It’s time to run through our November observances and unique author brand enhancements and content ideas for your monthly book marketing plan!
Without a 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 really refining your author 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 an author 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 My Content Ideas
Below are holidays and just plain wacky and fun November observances for 2021.
I’ve also included a few content ideas and angles to help spark your creativity and help you wrap your mind around how to work them into your author branding.
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 to 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.
Giving yourself a bar to reach is the first step to upping your author branding 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, consider signing up for email coaching with me and we’ll get personal!
And don’t forget to grab our Monthly Book Marketing Planner from the Free Resources and Downloads section at the end of this post.
Getting Started with November Observances
Start with these month-long ideas! 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 Novel Writing Month – If you’re working on your first release and trying to build a following early, or working on your 10th release, you should still let people know what you’re up to. November is a great time for authors to tease their upcoming work. Share excerpts, storyline hints, character names, things like that, because a lot of people love getting peeks behind the curtain!
Aviation History Month
Picture Book Month – Did you have a favorite picture book that you loved when you were a kid? Post the book’s cover and share why it captivated you, asking your followers to do the same! For children’s book authors especially, why not do a Top 10 list of the best pictures books out there?
Child Safety Protection Month
International Drum Month
National Adoption Awareness Month
National Caregivers Appreciation Month
National Diabetes Awareness Month
National Epilepsy Month
National Model Railroad Month
Native American Heritage Month
Peanut Butter Lovers Month
Real Jewelry Month
National Sleep Comfort Month
World Vegan Month
National Family Literacy Month – There’s nothing like a family of readers! Invite your fans to share what their family is currently loving and reading, or with winter and the holidays around the corner ask people to share their recs for reading around the fireplace!
November Observances by the Week
Week 1: Chemistry Week
Week 2: National Young Readers Week – If you write for young readers do a special promotion or signed copy giveaway. If you write for adults show some love and recommend or tag some of your favorite books and authors who do write for the next generation of book lovers. Content doesn’t always have to be about you, it can also be a great networking opportunity as well and you’ll likely get some love in return.
Week 3: Game and Puzzle Week
November Observances by the Day
November 1
National Author’s Day – It’s our official day to celebrate each other! Tag your favorite author or, better yet, do a special signed copy promo with another author. You could also do a video highlighting what being an author means to you and what parts are the most fulfilling.
World Vegan Day
National Family Literacy Day – Ask fans to post and share what their family is reading right now.
November 2
Deviled Egg Day
Look for Circles Day
Plan Your Epitaph Day – This is super dark and creative, get fans involved by posting yours first!
U.S. General Election Day
November 3
Cliché Day
Sandwich Day
November 4
King Tut Day
Check Your Blood Pressure Day – Health and wellness authors, use this day to promote the healthy lifestyles your books are about. Share a list of tips for heart-healthy management or stress-reducing practices.
Use Your Common Sense Day
November 5
Gunpowder Day
Guy Fawkes Day
November 6
Book Lovers Day – This is a great day to do a BOGO offer, because you’re essentially asking your book lover followers to bring another book lover into your circle!
Marooned without a Compass Day
National Nacho Day
Saxophone Day
November 7
Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day
November 8
Cook Something Bold Day – People love recipes, especially simple ones that don’t taste so simple, so if you have a bold recipe to share this is a great opportunity.
Dunce Day
November 9
Chaos Never Dies Day
World Freedom Day
Young Readers Day – Encourage your followers to ask their kiddos a question or two and share it, like, “What is your all-time favorite book?” or “If you were going to write a book, what would it be about?” Sometimes kids have the most entertaining and insightful things to say!
November 10
Neil Gaiman’s birthday – One of today’s most prolific and imaginative authors, Neil Gaiman, offers the best reason for buying books as gifts: “Books make great gifts because they have whole worlds inside of them. And it’s much cheaper to buy somebody a book than it is to buy them the whole world!”
Forget-Me-Not Day
November 11
Veteran’s Day – Have your readers post a special message to the veterans in their lives and salute those heroes with a limited-time discount promotion.
World Origami Day
November 12
Chicken Soup for the Soul Day
November 13
Caregiver Appreciation Day
National Indian Pudding Day
World Kindness Day – We all need a little more kindness, right? Share something you’ve done recently that was motivated by kindness, and ask followers to do the same. It’s easy to get focused on what’s going wrong in the world, when we all should be helping each other remember all the wonderful things!
November 14
Operating Room Nurse Day
World Diabetes Day
November 15
I Love to Write Day – Turn this into a fun fill-in-the-blank. Ask your followers to finish the sentence, “I love to write because…” and let them know this isn’t just for published authors, this is absolutely for anyone who gets some sort of fulfillment from the written word.
America Recycles Day
Clean Your Refrigerator Day
National Philanthropy Day – They say giving is better than receiving. Choose an organization related to the content in your book–animals, education, healthy eating, poverty, the creative arts–whatever it is, and then for a limited time, donate a portion of your sale proceeds to a nonprofit organization benefiting that cause.
November 16
World Philosophy Day – What’s a philosophy you abide by? “You are the author of your own life.” “Life is short. Do what brings out the most in you.” “Effort matters more than skill or talent.” Post one of your own guiding principles, encouraging your readers to do the same.
Button Day
International Tolerance Day
National Fast Food Day
November 17
Electronic Greeting Card Day
Homemade Bread Day
Take A Hike Day
World Peace Day
November 18
High-Five a Librarian Day – Librarians can be our biggest promotional assets. Set up a reading event at your local library and while you’re there, get to know the librarians, tell them about your books and it’s possible they’ll add your book to their recommendations for readers. And don’t forget to high-five them on your way out!
November 19
Have a Bad Day Day
November 20
Absurdity Day
Beautiful Day
National Adoption Day
Universal Children’s Day
November 21
False Confession Day – Calling all mystery writers! Use this seemingly ordinary day to entice your readers with a piece of bonus content about a perfect false confession scenario.
World Hello Day
November 22
Go For a Ride Day
November 23
Eat a Cranberry Day
National Cashew Day
National Espresso Day
November 25
National Parfait Day
Thanksgiving – We all have much to be thankful for, but authors especially are thankful for readers. Write a thank-you note to your readers and post it front and center on your website. And if you really want to tuck in for the holidays and stay off social we support you, consider posting something thoughtful on Monday explaining why you’re taking a much-deserved break.
November 26
Black Friday – The biggest shopping day of the year; get your strategies in place in advance to maximize this near-national holiday! Scroll down to the Resources and Free Downloads section for great marketing tips for the holidays and let the sales begin!
Buy Nothing Day
You’re Welcome Day
November 27
Pins and Needles Day
November 28
French Toast Day
Red Planet Day
November 29
Chia Pet Day
Square Dance Day
November 30
Stay At Home Because You Are Well Day
Joy of Cooking publication anniversary – On this day in 1924 the iconic cookbook, Joy of Cooking, was published. Encourage fans to choose, prepare and share a dish in celebration!
The Takeaway
Remember, being an author demands creativity, and it also demands authenticity when developing a marketing plan to support your author brand.
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
Updating Your Book Marketing Plan for Holiday Sales
How to Sell Books: Eight Critical Mistakes Authors Make
Check out the Alliance of Independent Authors for news and resources
In preparing my next newsletter, I remembered to mention a discount offer for Vet’s Day (11/11) for my WWII books. Not sure exactly what it will be — last year I gave away my ebooks on that day. As I don’t have new ebooks, I’m stymied but am sure I’ll come up with something. Your list of special days are helpful. Thanks!