Welcome to our list of July observances and content ideas for your monthly author marketing plan!

If you haven’t downloaded our Monthly Book Marketing Planner yet you can grab that here!

Remember, without regular connections to readers, you’re just another book on the shelf they have no vested interest in…so take the time to make yourself stand out by using our monthly observances and tips to create timely, interesting content with your own twist.

Here’s a list of causes and interests associated with the month of July:

• National Almanac Month
• National Blueberry Month
• National Anti-Boredom Month
• Unlucky Month for weddings
• National Cell Phone Courtesy Month
• National Hot Dog Month
• National Ice Cream Month
• National Picnic Month

If any of the above are near and dear to your heart be sure to show your support.

Personally, I’m super excited about National Almanac Month. I’m never been shy about being an information and factoid nerd! For most of us, the Farmer’s Almanac is the only one that comes to mind, but there are actually almanacs for a wide variety of topics.

If you haven’t picked up an almanac in awhile (or ever) I encourage you to do so this month and promote the reading activity to your fans and followers. Learn more about the surprisingly old and super interesting history of almanacs here!

Remember, content ideas don’t always have to stem from your genre or topic. When it comes to author marketing and building a brand, ensuring fans and followers have ways to connect with you on a more personal level is equally as powerful.

How to Use These July Observances in Your Content

Below are holidays and just plain wacky and fun July Observances in 2018.

We’ve also included a few content ideas and angles to help spark your creativity!

Remember, not all 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!

Keep in mind, nearly all your posts should encourage your fans and followers to respond, chime in, share their stories, etc. so don’t forget to work in that angle!

Getting Started With Content

1 International Joke Day – Share your favorite joke of course! Bonus if it’s a knock-knock joke that forces someone to participate.

2 World UFO Day – One of my favorite shows of all time is The X-Files, are you a believer? Poll your fans.

3 Compliment Your Mirror Day – We all know we should find more wins, right? Step out of your comfort zone and publicly compliment yourself or give yourself a pat on the back.

4 Independence Day (U.S.) – The importance of this holiday has been lost in recent decades, but remember all the countries and people around the world that don’t have the freedoms we have. Take time to acknowledge this.

6 International Kissing Day – Have fun with this one, I don’t think you need my help!

7 Chocolate Day – Oh yes, one of my faves. Growing up in Belgium you can imagine I have a deep-seated appreciation for good chocolate.

Time to Get Creative with Your Author Marketing

13 Embrace Your Geekness Day – I am a loud and proud geek! I love math, I love facts, I love all things UFO related and I absolutely love learning. If you’re a self-proclaimed geek share what makes you that way!

13 National French Fries Day – This is another day that’s dear to me because of my Belgian heritage. There is no better comfort food than frites with mayonnaise for dipping.

14 Pandemonium Day – Either share what’s crazy going on in your life or share how you’re going to shake things up!

15 Be a Dork Day – It’s as if the universe is telling me something, first geek day, now dork day. But that’s alright, I guess I’m kind of a dork too, because I have my clumsy moments and maybe I’m not always suitable for large crowds. But I’m okay with that!

15 National Ice Cream Day – Perfect summer treat, how do you indulge?

17 World Emoji Day – What’s your favorite emoji to use, that really captures your personality?

Just Keep Writing More Social Media Content

18 National Hot Dog Day – Hey let’s make dinner easy tonight!

21 National Junk Food Day – Okay spill, what’s your favorite junk food and why do you indulge?

22 Parent’s Day – Take the time to introduce your fans to one or more of your parents, share a great memory and a photo if you’re lucky enough to have one.

24 Amelia Earhart Day – Awesome women rejoice! I loved flying with my father as a kid and even took lessons when I grew up. If you don’t have a personal connection to flying simply use this as an opportunity to call attention to the importance of women’s achievements in history.

25 Culinarians Day – Do you consider yourself a bit of a foodie? Share your favorite recipe today.

26 All or Nothing Day – What are you going to do to go “all in” today?

July Isn’t Over Yet, Power Through

27 Take Your Houseplants for a Walk – This is pretty, and I’ll admit I’m likely not taking any of my plants for a walk. But I do adore staying active and walking with Cosmo so take the time to promote getting away from your desk and getting outside!

28 National Day of the Cowboy – Alright romance writers, let’s see your best cowboy images!

30 International Day of Friendship – This is another good opportunity to give a shout out to a bestie while also giving fans a glimpse into your personal life. Those connections matter so don’t shy away from them.

31 Mutt’s Day – Mutts need love too! If you have a mutt please take this chance to share images of your fur baby and promote the importance of animal adoption.

The Takeaway

Please tell me in the comments which almanac you plan to pick up this month!

And remember, being an author demands creativity, and it also demands authenticity.

Coming up with unique content ideas as part of your author marketing plan is a great way to take your success seriously, without taking yourself too seriously!