I've pulled my motor about 4 times now, and have learned a few things each time...
Get a box of ziplock bags and a permanent marker. Label every bolt that comes off the engine/car! You'll regret it otherwise. You can also use masking tape on all the electrical connections to label where they go. If your car is old & has miles on it like mine though, everything is kinda form fitted to where it goes. I can take the injector harness and toss it on top of the motor and everything pretty much goes where it should!
I have a plate I bolt to the lower intake, then I use a hoist to pull the motor. Works very well. I guess you could also use long bolts into the cylinder heads on diagonally opposite sides of the motor, but I was always afraid of that doing something to my head bolts/gaskets.
Don't remove the hood! There's no need to unless you want to spend unneeded time realigning it and/or risking that it falls over/something gets bumped into it & dented. Just unhook the hood struts and use a broom handle to prop the hood open. There's slots on the underside of the hood that you can put on end of the handle in. This will keep it from slipping.
If I need to pull the motor, I pull the trans too. I know some guys don't, but I do. It's easier to get to the bellhousing bolts if you drop the tail end of the trans first (to get the top bolts with LONG extension). I can pull a trans in 35-40 minutes on my back w/jackstands.
Lately I've found that it's easier for me to get the starter wires off once I pull the motor up a little. If you decide to do this, make sure you go slow and check to see that there isn't anything catching.
I leave as much on the motor as I can. It's a lot easier to pull off once out of the car. Having a frontmount at times like this is VERY nice.
The first time I pulled my motor I went and rented a hot water pressure washer and a big jug of the wickedest cleaner I could find. Make sure you cover all electrical outlets, trans/engine oil lines, and any holes in the firewall before using. After it dried, I used some good primer and paint (see Eastwoods) and touched everything up. It's nowhere near a show car, but still looks pretty clean to this day (3 years later).
That's all I can think of now. Will post more if I come up with anything.
Good luck,
-Banning.