Ahhhh, August.

It brings with it the last 11 days of the 2024 Summer Olympics and the dog days of summer.

For many Northern Hemisphere families with school-age children, it’s also back-to-school shopping time.

August is when many in Europe enjoy holiday time off, too. The same goes for the U.S., where people take advantage of a typical business slowdown before things kick back into gear in September.

August also offers lots of quirky and unexpected holidays and occasions you can use to have more fun than usual with your book promotion.

How to take advantage of August book promotion opportunities

What’s the best way to take advantage of so many fun August book promotion opportunities listed below?

Once you identify those occasions that are a good fit for your book or promotion goals, how can you use them?

Here are a few examples to get you started.

August is Romance Awareness Month

If you’re a romance writer, this is your time to shine!

Think of the potential! How about polling your social media connections and newsletter subscribers about their most romantic experience ever? One of them might even inspire a book!

• Ask them to tag you in a written post or in a social media video where they describe it, or to reply to your email newsletter request.
• Turn snippets of their responses into social media quote graphics you can sprinkle out for days or over coming weeks.
• Use what you learn from trends in responses to create a tip sheet about how to be more romantic that you send to the media, bloggers, and podcasters.

August 4, International Forgiveness Day

Are you a yoga or meditation instructor, or a lifestyle coach?

Is forgiveness a theme in your novel or children’s book?

Use this occasion to help people learn how to forgive those who have hurt or harmed them. Here are a few ideas:

• Create a short, instructional video for social media.
• Host a short, live training webinar.
• Create an Instagram carousel post with the steps to follow.

August 17, National Thrift Shop Day

Is one of your novel’s characters uber-thrifty?

Are you a financial advisor?

Do you write about upcycling, re-purposing, or sustainability?

According to the 2024 ThredUp Resale Report, the global used apparel market is growing three times faster than the overall global clothing market.

Leverage this trend to:

• Create social media images and posts about how to shop at thrift stores.
• Share images of your favorite thrift store finds.
• Create a YouTube video showing how you upcycled a thrift store gem.

Keep in mind, too, that variations on what you might do to link your book to National Thrift Shop Day might also apply to National Garage Sale Day happening a few days earlier on August 10.

Your August book promotion opportunities

Here’s a partial list of the august August marketing opportunities you can add to next month’s book promotion calendar. Get the full list on the Holiday Insights site. (And while you’re there, look ahead to other months.)

• Romance Awareness Month
• August 1 Mountain Climbing Day
• August 1 National Girlfriends Day
• August 1 Mahjong Day
• August 2 Find a Four Leaf Clover Day
• August 4 Friendship Day
• August 4 International Forgiveness Day
• August 4 Sisters Day
• August 5-11 National Simplify Your Life Week
• August 6 Wiggle Your Toes Day
• August 8 Happiness Happens Day
• August 10 Lazy Day
• August 10 Middle Child’s Day
• August 10 National Garage Sale Day
• August 12 National Vinyl Record Day
• August 12 World Elephant Day
• August 13 Left Hander’s Day
• August 15 Relaxation Day
• August 16 National Tell a Joke Day
• August 17 National Thrift Shop Day
• August 17 Neighbor Night
• August 20 World Mosquito Day
• August 21 National Spumoni Day
• August 22 National Tooth Fairy Day (and/or February 28)
• August 25 Kiss and Make Up Day
• August 26 National Toilet Paper Day
• August 31 National Eat Outside Day

Be sure to check out the list of book-related occasions during August in our 2024 literary calendar, too.

Which of these crazy August occasions speak to you? How will you use next month to help generate conversation and call attention to your book in a lighthearted way? Please tell us in a comment.

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Associates links, which means if you click on them and make a purchase, I will receive a couple of pennies (at no extra charge to you).

I hope this is the first of several guest posts by Chelsea Tornetto, a former teacher turned author, because there are so many ways she can help children’s book authors with her expertise. Chelsea’s first book, Conquering Content Vocabulary, published by Scholastic, is educational. Picture books are her passion now, though. She’s the author of Gardens Are For Growing and God Made You Too.  When Chelsea isn’t working on her own stories, she helps others write for children as a freelance editor and author coach for At Home Author. Find Chelsea on X/Twitter and her website.

Beyond the classroom: 8 unique venues for children’s book author visits

By Chelsea Tornetto

Children’s book authors often dream of being invited to a local school to read their book to a classroom full of wide-eyed elementary students.

Those enthusiastic young readers are the exact reason why children’s book authors like me decided to write for kids in the first place,

But as many of us quickly discover, school visits can be difficult to book.

Schools are closing doors on author visits

With shrinking budgets, growing pressure to squeeze in more curriculum, heightened safety rules and regulations, and increasing demands on teachers’ valuable planning time, many schools simply choose not to go to the trouble.

It’s a bummer!

After all, school visits can be a major source of income and publicity for children’s book authors.

But, luckily, they’re not the only way to get lots of little eyes on your book!

In fact, sometimes looking beyond schools and classrooms can lead to even more interesting – and potentially profitable – opportunities.  

8 unexpected venues for children’s book author visits

What are the best non-school options for children’s book author visits? Here are eight alternative venues you’ll want to explore locally and when you travel.

1. Libraries

I’m hoping this one doesn’t come as a surprise; we should all be reaching out to local libraries to carry our books.

But, while you’re at it, ask if they offer any children’s programming that can include guests. They may have a budget to bring in outside speakers.

If they don’t? They might still be willing to let you host an event and sell books to attendees.

This is particularly true in the summer, when most libraries offer more kids’ programming to help parents looking for something to keep the little ones busy.

2. Children’s museums

Children’s museums are designed to get kids interested in learning while still having fun, so children’s books are a great fit.

Pitch yourself and your book as a way for them to attract new guests, or show how your book could support one of their existing exhibits.

In addition, many children’s museums have gift shops that might stock your book, even after your event is over.

3. Conservation and nature centers

I live in Missouri, which has a robust conservation department that offers lots of programming for kids and families.

If your book has a connection to nature or the outdoors, contact your local conservation department or nature center and pitch yourself as a potential presenter or guest speaker. (Especially for those rainy days when their usual outdoor activities get canceled.)

4. Community centers and recreation departments

Many municipal governments provide camps, classes, or other special events for local families.

Study the programming guide from previous years to get an idea of what’s offered, then pitch yourself as a possible addition.

Could you teach a workshop on writing for kids? Set up as an author at a career day event? Lead an art activity at a “mommy and me” play day?

5. Festivals and fairs

Be careful with this one.

Not all festivals and fairs are created equal, and some just aren’t a good fit for children’s books. (Oktoberfest, for example, may have huge crowds, but kids aren’t always allowed, and parents have other things on their mind ….)

But, if there’s a popular farmer’s market, touch-a-truck event, or street art festival happening in your area, reach out and offer to present.

6. Daycare centers

If your book is for younger children, daycare centers are good places to contact about author visits.

While they face many of the same funding challenges as schools, there’s usually less pressure to squeeze in curriculum, so they have more time for fun events.

It’s an especially good fit if your book explores a common early education topic such as the seasons, counting, or colors.

7. Alternative retail locations, including gift shops, toy stores, grocery stores, etc.

While bookstores get all the love from authors, I’ve actually had more success selling my books at non-book stores. There’s less competition.

Approach local shops your target audience frequents and ask about hosting a book event or even just stocking your books.

Authors in Grocery Stores will even help you arrange book signings in local chains in certain states.

8. Scout Troops, 4H clubs, Rotary clubs, etc.

When I was in 4H, our leaders had a guest speaker at every meeting to talk about something we were interested in.

Scout troops often do something similar.

Put yourself in the shoes of those group leaders and create a presentation that will help them out – and get you in.

Tips for approaching non-school venues for children’s book author visits

Be thoughtful about how you’ll approach venues that are the best fit for your book and its audience.

Remember that when contacting any of these places about hosting an author event, it’s up to you to add value.

Offering to sit and read your book out loud isn’t going to cut it.

Pitch them on a presentation with a clear theme and focus. Customize your pitch to support what they and their patrons want and need. When you do that, they’re much more likely to say, “Yes!”

Be open-minded and creative

School visits may be the most popular way for children’s book authors to reach young readers. But they’re certainly not the only way!

Anywhere parents, grandparents, and kids gather has potential for author presentations.

Look beyond schools and explore more venues for children’s book author visits. You never know where you might end up … and you might be quite pleased with the destination.

Do you have a question for Chelsea Tonetto about booking author visits? Please ask it in a comment.

As we wrap up a busy April that features more book-related days and weeks than any other month, it’s time to look ahead to other types of special occasions in May.

Here in the U.S. Northeast (where snow sometimes makes an appearance as late as mid-May), we welcome the typically warmer temperatures and how neighbors only mow their lawns when they see we have our windows open during Zoom meetings.

The merry, merry month of May brings us spring flowers and leaves on trees and, oh joy of joys, spending time outside without down coats and heavy gloves.

May bright spots

The fifth month brings with it in the U.S. “normal” occasions that include Mother’s Day on May 12, Memorial Day on May 27, and high school graduations and college commencements throughout the month.

Australia’s Queensland celebrates Labour Day on May 6 – which is also May Day in the Northern Territory – and Reconciliation Day on May 27 in the Capital Territory.

There are also so many unconventional, unique, and often downright irreverent holidays and special occasions to celebrate. And you can use them to bring attention to your book.

How to leverage May book promotion opportunities

What’s the best way to take advantage of so many fun May book promotion opportunities? Once you identify those occasions that are a good fit for your book or promotion goals from the list below, how can you use them?

Here are a few examples to get you started.

May is Mystery Month

Do you write mysteries, thrillers, or suspense novels? This is your month! And there’s so much potential.

Here’s just one idea: Use social media and your email list to poll people about their favorite mystery book and why they like it. You can use this information in multiple ways:

• Compile what you learn into a round up article (“here’s what readers told me about their favorite mysteries”) for your blog or to use as a LinkedIn post.
• Record videos where you read some of the nominations and reasons.
• Create social media quote graphics with the entries.

May 9, Lost Sock Memorial Day

Are you a poet? Write your “Ode to the Lost Sock.”

A humorist? Explain where the socks that don’t come out of the dryer end up.

Schedule an Instagram Live so you and your followers can pause together at a specific time to honor and remember all the socks they’ve lost. Be sure to promote it in advance.

May 20, Be a Millionaire Day

Do you write about money?

Call attention to your book on Be a Millionaire Day by sending a tip sheet to the press or guest blogging about money mistakes people are making that will prevent them from being able to celebrate this special day.

Go live on Instagram to talk to millennials and Gen Y about how to save now so they can retire early.

To reach a younger audience, create a series of TikTok videos that explain each “must-do” for anyone seeking millionaire status sooner rather than later.

Your May book promotion opportunities

Here’s a partial list of the merry, merry month of May marketing opportunities you can add to next month’s book promotion calendar. Get the full list on the Holiday Insights site. (And while you’re there, look ahead to other months.)

• Date Your Mate Month
• Gifts from the Garden Month
• Mystery Month
• National Recommitment Month
• May 1 Save the Rhino Day
• May 3 Garden Meditation Day
• May 3 Lumpy Rug Day
• May 3 Space Day
• May 4 National Candied Orange Peel Day
• May 5 National Hoagie Day
• May 6 National Tourist Appreciation Day
• May 7 National Teacher’s Day
• May 8 National Outdoor Intercourse Day
• May 9 Lost Sock Memorial Day
• May 10 Clean up Your Room Day 
• May 11 Eat What You Want Day
• May 11 Hanging Flower Baskets Day
• May 11 National Babysitters Day
• May 13 Frog Jumping Day
• May 14 Dance Like a Chicken Day
• May 17 Pack Rat Day
• May 18 Visit Your Relatives Day
• May 20 Be a Millionaire Day
• May 21 National Waiters and Waitresses Day
• May 23 Lucky Penny Day
• May 24 International Tiara Day
• May 25 Tap Dance Day
• May 26 National Paper Airplane Day
• May 31 Flip Flop Day

Be sure to check out the list of book-related occasions during May in our downloadable 2024 literary calendar, too.

Which of these surprising May occasions speak to you? How will you use next month to help generate conversation and call attention to your book in a lighthearted way?

Many regions in the Northern Hemisphere begin seeing signs of spring in March, so people who live there smile when flipping their calendar to the third month of the year.

Not where I live.

We often get our worst snowstorms during the first week of March. And signs of spring? Bwahahahaha!

March bright spots

Even so, no matter what your climate, there’s still plenty to look forward to in March.

There’s March Madness, the annual U.S. multi-week college basketball tournament (go Xavier Musketeers!).

And even people with zero Irish ancestry embrace all things green – including beer – and enjoy corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day.

There are also so many unconventional, unique, and often downright irreverent holidays and special occasions to celebrate. And you can use them to bring attention to your book.

How to leverage March book promotion opportunities

What’s the best way to take advantage of so many fun March book promotion opportunities? Once you identify those occasions that are a good fit for your book or promotion goals, how can you use them?

Here are a few examples to get you started.

March 2, Old Stuff Day

This occasion reminds me that I’ve been practicing Swedish death cleaning since before that term entered our current lexicon. Been there, done that, still doing it. There are opportunities here for authors of books about:

• Antiques
• Selling on eBay
• Home organizing
• Garage, tag, and estate sales
• Restoring and repurposing flea market and other finds
• Downsizing
• Decluttering

If you can give advice for making the most of “old stuff” or getting rid of it, use this occasion as a news hook for tip sheets, social media images, podcast interviews, and other promotion opportunities.

March 3-9, Celebrate Your Name Week

So many authors can find ways to use this special week. Fiction writers can celebrate their characters’ names by explaining to newsletter subscribers of social media followers how they decide on character names.

Is there a story behind your given name? Share it on social media. Write a blog post about when and how to use pen names as an author. There’s lots of potential here.

March 19, Poultry Day

Farm animals are common in children’s books. If you’ve written one that includes chickens, you’ll love having fun with this occasion.

Create and share on social media and in your newsletter a list of your favorite children’s books featuring poultry (including yours, of course). Record yourself reading your book and post it as an Instagram Reel and TikTok video. Collaborate with your local children’s librarian to schedule a poultry-book-themed children’s reading hour.

Your March book promotion opportunities

Here’s a partial list of the March madness marketing opportunities you can add to next month’s book promotion calendar. Get the full list on the Holiday Insights site. (And while you’re there, look ahead to other months.)

• Celery Month
• Craft Month
• March 3-9 Celebrate Your Name Week
• March 10-16 National Bubble Month
• March 1 National Pig Day
• March 1 Peanut Butter Lovers Day
• March 2 Old Stuff Day
• March 7 National Crown Roast of Pork Day
• March 8 Be Nasty Day
• March 9 Panic Day
• March 9 International Fanny Pack Day
• March 10 Academy Awards
• March 10 International Find a Pay Phone Booth Day
• March 10 Middle Name Pride Day
• March 16 Everything You Do is Right Day
• March 18 Awkward Moments Day
• March 19 Poultry Day
• March 20 Extraterrestrial Abductions Day
• March 20 Proposal Day
• March 25 International Waffle Day
• March 26 Make Up Your Own Holiday Day
• March 30 Take a Walk in a Park Day
• March 31 World Backup Day

Be sure to check out the list of book-related occasions during March in our 2024 literary calendar, too.

Which of these crazy March occasions speak to you? How will you use next month to help generate conversation and call attention to your book in a lighthearted way?

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on them and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission (at no extra charge to you).

Last week, Esquire reported on how some publishers send book-themed goodies – “merch,” as the Young People say – with advance reader copies (ARCs) going to TikTok and Instagram influencers.

What the Esquire essayist might not realize is that this is a long-standing practice in consumer product publicity.

Why, when I was your age…

Waaaaaaaay back when I was a publicist at what was then the world’s largest PR firm, we often sent attention-getting and relevant gifts with press kits. They weren’t extravagant, but they weren’t tchotchkes, either.

It usually worked.

And it often made my telephone follow-up calls easier.

That was the case with the bicycle horns included with a Schwinn press kit. As soon as I mentioned the horn to a journalist recipient, they’d say, “Oh yes! I remember that!”

What are publishers sending with ARCs?

This tactic works best when the gift makes sense.

In my Schwinn example, the connection between a bike horn and a well-known bicycle manufacturer was obvious.

Publishers seem to be focused on making a clear connection, too.

As “The Merch-ification of Book Publishing” notes, each influencer ARC box includes just a few gifts linked to the book’s graphics or themes.

For example, for a book set in Long Island, N.Y.’s wealthy Hamptons area, influencers received:

• An ARC
• A tube of pricey sunscreen
• Sunglasses in book cover colors
• Cookies from Tate’s Bake Shop, which started in Southampton

(Sidebar: Tate’s gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are the best I’ve ever had…link added for fellow celiacs.)

Searching for #bookmerch on Instagram, I found fiction ARC gift boxes that included:

• Tote bag, t-shirt, and sticker
• Notepad with the book’s graphics and a tiara
• Crown replica

DIY ARC gift packages

These examples are from publishing houses. What if your publisher isn’t willing to support your book this way? Or if you’re self-published?

Can you do this yourself?

Of course you can!

You can easily send clever merchandise with ARCs, especially if you don’t try to match or compete with big publisher budgets.

You can easily send clever merchandise with ARCs, especially if you don’t try to match or compete with big publisher budgets.Click to tweet

5 steps to send clever merchandise with ARCs

Here’s how to get started.

1. Keep your distribution list small.

What’s most important to your author career right now? Rewarding your most loyal super fans? Getting on the radar of a top influencer in your genre or field? Connecting with up-and-coming reviewers?

Understanding who you need to influence now will help you narrow down the list of potential recipients.

While it’s always a numbers game – the more ARCs you send, the more likely you are to enjoy some level of exposure – once you start spending money with gift boxes, less is more in the beginning.

Starting with just a handful of recipients (5? 10?) allows you to test ideas, become familiar with vendors, and gauge results.

2. Brainstorm gift ideas.

I like to brainstorm with another person who understands what I’m trying to do and can contribute ideas.

If you write fiction, start by listing relevant details, including the book’s mood and tone, themes, protagonist characteristics, settings, and so on. That process could lead to a Greek evil eye key chain for a thriller set in Greece, for example.

Nonfiction authors can prep for brainstorming by listing key messages and ideas from the book along with tools used to accomplish them.

Get creative! Imagine what you’d like to receive with an ARC and apply that to ideas for your book.

Write down all ideas– don’t discard anything – before zeroing in on those you like the most.

3. Keep it practical.

Today’s readers are increasingly concerned about sustainability and waste. Tiaras are fun, but they’re a throwaway item, aren’t they?

On the other hand, if your book involves royalty, a faux crown works just fine.

Here are just a few generic items you can order with custom graphics that connect with your book specifically or with books in general:

• Tote bags
• Note pads
• T-shirts
• Can koozies (neoprene beverage can sleeves)
• Pencils embossed with your book title or bookish sayings
• Coasters
• Coffee/tea mug
• Imprinted Post-its®
• Key chains

Don’t let this list limit you. You might have bigger ideas!

4. Get it done.

The biggest challenge for me in this situation is figuring out how to execute my idea.

Here are a few resources that might help you overcome that obstacle.

• Amazon – You can find just about anything on Amazon, and can sometimes get what you need in bulk quantities for items that include personalized pencils.
• Etsy – Looking for personalization? You might find it here.
• Moo – Use Moo for printed products that include stickers, labels, notebooks, and postcards.
• Vistaprint – This is another reliable source for printed merchandise that includes notepads, stickers, labels, and note cards.
• Zazzle – Thinking about custom t-shirts, mugs, or other items that are more expensive than key chains and pencils? This is the place to start. Create, then order.
• CafePress – Like Zazzle, CafePress lets you create products.
• Canva – Need a little design help for anything you’ll imprint? Design site Canva can help.

In addition, when searching online for items you’d like to be imprinted with the book title, your character’s image, or anything else, use the term “advertising specialties,” as that’s what they’re called. Adding your city and state to that phrase will help you find a local supplier if you’d rather talk to a pro than wing it on your own online.

5. Follow up.

Make the most of your investment by following up with the influencers you’ve sent packages to.

Rather than ask if they’re going to review your book, ask if there’s anything else they need from you to decide if they’d like to review it.

Not a big name? Doesn’t matter

So what if you’re not a big publisher with a big promotion budget? You can still embrace big publisher tactics that include sending clever merchandise with ARCs. Just do it on a smaller scale.

Less is more – send fewer packages, include less merchandise with each ARC.

But don’t dismiss the idea because you’re not with a big-name publisher.

My experience with this tactic as a publicist taught me that it’s effective whether you’re sending out three packages or 33.

Follow the publishing leaders and give it a try.

Not sure if this tactic fits into your book marketing plan because you don’t have a book marketing plan? Download my free Build Book Buzz Book Marketing Plan Template now! It comes with complete instructions and examples. Don’t wait!

What big publisher promotion tactic have you tried that worked? Please tell us about it in a comment!

As reported by CNBC and a sharp marketer who monitors the world’s largest online retailer for a living, Amazon is testing the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to summarize some product reviews. Generative AI uses technology to produce content such as text, graphics, audio, and video.

The summaries, which include a disclaimer that Amazon is using AI to create them, pull from user reviews to share what customers do and don’t like about products. (See an example of a review here.)

In theory, they save discerning shoppers time scrolling through reviews for key product features and issues.

Amazon hasn’t officially announced that it’s summarizing product reviews with AI, but it confirmed the news when asked by CNBC.

Will Amazon roll this out to reader reviews?

You might be wondering if and when this will apply to reader reviews and the impact it might have on reviews and book sales.

Nobody knows for certain, but we can make educated guesses.

“Amazon is always testing what converts better on their product pages. If they find that the AI-generated review summaries convert well on laundry machines, then they’ll likely roll it out for books as well,” says Bryan Cohen, author and CEO of Best Page Forward.

Dave Chesson, founder of Kindlepreneur, a top marketing resource for authors, agrees. “I think it makes sense to do it considering that when looking at the reviews of the book, as a shopper, it requires a lot of time to sift through the reviews and find one with legitimate, constructive feedback on the book,” he says.

Impact summarizing product reviews with AI might have on books

Authors engaged in the ongoing struggle to generate reader reviews might be concerned that AI-generated summaries will discourage reviewers. Amazon is probably tracking review trends as part of the test, too.

Once readers realize that too-brief reviews – “Loved it” or “Hated it” – don’t contribute to meaningful summaries, they might get more specific.

Chesson has a concern about AI incorporating those too-brief reviews into summaries, too.

“If they develop the system where it compiles the good and the bad to create two paragraphs, I worry what will happen when the feedback isn’t well-thought-out.

“For example, I’ve seen negative reviews in the past where the reviewer will say something about how they haven’t read the book and then proceed to give an opinion. Or, perhaps there aren’t many negative reviews and so the system reaches and gives full discussions on things that aren’t really a thing,” he says.

Once readers realize that too-brief reviews – “Loved it” or “Hated it” – don’t contribute to meaningful summaries, they might get more specific.Click to tweet

Stephanie Chandler, founder and CEO of the Nonfiction Authors Association, shares his concern, adding, “While they haven’t yet mastered how to distinguish between poor product reviews and positive ones, surely they will figure out how to separate these details based on the starred reviews,” she says.

Encouraging readers to write more helpful reviews

Chandler believes authors can get ahead of this by encouraging readers to write more meaningful reviews.

“As authors we may need to ask reviewers to get more specific with their feedback so that AI-generated review summaries are reflective of the content of the books,” she adds.

Even so, Cohen wonders if readers will be disappointed by the new review experience if it rolls out to all product categories.

“If these changes all come to pass, the next question will be how book reviewers will react to their words being summarized and then passed over,” he notes.

Upsides to summarizing product reviews with AI

Any flaws in the process will likely be eliminated by the time book reviews are summarized. When it happens, it’s possible the AI-generated summaries will help readers make quicker decisions about what to read next.

“If the AI system can help piece this together, which I think it can, this will create a much better shopping experience,” Chesson says.

A better customer experience can lead to higher sales for books that readers review favorably, too.

“If the AI summaries help get a higher percentage of readers to buy, then both Amazon and the authors who publish there will be very happy,” adds Cohen.

Want to help readers write more meaningful reviews now? Download the Build Book Buzz Reader Book Review Forms now. There’s one for fiction; another for nonfiction. They encourage reviews by taking the mystery out of the process for your fans. Learn more at https://buildbookbuzz.com/reader-book-review-form/

Do you think review summaries will help readers make better-informed decisions about what to buy and read? Why or why not? Please tell us in a comment.

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Associate links, which means if you click on them and make a purchase, I will receive a couple of pennies (at no extra charge to you).

In his play Julius Caesar, Shakespeare writes, “A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.”

Caesar had plenty to worry about in March. But us? We have much to look forward to.

As we end the first quarter of the year, those of us in the northern hemisphere can start thinking about winter slowly fading away. There’s March Madness, the annual multi-week college basketball tournament in the U.S. And let’s not forget about St. Patrick’s Day, when people pretend they have Irish ancestry.

March also offers a rich list of unexpected, whimsical, and quirky occasions you can use to bring attention to your book.

How to capitalize on crazy March occasions

The crazy March occasions list below offers so many fun book promotion possibilities.

If you’re not sure how to go about pairing your book with any of them, use these examples for inspiration:

• Jen Ruiz, author of The Solo Female Travel Book: Tips and Inspiration for Women Who Want to See the World on Their Own Terms, can link her book to March 1, Plan a Solo Vacation Day, by writing and distributing a tip sheet with advice for staying safe on a solo vacation or a similar topic.
• Do you write children’s books? Create interactive website content for March 3, If Pets Had Thumbs Day. Write a fun short story or design a downloadable word search or coloring page. Promote it widely on social media.
• I don’t know about you, but the resurgence of fanny packs caught me by surprise. A trend-aware fashion pro with a book – say, Laurie Brucker Amerikaner, author of You Are the Style! An Every Girl’s Guide to Getting Dressed, Building Confidence, and Shining from the Inside Out – can create a series of Instagram images or a reel showing how to wear them now. Help the rest of us avoid looking like Melissa McCarthy in “Tammy,” please!

Whimsical March occasions you can use

Here’s a partial list of the fun March marketing opportunities you can add to next month’s book promotion calendar. Get the full list on the recently redesigned Holiday Insights site.

• March 1 Plan a Solo Vacation Day
• March 1 World Compliment Day
• March 3 I Want You to be Happy Day
• March 3 If Pets Had Thumbs Day
• March 7 National Cereal Day
• March 8 Be Nasty Day
• March 9 Get Over It Day
• March 9 Popcorn Lover’s Day
• March 10 International Day of Awesomeness
• March 11 International Fanny Pack Day
• March 11 Worship of Tools Day
• March 14 Learn about Butterflies Day
• March 15 Everything You Think is Wrong Day
• March 15 Ides of March
• March 16 Everything You Do is Right Day
• March 18 Awkward Moments Day
• March 18 Supreme Sacrifice Day
• March 19 Let’s Laugh Day
• March 20 Extraterrestrial Abductions Day
• March 20 International Day of Happiness
• March 21 Tea for Two Tuesday
• March 22 As Young as You Feel Day
• March 29 Smoke and Mirrors Day
• March 30 I Am in Control Day

Be sure to check out the list of book-related occasions during March in our 2023 literary calendar, too.

Which of these crazy March occasions speak to you? How will you use next month to help generate conversation and call attention to your book in a lighthearted way?

A lot of my book-loving friends want to do that, too. Turns out we have plenty of options — at least 17, in fact.

Here’s a list of those offering new books, including current best-sellers. This compilation and accompanying infographic do not include textbook or used-books-only retailers, though.

Alternatives to Amazon for books

I’ve listed online book retailers in alphabetical order. Note that some sell audiobooks exclusively.

1. Alibris

Have a Rakuten account? You’ll get 2.5% back on purchases. (You don’t? Sign up with my referral link, spend a little money, and we’ll both get a cash gift!)

2. Apple Books

Read or listen to books on all of your Apple devices.

3. AudioBooks.com

Get three books free when you start a free trial.

4. Barnes & Noble

If there’s a Barnes & Noble in your area, you can buy online and pick up in store, too. That saves wondering through the store looking for the book you want – and spending more than you might have intended.

5. BetterWorldBooks

Get new and used books plus 2.5% back with Rakuten.

6. Blackwells

The popular UK retailer also delivers to the U.S.

7. Books-A-Million (BAM)

Founded in 1917, this retailer with brick-and-mortar stores is the second largest bookseller in the U.S. (And there’s that 2.5% back with Rakuten, too.)

8. Bookshop

This is my go-to site because it’s powered by indie retailers. Got a preference for a specific independent bookstore? Bookshop lets you select them for your order.

9. Chirp

I love Chirp because I can buy audiobooks without a monthly subscription. But I also appreciate the daily emails that alert me to discounted audiobooks in the genres and categories I read.

10. Downpour

This subscription-based audiobook retailer offers a free trial.

11. Google Play

Read or listen to books on your Android device.

12. Kobo

Buy books for the Kobo e-reader and as a bonus, get up to 5% back on purchases from Rakuten, which owns the company.

13. Libro.fm

Buy audiobooks from your favorite indie bookstore either through a subscription plan or ala carte.

14. Powell’s Books

This brick-and-mortar bookseller with an impressive online shop is Portland, Oregon’s top attraction.

15. Target

Don’t laugh. When my youngest is home, we always swing through Target’s book department because the discounts are good. She points out what she’s read and liked; I photograph the covers and add them to my to-be-read list. The selection online is much, much larger.

16. The Strand

This Manhattan institution has a strong online retail operation. I love wandering through this store that’s been in business since 1927.

17. Wordery

This fast-growing online bookshop offers more than 10 million books and free delivery to more than 100 countries. Get 3% cash back with Rakuten.

Don’t forget your library

Public libraries are such a gift to book lovers.

Unlike with print books that you have to pick up in person, you can borrow e-books and audiobooks online without ever walking into the building.

My public library system, like so many others, uses the Libby app for that. Download the app, find your library, sign in with your library card, and start searching. Borrowing is one-click easy.

This isn’t a comprehensive list of new book retailers, so what isn’t on it that should be? Where do you like to buy books online? Please tell us in a comment.

Global English Editing researched world reading habits in 2021 and compiled all the most interesting facts and stats into an infographic that’s full of insights. It reveals, among so much more, that:

• Graphic novels were the fastest-growing book genre in 2021.
• Stories told through illustrations — aka the grown-up version of comic books — saw a staggering increase of 146 percent in sales.
• Despite this, our favorite type of book to curl up with remains romance, which accounted for a cool 1.44 billion of book revenues.
• Fiction continued to float our boats in 2021 more than nonfiction, with 61 percent of people saying they prefer a fictional tale.

What impact did the pandemic have (both positive and negative) on our reading habits this year? Which countries have the most bookworms? What were our favorite books?

Discover all this and more in the World Reading Habits in 2021 infographic below.

Apply this information

There’s a lot of information here. How can you apply some of it to your work as an author?

I often hear older authors grumbling that “young people don’t read books.” They’re wrong, of course, and this infographic proves that. Millennials are the “bookworm generation.” Do your books appeal to them? Should they?

The continued popularity of print books (also reported by the folks at BookyCall on this blog in October) jumps out at me, as does the ongoing growth in audiobooks in the U.S. If you’ve only been releasing in e-book format, consider expanding first to print, then to audio. The more options you offer readers, the more money you’ll make.

Books continue to inspire movies and TV series, too, especially considering the volume of streaming programming available today. Is this an opportunity for you and your story?

Take time to study the data in the infographic. You might be surprised at how useful it is to your author career.

What were your reading habits in 2021? Did you read more books than the year before? Fewer? More fiction than nonfiction — or vice versa? Please tell us in a comment.

There’s lots to celebrate in the merry, merry month of May besides the fact that my little corner of the world will (usually) be able to say goodbye to snow for a few months.

The lusty month of May is National Barbecue Month, National Bike Month, and National Hamburger Month, but it also offers us Wildflower Week (the result of April showers that bring May flowers, right?). They’re all hints of warmer weather to come.

May brings those of us in the Northern Hemisphere more than warmer weather, though. It also offers authors a selection of whimsical, wacky, and quirky book promotion opportunities you can use to bring attention to your book.

How to use the merry month of May opportunities

The list below offers plenty of light-hearted occasions you can link to your book for marketing purposes.

Here are a few examples of how to use them to help you imagine what you might do.

• Do you write about cooking or gardening? May 1, Herb Day, might be just what you need to share advice or recipes on Instagram and Pinterest. It’s perfect for Lynn Alley, the author of the 2013 book, Cooking with Herbs: 50 Simple Recipes for Fresh Flavor.
• Is your book about fashion, or is your fictional protagonist a fashionista? May 8, No Socks Day, is a natural for you. A fashion writer for The Wall Street Journal recently reported that no-show socks are passé. Share your opinion about that on social media or in an essay on your blog.
• Dance Like a Chicken Day on May 14 gives children’s book authors an opportunity to record a fun dancing-like-a-chicken video or to host an online storytelling hour (using books starring chickens, of course). The author and illustrator of Chicken Talk could do so much with this one. 

Your May book promotion opportunities

Here’s a partial list of the fun May holidays you can add to next month’s book promotion calendar. Get the full list on the Holiday Insights site.

• May 1 Free Comic Book Day
• May 1 Herb Day
• May 3 Lumpy Rug Day
• May 4 Bird Day
• May 4 Star Wars Day (May the Fourth Be With You)
• May 5 Bike to School Day
• May 6 No Diet Day
• May 8 No Socks Day
• May 9 Birth Mother’s Day
• May 9 Lost Sock Memorial Day
• May 9 National Babysitters Day
• May 10 Clean up Your Room Day
• May 11 Eat What You Want Day
• May 11 Twilight Zone Day
• May 13 Frog Jumping Day
• May 14 Dance Like a Chicken Day
• May 17 Pack Rat Day
• May 20 Be a Millionaire Day
• May 20 Pick Strawberries Day
• May 21 National Bike to Work Day
• May 21 National Waiters and Waitresses Day
• May 23 Lucky Penny Day
• May 24 International Tiara Day
• May 25 Tap Dance Day

Which of these holidays can you work with in your book promotion plans? How will you use next month to help generate conversation and call attention to your book in a lighthearted way?