Creating a TypeScript project and publishing it to NPM requires configuring the project's settings, such as setting up the `tsconfig.json` file, adding build scripts to the `package.json` file, and specifying the entry point and types declaration files. Additionally, publishing to NPM requires authenticating with an npm account and running the `npm publish` command. The final `tsconfig.json` file should include settings such as `target`, `esModuleInterop`, `declaration`, and `declarationMap` to provide better type-hinting, auto-completion, and support for ES Modules and CommonJS style imports.