Let’s celebrate all the days of November! Welcome to our unique content ideas for authors list of November observances for your monthly book marketing plan.
If you’re committed to making this year one of your most successful yet, we can help. If you haven’t already downloaded our Monthly Book Marketing Planner, grab it at the bottom of this post in our resources section.
Remember, without regular connection to readers, you’re just another book on the shelf. Take the time to make yourself stand out by using our monthly observances and tips to create interesting content with your own unique twist.
This is part of building your brand!
Timely content that uses popular and trending search terms and hashtags is a great way to enhance your visibility and improve SEO in a very simple way.
And what’s really key: content ideas don’t always have to stem from your genre or topic.
When it comes to author marketing and building a brand, ensuring that your fans and followers have ways to connect with you on a more personal level is as powerful as speaking about your genre and topic.
How to Use Unique Content Ideas for Authors
Below are holidays and just plain wacky and fun November Observances for 2020 that can be used as unique content ideas for authors.
I’ve also included a few content ideas and angles to help spark your creativity!
Not all of these are worth an entire blog post or article, but nearly all of them can be turned into a fun or thought-provoking social media post or blurb in your newsletter – so it’s like getting triple the ideas!
There are always a lot of holidays around food, drink, and cooking, so get ready to share recipes or tag local fave establishments and ask followers to share theirs. The same goes for activities: this is a great chance to take selfies and/or share a bit about yourself outside of being a writer.
These also open up opportunities for you to make recommendations for products – no, not official ads, but again, people love to follow someone who’s a great resource. Think outside the box to come up with ways you can help people out and make their lives easier or more exciting.
Keep in mind: ALL of your posts should encourage your fans and followers to respond, chime in, share their feedback, insight, stories, etc. Don’t forget to work that angle: let them know you want to hear from them.
Also remember: your goal is to encourage engagement – never post flat content; be creative with how you pull others into the conversation and offer ways for them to easily engage.
If you feel a little guilty about the lack of promotion planning you’ve done so far this year, use this list as a productive kick in the rear. Commit to writing some form of content every day and use it on social, for your blog, in your newsletter – get creative!
Giving yourself a bar to reach is the first step to upping your game.
Do polls, giveaways, fan art contests: remember to make it about your readers – not about you – and you’re guaranteed to see better engagement.
If you need some additional support on how to translate these ideas into actual content and posts, please consider signing up for email coaching with me and we’ll get personal!
Getting Started with Content Ideas
You can easily devote a whole month’s worth of content to Thanksgiving – recipes, things you’re thankful for, etc. But you also might want to check out some of these other monthlong observances. Several offer opportunities to support a cause close to your heart by sharing stories, raising awareness, and/or giving your followers ways to donate money, time, and love to your favorite issues.
National Adoption Awareness Month
National Caregivers Appreciation Month
National Diabetes Awareness Month
National Epilepsy Month
National Family Literacy Month
National Novel Writing Month. That’s right. NaNoWriMo is back! You can find all kinds of ways to get involved at the official site.
Native American Heritage Month
Peanut Butter Lovers Month
Picture Book Month. If any genre lends itself to a book-a-day posting schedule, it’s the picture book. If you can round up 10 faves to start the month off, you can probably rely on your followers to nominate their own choices so you can finish strong. Give a shoutout to everyone who contributes. People love seeing their names in other people’s posts!
National Sleep Comfort Month
Weekly Celebrations and Content Ideas
Week 2 Children’s Book Week. So maybe a whole month was too much. How about seven days? If you write for children, consider shining a spotlight on some of the adults who instill a love of reading in children: parents and grandparents, teachers and librarians, babysitters and nannies – it really does take a village to raise a reader!
Week 3 Game and Puzzle Week
Unique content ideas for authors
Daily Observations and Content Ideas
November 1
All Saint’s Day
Daylight Savings Time ends – Run a poll asking whether your followers are fans of Daylight Savings. I’ve known people to debate this topic for HOURS.
Dios Los Muertos (2 days November 1 & 2)
National Author’s Day – Post a photo of yourself with a fellow author and encourage your followers to respond by posting their own selfies with famous authors. Sure to get a conversation going!
World Vegan Day – Even if you’re not a vegan, we can all use a few more plant-based meals and snacks in our diet. Ask your followers to share their favorites with you!
November 2
All Soul’s Day
Deviled Egg Day
Look for Circles Day
Plan Your Epitaph Day – Come on, you got this one. You’re a writer after all!
November 3
Cliché Day
Housewife’s Day – To those who have the hardest unpaid job in the world, we salute you! Great opportunity for a post about a character in one of your books or a household product that you love.
Sandwich Day
Election Day – Your followers may or may not agree on the candidates, but hopefully, they all agree on the importance of voting. Run a promotion where a photo of a buyer with a voting sticker is worth 10% off a purchase from your website.
November 4
King Tut Day
Check Your Blood Pressure Day
Use Your Common Sense Day
November 6
Marooned without a Compass Day
National Nacho Day
November 7
Book Lovers Day – They love your books: this is definitely the year to show them some love in return. Perfect opportunity to run a promo, raffle, or giveaway.
November 8
Cook Something Bold Day – It might time for your very first Facebook Live or Instagram Live for this one, either for the actual cooking or for the tasting afterward.
November 9
Chaos Never Dies Day
World Freedom Day
November 10
Forget-Me-Not Day
USMC Day
Young Readers Day – Okay, so maybe a month AND a week were a little too much. This is one day. C’mon! You can do it!
November 11
Veteran’s Day – Support our troops – they support you! Invite your followers to share a photo of their favorite vet; for every photo, offer to donate $1 (or $5 if you’re flush!) to a local veteran’s group.
World Origami Day
November 12
Chicken Soup for the Soul Day
World Pneumonia Day
November 13
Caregiver Appreciation Day – Give tributes to those who really deserve them: the amazing humans who care for us during our hardest times and in our daily lives. Your definition of the term can be as wide or as narrow as you like, but it’s definitely worth showering these people with love on social and encouraging your followers to do the same.
Friday the 13th
National Indian Pudding Day
Sadie Hawkins Day
World Kindness Day – It’s been a hard year. Can you inspire a kindness wave? Invite your followers to participate and ask them to share their kind gestures. Respond to every comment with kindness in your heart.
November 14
Hindu Diwali Day
World Diabetes Day
November 15
America Recycles Day
Clean Your Refrigerator Day
I Love to Write Day – Give your followers a little more insight into your writing life. You might even hide an Easter Egg or two and see if anyone notices.
National Philanthropy Day
November 16
Button Day
Have a Party With Your Bear Day
International Tolerance Day
National Fast Food Day – If you take your bear to Taco Bell, you can do a two-fer!
November 17
Homemade Bread Day
Take A Hike Day – Get out there and breathe deeply in the natural world. Post a photo or two of your favorite hiking spot and encourage others to do the same.
World Peace Day
November 18
Hi-Five a Librarian Day – Shout-outs to the people whose job hasn’t gotten any easier during the pandemic. Make the hi-five virtual and express appreciation for all they do.
Occult Day – This might be right up your genre alley so make the most of it!
November 19
Great American Smokeout
Have a Bad Day Day
November 20
Absurdity Day
Beautiful Day – There’s a fair chance that the day won’t be beautiful, which gives the sarcastic set lots of material for great posts to celebrate Absurdity Day.
Universal Children’s Day
November 21
False Confession Day
National Adoption Day
World Hello Day
November 22
Go For a Ride Day – Wake up and have an adventure. Show your followers where the ride – on a skateboard, scooter, horse, Vespa, motorcycle; in a car or train or airplane – takes you. Lots of photo ops with people you meet along the way.
November 23
Eat a Cranberry Day
National Cashew Day
National Espresso Day – Triple bonus points if you eat a homemade cranberry/cashew energy bar while drinking a latte. Also a good day to raffle off a free book to anyone who makes a pre-Thanksgiving purchase from your website.
November 24
All Our Uncles are Monkeys Day
Evolution Day
November 25
National Parfait Day
National Tie One On Day – Might be a good time for a cocktail rec as we head into the holidays…. Or you could take this in an entirely different direction and hold an art contest where people submit their drawings of Ugly Christmas Ties.
November 26
Shopping Reminder Day
Thanksgiving
November 27
Black Friday
Buy Nothing Day
You’re Welcome Day – Whether you buy everything or nothing, make sure to say you’re welcome.
November 28
French Toast Day
Red Planet Day – SFF authors! There is SO MUCH you can do with the Red Planet!
November 29
Advent Begins
Square Dance Day
November 30
Stay at Home Because You Are Well Day – And while you’re there, plan out your December book marketing strategies!
The Takeaway
Remember, being an author demands creativity, and it also demands authenticity.
Coming up with unique content ideas for authors as part of your marketing plan is a great way to take your success seriously, without taking yourself too seriously! And these November observances should really help.
Resources and Free Downloads
Monthly Book Marketing Planner
5 Simple Tips for Creating Video Content for Social Media
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