When you combine the right holiday with a message, theme, character, or setting in your book, you can get ideas for an engaging blog post, a lively online discussion, or ways to get media attention.

Try using this strategy every month to keep people talking about your book long after the launch.

Ideas you can use

To get things started, here are a few examples of books that can take advantage of these fun February opportunities:

• February 2 is “Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day.” This is tailor-made for self-help book Ice Cream for Breakfast: How rediscovering your inner child can make you calmer, happier, and solve your bullsh*t adult problems, Richard Scarry’s children’s book Ice Cream for Breakfast, and memoir Of Course You Can Have Ice Cream for Breakfast!: A Journalist’S Uncommon Memoir.
• Randi Minetor, author of Backyard Birding: A Guide to Attracting and Identifying Birds, can use February 3, “Feed the Birds Day,” as the timely news peg for a tip sheet on what seedy treats to use to attract certain types of birds.
• February 15, “Susan B. Anthony Day,” lets the author of the children’s book Who Was Susan B. Anthony? or Strudels with Susan B. Anthony schedule school visits.
• Any author with a book involving dogs (think A Dog’s Purpose: A Novel for Humans) can create social media images that will start a conversation for February 22, “Walking the Dog Day.” Use them to get your network talking about how walking the dog contributes to or benefits their lives.

Festive and Fun February occasions

Use this short list of fun February holidays to inspire you. See all of them on the Holiday Insights site.

• February 2 Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day
• February 3 Feed the Birds Day
• February 4 Thank a Mailman Day
• February 5 National Weatherman’s Day
• February 6 National Chopsticks Day
• February 7 Send a Card to a Friend
• February 9 Toothache Day
• February 10 Umbrella Day
• February 11 Clean out Your Computer Day
• February 11 Don’t Cry over Spilled Milk Day
• February 11 Make a Friend Day
• February 11 National Inventors Day
• February 14 Ferris Wheel Day
• February 14 National Organ Donor Day
• February 15 Singles Awareness Day
• February 15 Susan B Anthony Day
• February 16 Do a Grouch a Favor Day
• February 20 Hoodie Hoo Day
• February 20 Love Your Pet Day
• February 22 Be Humble Day
• February 22 Walking the Dog Day
• February 26 Tell a Fairy Tale Day

You can also look ahead to March and April so you’re well-prepared for the next few months.

Which of these holidays can you link your book to? How will you use it for book promotion?

One way to add some creativity to your book promotion is to link your book to seasonal activities, events, or holidays. “Back to school” is an obvious occasion for this time of the year, but there are lots of others coming up next month, too.

Can you link your book to any of these fun or quirky September holidays and special occasions? If you can, you’ve got a promotional hook that you can run with.

Write a blog post, pitch a story idea, send a press release, create an image to share on your Facebook page or Twitter.  Imagine all you can do with this! You just need a credible connection to the “holiday” of your choice.

September’s book promotion occasions

Here are just a few of the fun offerings at Holiday Insights, where you’ll find a longer list that might offer an even better fit for your book in September.

And . . . note that three special days below have a connection to books! What author can’t make the most of “Read a Book Day?”

Click through on each link for the details.

• September 2 International Bacon Day
• September 5 Be Late for Something Day
• September 5 Cheese Pizza Day
• September 6 Fight Procrastination Day
• September 6 Read a Book Day
• September 8 International Literacy Day
• September 9 Teddy Bear Day
• September 10 Sewing Machine Day
• September 11 Make Your Bed Day
• September 13 Defy Superstition Day
• September 13 Fortune Cookie Day
• September 13 Positive Thinking Day
• September 16 Step Family Day
• September 18 National Women’s Friendship Day
• September 18 Wife Appreciation Day
• September 19 International Talk Like A Pirate Day
• September 25 National Comic Book Day
• September 28 National Good Neighbor Day
• September 29 Confucius Day

Naturally, not every author will find a good fit on September’s list of occasions, but you can look ahead to October and November for more inspiration.

Have you ever used this tactic to promote your book? Let us know in a comment.