Authors, get ready! The holiday season is fast approaching, and if you’re not early to market your book, you’re already late.

Here are some reasons why you should get a jump-start on your holiday marketing plan:

1. Your book needs time to build momentum
Your book must be visible to your target audience long before the holidays so you can drive them down the marketing funnel, which begins with brand awareness and ends with a purchase. Additionally, a potential consumer should see a message at least three times before they are provoked to take an action, making it essential to be strategic with timing.

2. October is the new November
This holiday sweet spot isn’t limited to just November and December. According to the National Retail Federation, nearly 60% of consumers start their holiday shopping before October is even over! This data is also in line with online searches, as Google Trends reports that search terms related to “holiday gift ideas” start to spike around the time people are looking for Halloween costumes.

3. Gift guides are filling up
Holiday gift guides bring invaluable exposure to books, and with lead times as early as four months prior to publication, it is important to reach out to journalists before they’ve put their holiday content to bed..

4. You don’t want to get lost in the shuffle
Desite the fact that consumers are shopping earlier, the market is so oversaturated with deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday that no one is thinking about books! Don’t waste your time, energy, and resources with a book promotion when these dates are really for big ticket items..

5. Hanukkah is earlier this yeareds time to build momentum
Jewish consumers light the menorah on December 7 this year, which means that they start searching for their eight gifts even earlier than those who have until Christmas Eve to get their gifts under the tree.

6. Packages are unpredictable at this time of year
Shipping delays are always a major factor in the holiday season. One week could mean two, five days could mean a week, and overnight can take several days to arrive. Marketing as early as possible to consumers adds in an extra buffer so gifts arrive in time. If you’re reading this and are thinking to yourself “I’m too late,” reach out to us for a second opinion. One of the benefits of working with Expound Publicity is that we have built relationships with journalists and media in the industry that trust our work and often give us exclusive last-minute opportunities knowing we will be mindful of their deadlines.

Don’t hit snooze on the holiday marketing plan, Schedule a consultation with us today. And if all else fails, and you did miss the boat, let us help come up with some creative book marketing and promotion ideas to get your book front and center in 2024.