How I Turned ’64’ Into a Technical Book: A Blueprint for Aspiring Authors

Writing a technical book transformed my career in ways I never expected. Let me walk you through my journey—from that first “64”-themed birthday idea to holding my published book. Whether you’re an engineer, tech lead, or consultant, creating a technical book can cement your expertise while opening unexpected doors.

Why Bother Writing a Technical Book?

When I first considered writing 300+ pages, I nearly talked myself out of it. But after publishing with O’Reilly, Manning, and Apress, I discovered the real payoff wasn’t in book sales. It changed how people perceived my work. Here’s what surprised me:

• Instant credibility: A book is like a permanent job interview in your field.
• Speaking invitations: Conferences started reaching out instead of me chasing them.
• Endless content: Those chapters became blog posts, workshops, and client proposals.
• Career insurance: In an AI-driven world, deep expertise still stands out.

My wake-up call came during my 64th birthday celebration. Between the coin-themed jokes (yes, “64” refers to coin grading!), I realized: What if I could capture the precision behind rare collectibles and apply it to software systems? That spark became my book’s backbone.

Finding Your Book’s Core Idea: My “64” Blueprint

The secret isn’t picking a trendy topic—it’s finding your unique angle. For me, “64” became shorthand for precision, traceability, and longevity in tech systems. Here’s how I translated a coin collector’s mindset into technical principles:

1. Extract Your Core Theme

Studying rare coins taught me:

• Clear standards: How do experts objectively judge quality?
• History tracking: Provenance matters—whether it’s a 1804 silver dollar or a codebase.
• Durability: What makes something last centuries instead of decades?
• Peer validation: Why community approval increases value.

These became chapters in “Grade 64: Building Software That Lasts”—a guide to creating systems as meticulously crafted as museum artifacts.

2. Bridge to Technical Practices

Every collector’s principle had a tech counterpart:

• Grading → Automated code reviews (linting, test coverage)
• Provenance → Git history and signed artifacts
• Preservation → Immutable infrastructure and versioned APIs
• Community → RFC processes and open-source governance

Here’s how I automated quality checks like a coin grader:


# Grade-64 quality pipeline
.PHONY: audit
grade-64:
@echo "Running Grade 64 Audit..."
lint --strict .
test --coverage --fail-under=85
size-limit --exit-error=100kb
@echo "✅ Grade 64 Achieved"


This script became my book’s most shared example—simple enough for beginners, rigorous enough for architects.

Growing Your Audience (Before Writing Chapter 1)

Publishers want authors with engaged followers. I built mine through:

1. The Newsletter That Became My Testing Ground

“Grade 64 Weekly” started as a simple experiment:

• Shared early chapter drafts (“Is this concept clear?”)
• Ran “Rate This PR” challenges with real code samples
• Featured case studies like preserving legacy banking systems

18 months later: 12,000 subscribers who helped shape the book.

2. Speaking Gigs That Sold Chapters

I pitched unconventional talks:

• “Why Your Codebase Deserves a Museum Grade”
• “From Rare Coins to CI/CD: A 64-Point Checklist”

Each talk ended with a QR code for a free chapter—converting 38% of attendees into subscribers.

3. GitHub as My Proof of Concept

Open-sourcing my book’s examples led to:

• 1,200 GitHub stars in 6 months
• O’Reilly discovering my work organically
• Real-world feedback before publication

The Book Proposal That Landed My Deal

My O’Reilly-winning proposal framework:

Title That Sparks Curiosity

“Grade 64: Building Software That Lasts”
How to Audit, Preserve, and Scale Systems for Decades

Why it worked: Combined niche grading terminology with universal tech pain points.

Pain Points Publishers Loved

• “Software decays faster than physical artifacts—why?”
• “A 64-step system for creating ‘future-proof’ code”
• “For architects tired of rewriting systems every 5 years”

Proven Marketing Strategy

• Existing audience: 12k newsletter subscribers, active GitHub repo
• Pre-launch “Grade Your Stack” challenge with SonarQube
• 50 early reader testimonials from tech leads

Picking Your Publishing Partner

What I learned from working with major houses:

O’Reilly (My Choice)

• Pros: Global distribution, gorgeous production, marketing muscle
• Cons: Slow process (18 months from proposal to print)
• Ideal for: Established experts ready for global reach

Manning (Great for First-Timers)

• Pros: Write while earning through Early Access program
• Cons: Lower royalties than going solo
• Ideal for: Authors wanting live feedback during writing

Apress (Niche Experts)

• Pros: Fast publishing (under 9 months), specialty topics
• Cons: Limited promotional support
• Ideal for: Hyper-technical or academic content

Why I Didn’t Self-Publish

Unless you’re a marketing wizard, traditional publishing wins:

• Professional editing and design teams
• Distribution to Amazon, bookstores, and corporate libraries
• Speaking opportunities through publisher connections

My 64-Day Writing Marathon

I drafted the book in two intense months:

The Daily Grind

• 4:00 AM: Tea + 30-minute planning session
• 4:30–7:00 AM: 1,200 words of raw content
• 7:00 AM: Quick polish of yesterday’s work

Chapter Template That Kept Me Focused

1. Hook: “What rare coins teach us about software rot”
2. Core Principle: “Preservation requires intentional design”
3. Tech Example: Code samples or architecture diagrams
4. Action Item: “Run this 10-minute system audit”
5. Real Case: “How we upgraded a 1990s manufacturing system”

Tools That Saved Me

• Scrivener for organizing research chaos
• Git for tracking manuscript versions
• Hemingway App for keeping prose clear

Life After Publication: Where the Magic Happens

The book launch was just the beginning:

Content Multiplier Effect

• Turned chapters into 12 blog posts
• Created a popular workshop series
• Developed a Udemy course (6,000+ students)

Consulting Opportunities

Offered “Grade 64 Audits” at $5k/day—book served as instant credibility.

Media Features

O’Reilly secured spots on top tech podcasts and industry newsletters.

Your Book Is a Career Catalyst

That “64” birthday joke became my professional trademark. If I can do it, you can too:

• Find your unique angle—even obscure hobbies can inspire tech insights
• Test concepts early—build audience feedback into your process
• Choose partners wisely—different publishers serve different goals
• Write first, perfect later—momentum beats perfectionism
• Repurpose everything—each chapter should spawn multiple assets

What’s your equivalent of my “64”? What expertise could you package into a book that reshapes your career? The keyboard is waiting.

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