How to Write a Technical Book on Coin Grading Standards: A Published Author’s Guide to Pitching O’Reilly & Manning

From Coin Collector to Technical Author: How I Wrote the Book on Grading Standards

When I first pitched a technical book on coin grading to publishers, I quickly realized something surprising: writing about numismatic standards requires the same attention to detail as grading coins themselves. After submitting hundreds of coins to PCGS and NGC over the years, I applied those same evaluation skills to create The Technical Guide to Modern Coin Grading. Here’s what worked—and what I wish I’d known earlier.

Your Manuscript: The Mint State Benchmark

Just like a pristine Morgan dollar, your technical book needs to hit specific quality marks:

• Originality: Fresh insights that haven’t been slabbed and reslabbed in other books
• Technical Rigor: The written equivalent of proper luster analysis under proper lighting
• Market Need: Pinpointing the gaps in existing literature like a dealer spotting undervalued coins

Crafting a Winning Book Proposal

Getting a technical book published reminds me of preparing coins for grading—every element must be presentation-ready.

1. Market Research (Your Population Report)

Before writing a single chapter, I analyzed existing coin grading books like a dealer studying PCGS reports. The biggest gaps I found:

Key Missing Elements:\n- How CAC stickers affect market value\n- Technical analysis of TrueView photography\n- Data-driven approaches to conditional rarity

2. Chapter Structure (The Grading Checklist)

I organized content using the same logic as professional grading:

“Chapters follow the grader’s workflow:\n1. Surface Detection (Ch. 1-3)\n2. Strike & Luster Evaluation (Ch. 4-6)\n3. Rarity Calculations (Ch. 7-9)\n4. Market Applications (Ch. 10-12)”

3. Competitive Differentiation (The CAC Premium)

I positioned my book by highlighting unique value:

• Step-by-step grading workflows with visual guides
• Python scripts for analyzing certification data
• Real-world case studies on crossover opportunities

Choosing the Right Publisher

Each technical publisher has different “grading standards”—here’s how they compare for numismatic topics:

O’Reilly (The Gold Standard)

• Looks for established author platforms
• Loves tech-forward angles (like AI grading tools)
• Offers unmatched distribution with their iconic covers

Manning (The Workhorse)

• Excels at hands-on, exercise-driven content
• Perfect for interactive grading simulations
• MEAP program lets you build buzz pre-launch

Apress (The Specialist)

• Faster decision timelines
• Great for tightly-focused technical topics
• Strong presence in academic libraries

Building Authority Before You Publish

Growing my audience was like building a registry set—piece by valuable piece.

The Blog Post Formula That Worked

1. Start bold ("Why MS64 is the New MS63")\n2. Back it with data (lightbox comparisons + charts)\n3. Make it actionable (shareable code snippets)\n4. Convert readers (free chapter download)

Case Study: Going Viral With Data

My analysis of CAC sticker approval rates outperformed expectations by:

• Processing 15,000 certification records with Python
• Creating clear visualizations of sticker patterns
• Converting 5% of readers to email subscribers
• Leading directly to a publisher offer

The Writing Process: Quality Control

I treated each draft like a coin submission—expecting multiple reviews before the final grade.

Technical Review Process

1. Peer Review: Fellow PNG members fact-checked grading details
2. Publisher Review: O’Reilly’s specialist tech editor
3. Community Feedback: Early chapters shared on CoinTalk

Code Samples That Add Value

These functional examples helped readers apply concepts:

# Calculate conditional rarity\ndef calculate_rarity(pop_report, grade, variety):\n total_pop = pop_report[(pop_report['Grade'] == grade) & \n (pop_report['Variety'] == variety)]\n return (total_pop['Surviving'] - total_pop['Graded']) / total_pop['Minted']

Final Thoughts

Writing this book taught me that technical authorship shares surprising similarities with premium coin selection:

• Proposals need perfect presentation: Like coins in grading holders
• Content quality is non-negotiable: Aim for MS65-level execution
• Audience building is cumulative: Like assembling a top-pop set over time

After navigating the publishing process with O’Reilly, I’m convinced that well-executed technical books can become the new standard references—just like Sheldon’s scale did for earlier generations. The key is applying that same numismatic discipline to every paragraph, chart, and code sample.

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