book: A Step-by-Step Guide for Aspiring Authors

Writing a technical book isn’t just about flexing expertise. It’s about solving real problems people face. Here’s how I took my “cherrypick” of a niche (attribution techniques for rare coin varieties) and turned it into a career-defining O’Reilly book. No fluff, just the steps that actually worked.

Why a Technical Book on Coin Varieties is a Career-Changing Opportunity

Tech books? Most cover code, data, or engineering. But if you know your 1916-D Mercury Dime from your 1916-S? That’s your edge. My book didn’t start as “Coin Collecting 101.” It became “Advanced Attribution Techniques for Scarce Coin Varieties: A Technical Guide for Collectors, Dealers, and Auction Houses.” Specificity sold it. To publishers. To readers. To reviewers.

Find Your Niche Within a Niche

You don’t need to be the world’s biggest coin expert. You need to be the expert on *one frustrating, repeatable problem*. I saw it everywhere: dealers missing DDOs, misattributing VAMs, slabs with undiscovered overdates. That gap? That’s your book’s heartbeat.

• Problem: Dealers struggle to ID varieties without a system. They guess. They miss big.
• Solution: A manual teaching *how* to find, document, and prove rare varieties—step by step, no guesswork.
• Audience: The serious players: advanced collectors, dealers, graders, auction catalogers.

Actionable Takeaway: What do you see misgraded, misattributed, or overlooked *all the time*? That’s your book. It’s not about being first. It’s about being first to fix that specific pain.

Structuring Your Technical Book: From Idea to Outline

Pitching to O’Reilly? Don’t say “I know coins.” I said, “Here’s a 12-chapter technical guide with learning outcomes, code, and evidence.” I gave them:

1. Chapter 1: The Science of Attribution

<
• Die states, breaks, repunching, master die shifts—the *why* behind the marks

<

• Tools of the trade: magnification, lighting, comparison software (yes, even Photoshop overlays)
• Code snippet: Python and OpenCV to automate die alignment (see below)

import cv2
import numpy as np

def align_images(img1, img2, max_features=500, good_match_percent=0.15):
    img1_gray = cv2.cvtColor(img1, cv2.COLOR_BGR2GRAY)
    img2_gray = cv2.cvtColor(img2, cv2.COLOR_BGR2GRAY)
    orb = cv2.ORB_create(max_features)
    kp1, desc1 = orb.detectAndCompute(img1_gray, None)
    kp2, desc2 = orb.detectAndCompute(img2_gray, None)
    matcher = cv2.DescriptorMatcher_create(cv2.DESCRIPTOR_MATCHER_BRUTEFORCE_HAMMING)
    matches = matcher.match(desc1, desc2, None)
    matches = sorted(matches, key=lambda x: x.distance)
    numGoodMatches = int(len(matches) * good_match_percent)
    matches = matches[:numGoodMatches]
    points1 = np.zeros((len(matches), 2), dtype=np.float32)
    points2 = np.zeros((len(matches), 2), dtype=np.float32)
    for i, match in enumerate(matches):
        points1[i, :] = kp1[match.queryIdx].pt
        points2[i, :] = kp2[match.trainIdx].pt
    h, mask = cv2.findHomography(points1, points2, cv2.RANSAC)
    height, width, channels = img2.shape
    aligned = cv2.warpPerspective(img1, h, (width, height))
    return aligned

2. Chapter 2: The Grading Services’ Blind Spots

• How PCGS, NGC, ANACS handle (or skip) varieties. Spoiler: they miss a lot.
• Case study: The 1951-S/S Buffalo Nickel (MS-67, top pop—and *not* in the pop report)
• Why “normal date” slabs often hide overdates. (Happens more than you think.)

3. Chapter 3: Building Your Own Attribution Toolkit

• Software: Photoshop, GIMP, Die Variety Reference Manager (your workspace)
• Hardware: Loupes, digital microscopes, lighting. (Lighting matters more than you think.)
• Data: Build a private database. Your personal reference library.

4. Chapter 4: The Business of Attribution

• How to present evidence to graders (templates included—no more blank stares)
• Negotiating with auction houses: “This isn’t just a 1934-D Peace Dollar. It’s a *strong DDO*.”
• Legal and ethical hard questions: When do you break a slab? (And how?)

Actionable Takeaway: Structure like a manual. Each chapter solves *one* problem. Use code (like the alignment script), workflows, and real cases (1873 Shield Nickel DDO, 1926 TDO FS-101). Show, don’t just tell.

Pitching to Publishers: O’Reilly, Manning, Apress—What They Want

Publishers don’t care about your passion. They care: Can you *teach* this to someone who will pay to learn?

1. O’Reilly Media: The Gold Standard for Technical Books

• What they like: Depth. Clarity. Real-world use. Not just “how to collect.”
• How to pitch: Send a 2-page proposal with:
• Chapter outline (be specific. “Chapter 5: Case Studies in Misattribution” beats “Chapter 5: More Examples”)
• Target audience (dealers, graders, advanced collectors—not “everyone”)
• Your platform (blog, talks, email list—proof you have readers)
• Sample chapter (with code, diagrams, *actual* attribution examples)
• Tip: Frame it as a *skill*. “This book teaches a marketable, career-advancing skill for dealers and graders.” It’s not a hobby. It’s a tool.

2. Manning Publications: Interactive Learning Focus

• They want engagement: exercises, quizzes, companion sites
• Perfect if you have a YouTube channel, podcast, or online course (and you should)
• Example: “Test your eye: Is this a DDO or damage? (Answer in the back.)”

3. Apress: Practical, Hands-On Guides

• Great for niche topics (coin attribution? yes.)
• They love series (Apress Pocket Guide to…)
• Faster turnaround than O’Reilly (good if you need momentum)

Actionable Takeaway: Don’t send a wish list. Send a *sample chapter*. Show your teaching voice. Use real slabs, photos, workflows. No theory. Show the *process*.

Building an Audience Before You Publish

Publishers ask: “Will this sell?” Prove it *before* you write.

1. Start a Niche Blog or Newsletter

• Post: “How I Found a 1951-S/S in a Raw Slab” (with photos)
• SEO: “how to identify DDO coins,” “rare buffalo nickel varieties,” “grading service errors” (use what people *search*)
• Headline: “**3 Steps to Spot a Re-Punched Date (With Photos)**” (clear, practical, searchable)

  2. Speak at Conventions and Webinars

  • ANA, FUN, local clubs—offer free talks. Build a name.
  • Record and post on YouTube. Add transcripts. (Google loves text. People love convenience.)

  3. Leverage Social Proof

  • Get quotes from graders, auctioneers, collectors: “Howard Spindel, shieldnickels.net: ‘This method works.'”
  • Credibility sells books. (And publishers notice.)

  Actionable Takeaway: Your book is about *you* as much as content. The more people see you as *the* expert, the more publishers invest.

  Navigating the Writing Process: From Draft to Delivery

  9–12 months. That’s the reality. Here’s how I survived (and finished):

  1. Write 500 Words a Day

  • Set a timer. Write. No editing. Just get it out. (Editing comes later.)
  • Tools: Scrivener or Obsidian. Organize research, notes, drafts. (Lifesavers.)

  2. Use Real Slabs as Figures

  • Every chapter has annotated photos: “See the doubled shield lines? Here.” (Visual proof beats theory.)
  • Use ExifTool to embed metadata: grading service, date, population count. (Pro tip: publishers love this.)

  3. Beta Readers Are Non-Negotiable

  • Give early drafts to 3–5 experts. Ask: “Where did you stop? What didn’t make sense?”
  • Revise. Revise. Revise. (It’s not personal. It’s better writing.)

  4. O’Reilly’s Workflow

  • They use AsciiDoc (not Word). Learn it early. (It’s worth it.)
  • Use Atlas for editing and previewing. (Makes collaboration easier.)
  • They provide reviewers. Use them. (Their feedback is gold.)

  Actionable Takeaway: Treat it like a job. Deadline. Schedule. “Done is better than perfect” is your mantra.

  Conclusion: Your “Cherrypick” Can Be a Career Catalyst

  The 1913 Type 1 3.5-legged Buffalo, the 1951-S/S, the Judd 300—they’re not just rare coins. They’re proof: *expertise* creates value. That value? It’s what publishers want. It’s what readers pay for. It’s what builds your career.

  Your book does more than share knowledge. It:

  • Establishes you as *the* expert in a niche (coin attribution, not “coins”)
  • Creates passive income (royalties add up)
  • Opens doors: speaking, consulting, courses (your book is your credential)
  • Helps others avoid your early mistakes (and saves them time, money, frustration)

  O’Reilly, Manning, Apress—they don’t want celebrities. They want *teachers*. They want the person who can explain the hard stuff—clearly, consistently, convincingly. That can be you. You don’t need fame. You need a specific problem, a clear method, and the willingness to share it. Your unique perspective? That’s your superpower. Now go cherrypick your future.

  Related Resources

  You might also find these related articles helpful:

  • How I Turned My Coin Collecting Expertise into a $50,000 Online Course (And How You Can Too) – I still remember the first time I held a rare 1936 Buffalo Nickel with a doubled die obverse. My heart raced. I’d …
  • How to Become a High-Priced Tech Consultant by Solving Expensive Problems with Strategic Specialization – Clients don’t pay for generic skills. They pay for experts who fix costly, painful problems. If you want to become…
  • Building Better Cybersecurity Tools: A Developer’s Guide to Threat Detection & Secure Coding – The best defense? It starts with smart, proactive offense. Here’s how developers can build threat detection and cybersec…