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Every November, there’s one important post I need to make to promote one of my novels:

“Happy Birthday, Laura Williams! Laura’s story of the boyfriend from hell is told in my novel, Faded Reflection. Most people don’t think twice before answering a personal ad, and in Laura’s case, that was one of the biggest mistakes of her life! Her best friend tried to warn her that her new love interest was not who he seemed, but Laura was determined to move on after a bad relationship. This only brought fear and danger into her life! Read her story in this novel of terror and suspense!”

It’s not so much Laura’s birthday, but the birthday of the novel that has her story in it. Everyone loves a reason to celebrate and what better occasion for celebration than a birthday? Specifically, your novel’s birthday. Smart authors who celebrate them know it’s a great opportunity to boost sales! And, personalizing a book birthday for novels can certainly grab a reader’s interest!

Use some of the ideas below so that you, too, can use your novel’s birthday to attract new readers and share highlights of your story!

First you’ll need reminders of the special day. You can create these on Google Calendars, as well as on BirthdayAlarm.

Graphics

Use websites such as Canva to create a birthday graphic just for the occasion. Add reviewer quotes, a brief excerpt, or any mention of awards to your graphic.

Links aren’t clickable in a graphic, so mention where your book can be purchased (such as “Available on Smashwords”). When sharing the graphic in a social media post, add the buy link to the text you’re typing in you post to accompany the graphic.

Videos

Readers who are interested in your novel might want to hear a sample of it before buying. Record yourself reading passages from it, and post them on sites such as YouTube or TikTok. Keep your videos short, and let readers see the cover of your book before you start reading. If possible, ask a fellow author for feedback on your video before posting it.

Book Signings

 If you’re able to schedule a signing on your novel’s birthday, don’t hesitate to grab that opportunity. This particular event isn’t just your average signing; it’s the anniversary of your novel’s debut in the world! Go all out for the occasion! Put up a “happy birthday” sign and, instead of candy, offer small pieces of cake free to every buyer.

Readings

Get in on the reading schedule early so that you can get a reading set up on the date of your book’s birthday! If you have a Q&A session following your reading, you can mention that it’s your novel’s release anniversary. This just might entice participants to want to buy a copy!

Book Trailers

Post trailers of specific scenes from your novel, or ones in which you share about the character’s story. Book trailers can really bring a novel to life, and highlight parts of a novel that readers wouldn’t expect.

Personal Activity

Does your character have a favorite dessert? A fun hobby? Take a picture of yourself enjoying these things or activities in honor of your novel’s birthday, and post them online, along with the novel’s link.

As the author of your novel, you know it better than anyone. Tap into this knowledge to think of how you can promote it when its birthday rolls around.

RELATED

• How I Got 400K Social Media Followers Who Buy My Books! – by Gary Sturgis, Author of SURVIVING GRIEF – 365 Days A Year
• How I’ve Sold Thousands of Books at Events I Organized – by Gary Sturgis, Author of SURVIVING: Finding Your Way from Grief to Healing
• How I Use Anniversaries to Get More Writing Assignments – by Jack Smiles
• Monetizing Your Facebook Page: Sell More Books AND Get Paid for Your Posts!! – by Gary Sturgis, Author of: SURVIVING GRIEF – 365 Days A Year
• How A Companion Workbook Can Increase Sales – by Gary Sturgis

Dawn Colclasure is a freelance writer, columnist and book reviewer. She is also the author of several books, and has celebrated many book birthdays via social media posts. Her graphics, book excerpts through her Substack, and local celebratory activities get the word out about books a year or more after their release, prompting interest and possible book sales to a new batch of readers who missed news of the book the first time around. You can learn more about her and her books at sites such as https://dmcwriter.com and https://dawnsbooks.com.

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