> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://ironicsans.ghost.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The 13th Day of Christmas - URL: https://ironicsans.ghost.io/the-13th-day-of-christmas/ - Published: 2025-12-09T16:55:13.000Z - Updated: 2025-12-09T16:55:24.000Z - Description: A fun look at how a picture book comes together - Author: David Friedman Do you have a favorite novelty version of The Twelve Days of Christmas? I think if I had to pick just one, it would be Allan Sherman’s [Twelve Gifts of Christmas](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCHMnEjEseo&ref=ironicsans.ghost.io). The gifts Allan’s true love gave him for Christmas were already outdated by the time I first heard it, but Allan Sherman’s humor feels timeless to me. Then of course there’s the [Bob and Doug McKenzie version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DTwLqR071M&ref=ironicsans.ghost.io). There’s the one about the [Twelve Pains of Christmas ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcNU6atT0-k&ref=ironicsans.ghost.io)that everyone can relate to. And the version the Muppets did with John Denver is played [pretty straight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjM00n127Ns&ref=ironicsans.ghost.io) but I love it because it’s the Muppets (less good is Cookie Monster’s [solo version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQCmsuK-Lmw&ref=ironicsans.ghost.io) about twelve cookies). Oh, and there’s that [a cappella version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fe11OlMiz8&ref=ironicsans.ghost.io) that went viral back in the day, if you’re into a cappella. ### The Thirteenth Day Now my friend, bestselling author-illustrator Adam Rex, has a funny [new picture book](https://www.amazon.com/13th-Day-Christmas-Adam-Rex/dp/0823456536/?ref=ironicsans.ghost.io) out that asks: What happens next for the person whose true love got them all those presents for twelve days? How do they deal with all those lords a-leaping and drummers drumming *after* Christmas? But what amazes me is that Adam also wrote what’s practically a whole second book’s worth of material to promote this one. He sent it out to his mailing list over the thirteen days leading up to his book’s release. I thought it was a really good promo. It shows a lot of the work that goes into writing a picture book behind the scenes – the character sketches, the cover designs, the legal considerations, etc – all with Adam’s wit and style. But you’re probably not on Adam’s mailing list (which you can remedy [right here](https://adamrex.substack.com/)), so with Adam’s permission I’m re-publishing his thirteen-day promo in this one newsletter. I don’t even know if I can send a newsletter this long with so many images, but we’ll find out together! Without further ado, here from Adam Rex is... ### The 13 Days of the 13 Days of Christmas ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-2.png) --- ### On the Second Day of Promo... ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-3.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-4.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-5.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-6.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-7.png) --- ### On the Third Day of Promo... I know, I’m sorry. It’s started now and I have to see it through. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-8.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-9.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-10.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-11.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-12.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-13.png) \[Adam also had one more panel here announcing a contest, but the contest is over so I’ve omitted it so you don’t get your hopes up\] --- ### On the Fourth Day of Promo... Only lost twenty followers since I started this ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-15.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-16.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-17.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-18.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-19.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-20.png) --- ### On the Fifth Day of Promo... ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-21.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-22.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-23.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-24.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-25.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-26.png) --- ### On the Sixth Day of Promo ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-27.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-28.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-29.png) \[Adam re-shared the promotional video in this newsletter for people who missed it the first time. I’m editing that part out since it’s already up above.\] --- ### On the Seventh Day of Promo... Thinking of starting a new substack where I push a rock up a hill ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-30.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-31.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-32.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-33.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-34.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-35.png) --- ### On the Eighth Day of Promo... ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/download.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/download-1.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/download-2.jpg) --- ### On the Ninth Day of Promo... ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-36.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-37.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-38.png) --- ### On the Tenth Day of Promo... ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-39.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-40.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-41.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-42.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-43.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-44.png) --- ### On the Eleventh Day of Promo... Almost there, I swear ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-45.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-46.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-47.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-48.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-49.png) --- On the Twelfth Day of Promo... ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-50.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-51.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-52.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-53.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-54.png) \[Then Adam included the video again. But you’ve already watched it by now, right?\] --- ### The End Our long national nightmare of book promotion is over. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-55.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-56.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-57.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-58.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-59.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/image-60.png) Gonna leave you alone now for a bit. Thanks for sticking with me through this! ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/08/9908ec0b-b3d5-476b-bc3c-632c5b087809/content/images/2025/12/horiz.gif) I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did. Adam’s book got starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly and other places that do such things. You should totally [buy a copy](https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-13th-day-of-christmas-adam-rex/f29a75828d6539e0?ref=ironicsans.ghost.io)! My newsletter schedule may get erratic around the holidays. I think I’ll still get one more out before Christmas, but if not, I’ll see you after. Thanks as always for reading! David