November book promotion opportunities: 28 unusual, unexpected, and irreverent holidays

There are more November book promotion opportunities than Thanksgiving and Black Friday. What can you do with this list of fun occasions?

November. Bah! Humbug!

I’m not a fan.

During November, I’m still mourning the loss of summer. Plus, it’s too dark to walk my usual route after work. And I know the weather is only going to get colder.

That means I must be extra vigilant about looking for and appreciating things that make me smile. Sometimes that’s easy, like when I’m with family for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.

Other times, I have to look harder. That’s why I like the list of quirkier November holidays and special occasions below. Some make me smile, while others make me think.

And so many are perfect for book promotion.

How to take advantage of November book promotion opportunities

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

Be open-minded and creative!

Here are a few examples to get you started.

November 2, Plan Your Epitaph Day

Are your ideal readers card-carrying AARP members? Do you write about how to build or lead a better life? Is goal-setting your thing?

Lots to think about with this special day.

“Planning” suggests how we might change our behavior so that we get the epitaph we’d like to have if we aren’t on track for it already. But I also interpret “plan” in this case as “write” your own epitaph, too.

Because you’re a writer, I don’t think you need a direct connection to your book for this one (but how great if there is one!). Instead, it can simply be an item in your content calendar.

Here are a few ideas.

• Create a social media graphic about the occasion and ask followers to comment with what they’d like their epitaph to say.
• Write a newsletter article or blog post about what makes a good epitaph. Invite subscribers to give it a try and reply with theirs.  
• Create a short video that acknowledges the occasion and details things you will do differently going forward to get the epitaph you’d like. Invite followers to comment with thoughts for themselves.

November 7, Men Make Dinner Day

Are you a cookbook, romance, parenting, women’s fiction, or lifestyle author?

My first book took a lighthearted look at male behavior, so I could have done a lot with this. You can be the one to have fun with it now.

• Create a social media poll that asks all followers (whether they live with men or not): “Who cooks dinner in your house?”
• Write a thoughtful blog post about how today’s society is (or isn’t?) less bound by traditional gender roles.  
• Create and share a cooking video and recipe for an easy-to-make dinner.

November 30, National Mason Jar Day

Do you write about crafting, or is one of your novel’s characters a crafter? Do you write about preserving food? Are you a home organizer?

I admit it. I have more than my share of Mason jars because they’re functional and they remind me of my Mom. She used them for canning.

(Sidenote: I could also relate to National Why Do You Have So Many Hellman’s Mayonnaise Jars Day if somebody decided to establish that.)

Mason Jars are more popular than ever. Crafters re-purpose them; restaurants use them as drinking glasses. Leverage this trend to:

• Create a YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok video demonstrating how to turn a Mason jar into something decorative and attractive.
• Use it as a springboard for social media images and posts about why it’s important to not just recycle, but to reuse.
• Write and distribute a tip sheet about how to turn Mason jars into children’s craft projects. Other topics include re-purposing them into home decorating accessories, or even dinnerware.

Your November book promotion opportunities

Here’s a partial list of the November 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.)

• Peanut Butter Lovers Month
• Real Jewelry Month
• November 2 Deviled Egg Day
• November 2 Plan Your Epitaph Day
• November 2 Pumpkin Destruction Day
• November 3 Cliché Day
• November 4 Use Your Common Sense Day
• November 7 Men Make Dinner Day
• November 8 Cook Something Bold Day
• November 9 Chaos Never Dies Day
• November 10 Forget-Me-Not Day
• November 11 World Origami Day
• November 13 World Kindness Day
• November 14 Loosen Up Day
• November 14 National Pickle Day
• November 15 Clean Your Refrigerator Day
• November 16 Button Day
• November 16 Have a Party With Your Bear Day
• November 17 Homemade Bread Day
• November 19 Have a Bad Day Day
• November 20 Absurdity Day
• November 22 Love Your Freckles Day
• November 23 Adoption Day
• November 27 National Jukebox Day
• November 27 Pins and Needles Day
• November 29 Buy Nothing Day
• November 29 Square Dance Day
• November 30 National Mason Jar Day

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

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