Arrgh You Ready To Profit From Pirate Day?

Down on your luck? Try creating your own international holiday, turn it into a book deal, and profit accordingly.

Author:: David Seaman
Publish date:: Sep 18, 2009 2:37 PM EDT

John Baur and Mark Summers, two friends from Albany, Ore., were playing racquetball when, for whatever reason, they started insulting each other in pirate jargon. Out of this was born Talk Like a Pirate Day, which falls on September 19th because it is Summers' ex-wife's birthday. Their offbeat holiday has turned into an international sensation, and has even resulted in two book deals. Their web site has received over 19 million hits. Before you get jealous, MainStreet has some must-know tips for starting your own viral bogus holiday and raking in the cash! (Photo Credit: Ben Walther)

DO latch onto a popular, but nerdy pop culture theme: Pirates, vampires, hobbits, X-Men. If it's in a comic book store, you're on the right path. DO design a Web site and prepare for the onslaught: International holidays aren't created overnight, matey. Provide clear contact information so media outlets can learn more and book you for interviews. DON'T expect immediate success: Talk Like A Pirate Day didn't hit the big time until Dave Barry wrote about it in a 2002 Miami Heraldcolumn. (Photo Credit: celebdu)

DON'T go it alone: Great minds need support: Edison had Tesla, after all. Bringing a friend aboard will help keep morale up and will make you seem (slightly) more legitimate to media outlets. DO look the part: John and Mark wear the full pirate garb with pride and have even given each other swashbuckling aliases: Ol' Chumbucket and Cap'n Slappy. (Photo Credit: Leonid Mamchenkov)

Some are not entirely amused, though: Daniel Sekulich is a modern piracy expert and author of "Terror On The Seas." He told MainStreet: "Modern day pirates bear no resemblance to Johnny Depp, to Captain Jack Sparrow... It's OK to have a little fun at their expense, but it's important to remember that they are violent criminals who in the first half of this year took 561 people hostage." But remember: if your invented holiday isn't at least a bit controversial, no one will cover it. (Photo Credit: Deanna Fisher, Defenselink.mil)

It Started With Racquetball

John Baur and Mark Summers, two friends from Albany, Ore., were playing racquetball when, for whatever reason, they started insulting each other in pirate jargon. Out of this was born Talk Like a Pirate Day, which falls on September 19th because it is Summers' ex-wife's birthday. Their offbeat holiday has turned into an international sensation, and has even resulted in two book deals. Their web site has received over 19 million hits. Before you get jealous, MainStreet has some must-know tips for starting your own viral bogus holiday and raking in the cash! (Photo Credit: Ben Walther)