November might be my least favorite month.

The weather can’t decide if it’s fall or winter (but it’s usually cold), it gets dark early, and where I live, we start to hibernate. No more random conversations in the backyard with the neighbors as we do yardwork or fill the bird feeders.

That’s why I’m turning to the month’s goofiest and most noteworthy holidays to cheer me up. Turns out there are quite a few to make me smile! Do they have that effect on you, too?

Which ones are your favorites? Which have a connection – even a weak one – to your book that you can leverage?

Examples of book and occasion matching

These crazy special occasions have so much book promotion potential! Think in terms of social media images and graphics, blog posts, tip sheets, and conversation-starting social media posts and commentary.

Here are a few ideas.

I love the potential for November 2, Plan Your Epitaph Day for authors of thrillers and retirement planning books, although I think anyone can use it to generate engagement. Create a social media image announcing the occasion, then share it on Facebook and Instagram with a post that invites followers to comment with their epitaph.

Here’s one I created in five minutes with Canva. (Feel free to save and use it.)

Every writer should celebrate Cliché Day on November 3, right? Compile and share a list of the most over-used cliches, or host a contest to see who can pack the most cliches into a sentence that still makes sense.

This is also a good fit for book editors and writers who teach writing, including Ann Handley, author of Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content.

Is “kindness” a theme in your fiction or nonfiction? Think about how you can use World Kindness Day on November 13. I found several children’s books about kindness on Amazon, including Share a Little Kindness, written and illustrated by Colleen Brunetti, plus a few for adults. Deep Kindness: A Revolutionary Guide for the Way We Think, Talk, and Act in Kindness, by Houston Kraft, is one of them. Wouldn’t those authors be smart to use this holiday to share information about their books?

Noteworthy November holidays for book promotion

Here’s a short list of some of the fun occasions coming up next month. Get the full list at HolidayInsights.com.

• November 1 National Author’s Day

• November 1 World Vegan Day

• November 2 Plan Your Epitaph Day

• November 3 Cliché Day

• November 4 Use Your Common Sense Day

• November 6 National Nacho Day

• November 6 Marooned without a Compass Day

• November 8 Cook Something Bold Day

• November 9 Chaos Never Dies Day

• November 10 Forget-Me-Not Day

• November 13 Caregiver Appreciation Day

• November 13 National Indian Pudding Day

• November 13 World Kindness Day

• November 14 Operating Room Nurse Day

• November 15 Clean Your Refrigerator Day

• November 15 National Philanthropy Day

• November 16 Button Day

• November 16 International Tolerance Day

• November 17 Take a Hike Day

• November 18 Occult Day

• November 19 Have a Bad Day Day

• November 22 Go for a Ride Day

• November 23 National Espresso Day

• November 29 Square Dance Day

Check out the book- and author-related holidays in November, too. You’ll find them in the 2021 Literary Calendar on this site.

Which of these holidays is a good fit for you and your book, and why? How will you use it? Please tell us in a comment.