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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?