To mappack or not to mappack?
Thanks for the thoughts guys. I think I will put my maps into a mappack. And really, I guess If I lose interest 2 months down the track I can always release the maps Ive made individually then 
On a side note, how long does it take you guys to finish a map? Its taken me about three weeks to finish the one im working on, and about half of that was just detailing, am I spending too long on one map?
I think in terms of boolean variables. Generally, it makes things easier.
Usually the basic layout of my map takes me a day. Then I will let some friends play the early version (another day). Often I will find flaws in the levels, so it will take me another day to finish those. Then often I'm not satisfied, so I will add another puzzle. Which then takes me another day (because I have to move things around). Then it will take me about a week to get proper lighting, texturing and a lot more. Then I ask some other friends to play it and give feedback. Then make some final adjustments and my map is more or less done.
At that point I'll upload my maps to the WIP section and wait for some other feedback (also takes quite a while.) Make some other final adjustments and I'm done!
So I guess the whole process takes me 2-3 weeks. A few things I do to make mapping faster:
* Use two screens, one with a windowed mode portal 2 (no border) so I can easily alt+tab. The other with hammer
* I don't add lighting until the puzzles are working.
* I don't add nice texturing until the point where the map itself is good enough.
* I don't add elevators until the puzzles are working
* I run maps fast/fast so that compile times are lower
All those things make it easier to move objects around and/or make compiling times lower, which alows you to playtest more in the same time 
EDIT: good luck with your mappack 
3 weeks is a very reasonable time to complete a map! Especially if it is a good puzzle and looks great! I've made a few maps that have taken me a couple of months or more to make (one even taking 6 months... ).
I agree with almost everything IPfreaky said. Though...
Planning is a very important stage in the development of a map. If you haven't started mapping and it has been two days jotting ideas and making rough sketches, I think you would have more intention on completing the project than someone who starts Hammer immediately.
Lighting is important as well. What I do to save time is use Cordon to compile certain spots of the map to test lighting, instead of waiting 5 minutes each time I want to test one light. (Try radius culling too)
I agree with you chicken: first get your idea out and make sketches 
I didn't know about cordon, but I will use it for my next map! thanks
Being mostly a map consumer, I tend to prefer map packs over playing a couple of smaller projects in a row.
My first map is coming out soon, since I've never released a map I think i'll ask for some feedback on that before putting much effort in a bigger project though.
Now it's still double the amount of what you think it is.
Hofstadter's law?