A couiple of things. One, coat the ends with a log sealer to prevent checking and degrading of your lumber. Cut the logs with a length of about 8 to 10 inches of trim; example: 8' 10". Use at least 1" x 1" stickesrs every 16" to 18" and not placing the next layer of stickers directly over the last; offset them on every layer of lumber. Make sure to keep the lumber out of direct sunlight to prevent additional checking of the edges or the top layer of lumber. I usually place a layer of tin or plywood on the top layer with stickers between for air flow. You general climate may tell better the duration for drying. General rule of thumb around here is, a year to the inch of thicknes.
As to the timeline of sawing, I like to get them sawed as soon as possible, unless I am specifically wanting spalted lumber, then let the logs set for a year or three.