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
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.
Resources and Free Downloads
Monthly Book Marketing Planner
Are You Ready for Big Media Coverage?
How to Launch a Book with a Full-Time Job and Life
Get a Polished Author Brand in 10 Minutes
Check out the Alliance of Independent Authors for news and resources
0 Comments
Trackbacks/Pingbacks