How I Turned a Niche Numismatics Topic into a Technical Book Deal with O’Reilly: A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming a Published Author

Want to write a technical book? I just landed a deal with O’Reilly for a niche topic: numismatic shows. Yes, coin collecting. Here’s how I did it—and how you can too. As someone who’s published with O’Reilly multiple times, I can tell you this: the process isn’t about perfect prose. It’s about showing you can solve real problems with technical precision. Whether you’re a CTO, freelancer, or investor, this guide will help you turn your expertise into a published book.

Why Write a Technical Book in 2025? (Yes, Really)

The old rules are gone. You don’t need a PhD or a corner office to get published. What matters now? Specific knowledge that others need. Publishers like O’Reilly, Manning, and Apress want authors who can:

• Turn complex ideas into clear, usable systems
• Find gaps in the market and fill them with practical solutions
• Bring readers with them (a blog, community, or following)

My book, Organizing and Analyzing Numismatic Shows, started as a spreadsheet of coin show data. I’d been tracking Long Beach Expo and PCGS Irvine events for years. But here’s what hooked O’Reilly: I didn’t write “about” coin shows. I wrote about using data and tech to make them work better. Think of it as: event planning + data science + community building. That’s what got me a meeting.

Turning a Hobby Into a Book Idea

Most people write what they like. Smart authors write what others need. I asked three questions:

• Which skills from coin shows could help other industries?
• What headaches do collectors and organizers face that tech could fix?
• Is there a lack of clear processes for show planning or market analysis?

At the PCGS Irvine show (Oct 22–24, 2025), I saw real problems: overcrowded parking, limited transit, and no way to predict attendance. That became Chapter 3: “Designing Events That Don’t Fail at the Basics”. I created a simple spreadsheet model using attendance history, venue size, and nearby transit—something any organizer could use.

How to Structure Your Book for O’Reilly (Or Any Tech Publisher)

Forget long explanations. Tech publishers want tools, not textbooks. I built my book around a simple idea: “See it, measure it, fix it.” Here’s how:

1. Part 1: The World of Coin Shows – How Long Beach, PCGS, and GACC actually work
2. Part 2: Reading the Data – Who shows up, what they buy, and why they leave
3. Part 3: Building Solutions – Code, dashboards, and workflows

Chapter 4: Predicting Attendance Without a Crystal Ball

Why do some shows flop? I wrote a Python script to find out. It used real data from PCGS and ANA shows to predict turnout based on:

• Distance from the nearest airport
• Flight routes (direct vs. connecting)
• Cost and availability of parking
• Clashes with other big events

The code itself was simple, but the idea was powerful:


import pandas as pd
from sklearn.ensemble import RandomForestRegressor

# Load historical show data
data = pd.read_csv('shows_2015_2024.csv')

# Features: airport_distance, parking_cost, flight_options, season, ...
X = data[['airport_distance_km', 'parking_cost', 'flight_options', 'season']]
y = data['attendance']

# Train model
model = RandomForestRegressor(n_estimators=100)
model.fit(X, y)

# Predict for Irvine 2025
irvine = [[3.2, 55, 8, 'fall']]
predicted_attendance = model.predict(irvine)
print(f"Predicted attendance: {int(predicted_attendance[0]):,} collectors")


This wasn’t just a coding exercise. It was a way to show event organizers they could stop guessing. Apress loved it. They saw a tool with real-world use.

Your Book Proposal: Make It Sell

A book proposal isn’t an outline. It’s a pitch. I followed O’Reilly’s guide, but made it my own:

• Market Need: “Coin shows are run on guesswork. This book brings data to a $20B market.”
• Audience: Show organizers, dealers, data folks, and startups in the NFT space.

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• Competing Titles: I listed three event-planning books—and why they ignored tech.
• Sample Chapter: I sent Chapter 4, with the attendance model. It showed I could deliver.
• Marketing Plan: “I’ll use my coin blog, speak at shows, and host PCGS webinars.”

What O’Reilly, Manning, and Apress Actually Want

I sent 17 proposals before one stuck. Here’s what I learned:

• O’Reilly wants new ideas. My first draft was too much “history of coin shows.” I changed it to “how to build the next generation of shows with tech.” They bit.
• Manning wants hands-on work. I added a GitHub repo with Jupyter notebooks and a Slack group for readers.
• Apress cares about timing. I pitched during the Long Beach show’s cancellation. My pitch? “How to plan the next Long Beach show—without the chaos.”

I made a landing page with a sign-up form before my pitch even went out. Two weeks later: 412 emails. That was my proof of interest.

Build Your Audience Before Your First Chapter

Publishers want authors who can sell books. I didn’t wait. I:

• Wrote a 10-part series: “The Hidden Data in Coin Show Failures”
• Made a show-planner-cli tool (500+ GitHub stars)
• Gave a talk at GACC: “Parking: The Silent Show Killer”
• Started a Discord group for dealers and data analysts (200+ members)

When O’Reilly saw the Discord and the tool, they told me: “You’re not just an author. You’re building something.”

The “Minimum Viable Book” Trick

My first draft was 500 pages. I cut it to 220 by focusing on three people:

• The Organizer: “How do I pick the right venue?”
• The Dealer: “Where should I set up to make the most sales?”
• The Investor: “Which shows are undervalued because they lack tech?”

Every chapter ended with a clear “do this now” step. Like:

Take Action (Chapter 6): Download show-attendance-model.ipynb and predict turnout for your next event. Try changing flight_options to see how adding direct flights could increase attendance by 18–22%.

Writing the Book: 10 Months, One Chapter at a Time

O’Reilly gave me an editor and a tech reviewer (a former ANA board member). The work took 10 months, but I stayed on track by:

• 300 Words a Day: 500 on weekends, 200 on weekdays. Consistency beats bursts.
• Weekly Calls: With my editor, not just the publisher. We fixed problems early.
• Beta Readers: I sent early chapters to 5 dealers in my Discord. Their feedback shaped the final book.

One thing I learned? Don’t write in a bubble. I shared drafts in the Discord, ran polls on chapter order, and even let readers pick the subtitle.

Your Turn: Start Writing

A technical book isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about showing how to solve a problem step by step. My coin show book proves this: any niche can become a high-impact topic if you use the right tools.

Here’s your path:

1. Pick your niche (coin shows, API design, fintech—anything with real problems)
2. Build a community (a blog, a Discord, a GitHub repo)
3. Write a proposal that fixes something (not just “here’s what I know”)
4. Pitch with proof (emails, stars, talks—show people want this)
5. Write for the reader (code, tools, clear next steps)

The next Long Beach show, PCGS Irvine, or Nashville event won’t wait. Your book shouldn’t either. Start today.

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