Unique Author Branding and Content Ideas Using September Observances

by Penny Sansevieri | Sep 7, 2021 | Monthly Observances & Content Ideas, Social Media for Authors

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It’s time to run through our September 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 September 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.

If you feel a little guilty about the lack of book marketing planning you’ve done so far in 2021, 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 author branding game.

And don’t forget to grab our Monthly Book Marketing Planner from the Free Resources and Downloads section at the end of this post.

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!

Getting Started with September 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.

Baby Safety Month

Chicken Month

Better Breakfast Month

Classical Music Month

Fall Hat Month

Happy Cat Month

Hispanic Heritage Month

Honey Month

International Square Dancing Month

Little League Month

National Blueberry Popsicle Month

National Courtesy Month

National Mushroom Month

National Piano Month

Self-Improvement Month–If you have a book about health and wellness, this month is the time to highlight the importance of personal growth. Ask your readers to share some of their most valued lessons learned for self-improvement.

National Sewing Month

Whole Grains Month

September Observances by the Week

National Indoor Plant Week – third week of the month

August Observances Promotions

September Observances by the Day

September 8

International Literacy Day – Literacy is the cornerstone of our written world; celebrate and promote it by highlighting one of the many literacy-focused nonprofit organizations all over the world. Or, find your favorite quotation about literacy by simply Googling “Literacy quotes” — you’re sure to find one that speaks to your heart.

National Ampersand Day

Pardon Day

September 9

Teddy Bear Day

September 10

Sewing Machine Day – Do you have a sewing or crafting book? This is the day to celebrate. Host a giveaway of crafting supplies listed in your book.

Swap Ideas Day – I talk a lot about the importance of networking with other authors because it can really improve the quality of your books and your overall brand. If you don’t have an author network find a tribe before the end of 2021.

September 11

911 Remembrance

Make Your Bed Day

No News is Good News Day

September 12

Chocolate Milk Shake Day

Grandparent’s Day

National Pet Memorial Day

National Video Games Day

September 13

Defy Superstition Day

Fortune Cookie Day – A book is in your future! Up for some baking? Make some fortune cookies (there are tons of recipes out there) with a picture of your book cover on the paper fortune slip.

National Peanut Day

Positive Thinking Day

Uncle Sam Day

September 14

International Crab Fest Day

National Cream-Filled Donut Day

September 15

Make a Hat Day

Felt Hat Day

September 16

American Legion Day

Collect Rocks Day

Step Family Day – Did you know that 42% of adults in the US have a step relationship? If you are one of these adults, consider writing about it on your website, especially if the step relationship has played a significant role in your life.

Mayflower Day

Mexican Independence Day

National Play-Doh Day

Working Parents Day – All parents are working parents, right? Plan a special promo as a way for parents to recognize all the work they do–especially if they took on double duty as a teacher while their children couldn’t be in school.

September 17

Citizenship Day

Constitution Day

National Apple Dumpling Day

September 18

International Red Panda Bear Day

National Cheeseburger Day

September 19

International Talk Like A Pirate Day

National Butterscotch Pudding Day – Might one of your book’s characters love butterscotch pudding? Sounds super random, but my point is, your characters should be memorable and even relatable in many cases, so sharing seemingly insignificant details and personality insights like this will help make them feel more real!

National Dance Day

National Women’s Friendship Day – A lot of women’s fiction centers around friendships, how important they are, how complicated they can be, take a moment to highlight what this means to you and your work.

Wife Appreciation Day – If your book has a couple in it, consider showcasing a love note from a spouse to their wife. Again, having fun with your characters and giving readers “insider info” above and beyond what’s in your book really helps bolster the importance of the world you’ve built.

September 20

National Pepperoni Pizza Day

National Punch Day

September 21

International Peace Day

Miniature Golf Day

World Gratitude Day – Feeling gratitude is the surest way to feeling happy. Show your gratitude to your readers with a BOGO or limited-time discount. After all, readers are the reason authors get to do what they do!

September 22

Autumn Equinox, Fall begins!

Business Women’s Day – If you’re a woman AND an author, you’re a business! It might even be your second or third business. Share what you’ve learned along the way, you never know how much you could potentially help another up-and-coming writer.

Elephant Appreciation Day

Hobbit Day

September 23

Checkers Day / Dogs in Politics Day

September 24

National Cherries Jubilee Day

Native American Day

September 25

International Rabbit Day

National Comic Book Day – If you had (or have) a favorite comic book, share it with your readers and tell them why it’s your favorite. Readers love learning about authors’ own reading lives.

National Hunting and Fishing Day

September 26

Johnny Appleseed Day

September 27

Crush a Can Day

September 28

Ask a Stupid Question Day

National Good Neighbor Day

National Public Lands Day

September 29

Confucius Day – “You cannot open a book and not learn something.” ~ Confucius

September 30

National Mud Pack Day

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 September observances should really help.