Thursday, September 19, is Talk Like a Pirate Day!
Woo!
I plan to celebrate by NOT talking like a pirate.
Also woo!
I don’t mean to be disrespectful toward our hook-handed and peg-leggy pals. I am a huge fan of pirates and their unique vernacular. In 2023, I wrote Pirate & Penguin, a picture book written entirely in pirate speak. If that doesn’t show my respect for those grizzled old salts, nothing does.
The reason I won’t be speaking like a pirate this year is because my pirate speak ain’t so great. My vocal cords are namby-pamby and wholly unfit to bellow “YO-HO-HO!” and “ARRR!” for any length of time before my voice cracks like a mid-puberty 12-year-old.
So I cannot recommend my pirate voice. I can, however, proudly recommend my pirate books.
That’s right! I said books! Plural! As in more than one!
I loved writing Pirate & Penguin so much that, seconds after selling the first book, I accosted my editor and proposed a sequel.
This bewildered her a little bit
“Um,” she began, “we don’t really buy sequels to books that haven’t been published yet. Because, you know, we want to make sure the first book sells before we buy a second one.”
That made perfect sense. But I allayed my editor’s concerns with a persuasive counterargument.
“Pleeeeease?” I argued. “Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!”
Somehow my whining worked. And thank goodness for that, for Pirate & Penguin 2 Few Crew is on sale now!
WOO!
It got a great review from Kirkus!
WOO!
And you should consider buying it!
Whadaya say?
Wait. I know how to persuade you to purchase a copy:
Pleeeeease? Oh, pleeeeeeeeeese! Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!
I’m glad we had this talk.
Hey, Look! A Writer Fellow! 
Congratulations!!!
Thanks so much, Robin!
Miss you, Mike and I even miss your pirate-speak. – Meg
Meg! I miss you, too! What are you up to these days?
Kudos on your whiny wheedle win to write the woes of P&P two Mike.
Much like the squeaky wheel gets the grease, the whiny writer gets the book deal.
Yay!
Hoorah! Huzzah! Books!
I concur with your sentiment.
Aye aye Captain
cjsmissionaryministry@gmail.com
I am incredibly impressed with your bargaining for a sequel strategy success. I will keep it in mind. And congrats!
Ah, thank ye, lass!
Before the publisher folks accepted the idea of a sequel, I had to provide them with a detailed synopsis (The synopsis was *so* detailed, in fact, it was longer than the book it spawned). Only after reviewing and approving that, the the fine folks at Page Street, allowed me to proceed with a draft. They didn’t give me a contract at that time, they just gave me a reasonable expectation that there would be a contract.
It was the first time I had ever seriously planned the plot of a picture book; the process made writing P&P2 a breeze.
In this case, it seems, telling won over showing.
“I’m glad we had this talk.” Oh, Mike. You are a treasure. I’m glad it’s not buried, and I don’t have to follow a pirate map to find it, buuuuuuutttttttt, there’s a third book idea! Go beg your editor!!!! 🙂
Believe it or not, I have been toying with a third P&P installment. Unfortunately, Page Street Publishing has been inching away from picture books in favor of young adult novels…so I don’t think they’re gonna go for what I’m offering this time around.
YA, huh? They already love you. Pitch them my book. When they say, great! Say, wonderful! But actually…