Maddox announced the book on February 22, 2005, and announced its title to a mailing list on October 18, 2005. An art contest was held on the website to pick the illustrators. The book was officially completed on January 19, 2006, as announced on Maddox's website. The book first appeared in Barnes and Noble bookstores during May 2006, and it arrived to those who pre-ordered it on June 1, 2006. The book debuted at #4 on the New York Times Best Seller list for "Advice, How-To, and Miscellaneous," and remained on the list for ten weeks. The book was published by Kensington in the United States and was published by Penguin in the United Kingdom.