Did you hear the news? Tim Ferris has been pushing this for quite some time now, and corporate America has officially gone to a 4-day work week!
Really?!! That’s great!
Not so fast…
April fools’!
Yes, April Fools’ Day is upon us. A time when all kinds of pranks are played in many parts of the world. But the big question is, where did the idea of April Fools’ Day come from?
No one knows for sure, but there are a number of theories. You can read about them here.
When I was a kid, I remember switching the caps from the salt shaker to the pepper shaker and vice versa. My mom was not thrilled with that one. “April fools’, mom! Love you. Please don’t be mad.”
As we do every month, it’s time to explore some special dates coming up in April so you can plan to take advantage of the opportunity for your book.
Here are some of those special events:
April is National Month of Hope. Could there be a better time for this? We all need hope in our world, which seems especially complex these days. April is all about celebrating the power of hope — the belief that things will work out, especially when it seems otherwise.
There are many other great opportunities to make your book newsworthy, including:
- Stress Awareness Month. If you have a book on relaxation or mindfulness or ways to simply relax the body and the mind, April is a time to destress.
- National Alcohol Awareness Month. There are a lot of books on recovery and now would be a good tie in for them.
- National Financial Literacy Month. My guess is this one came about due to April 15th being tax day. What better time to become more financially fit?
- Distracted Driving Awareness Month. People get distracted while driving for many reasons, particularly cell phones and texting.
- National Child Abuse Awareness Month. There are a lot of books written about child abuse and how to help kids and adults. If you have a book on this topic, now is a good time to be pitching it.
- Keep America Beautiful Month. Spring is here – in the Northern hemisphere anyway. Time to get the garden ready. In the Southern hemisphere, it’s time for fall cleanup.
- Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Unfortunately, this is still all too common. If you have a book about it, now is the time for you to talk about it.
- National Autism Awareness Month. If you have a book on autism, this is the time.
- National Couple Appreciation Month. This is the time for any books on relationships.
- National Garden Month. It’s spring. Time to get the yard and garden in shape.
- National Poetry Month. I love poets and have been fortunate to promote a couple of them over my career, including Molly Peacock. She is amazing.
- National Volunteer Month. Where would we be without volunteers? A special thank you to volunteers everywhere!
- Scottish-American Heritage Month. I’m Scottish, so I had to mention this. Four years ago, I remember driving across the Isle of Skye in the Scottish Highlands with my family and this music blaring over the speakers.
This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are countless good causes to tie into and ways to make your book newsworthy again. You simply have to be creative and give it some thought. Good luck!
To your success!
Joanne
P.S. You’re just a Lovefool!
P.P.S. And for those who are a little more country…
#April
#AprilFoolsDay
#BookPublicity
#BookMarketing
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