When to Launch a Book By Month

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January-

It’s the new year and the new you. This is the best time for self-help, goal setting, inspirational, healthy recipes, and weight loss books. It’s also the worst for summer reads and fiction. Why? Everyone is so occupied in changing their lives and summer is still very far off. Most fiction authors will see a dip in sales around this time.

February-

Valentine’s day is here and this is prime time to get your romance and poetry books out there. This is also after the new you rush of January so recipe books are going to take a hit. People have already bought what they wanted so if you haven’t got your latest and greatest cookbook out now, you might as well wait.

March-

March shower bring April flowers and March Madness. Everyone is getting sports fever, and those who aren’t are itching for spring. This is the best time to release any sports themed books or books based around spring. Spring planting. Spring projects. Any sports themed hashtags will also be very popular. What’s not popular is anything to do with self-help, fitness, and the Holidays. People are over that and the treadmill is already collecting dust.  

April-

This brings us Easter. Family is coming together the first time after the Holidays. It’s like a mini Christmas all over again. This is prime time for religious books, books on Easter, and memoirs. It’s also the worst time to bring out anything to do with romance or winter. Sorry, that ship has sailed for now.

May-

Summer is on its way. Kids are getting the summer vacation itch. This makes it the perfect time for you to slip your award winning summer read under their noses or dropping your newest parenting book. As a warning to anyone writing romance, self-help, or holiday books, it’s now the time of year that your books have sailed so far away there’s little hope.

June-

Contemporary fiction seems to make a boom around this time of year along with niche fiction. This is a good time to release something new and edgy. This give it time to gain ground on the market. People are well into summer and are wanting fun reads. This makes it a bad time to push your thick non-fiction.

July-

Fiction will continue to be popular along with patriotic and war related novels. If you’ve got a bit of political fiction of a great heart sting puller with a strong military aspect now would be a good time to push it as long as you start early enough to catch the July 4th crowd. Self-help books also tend to plummet during this month, but that has a lot of give and take. Be very careful and know your audience well before releasing a self-help in July.

August-

Everyone is getting college ready so now’s the time to push heavier reading and informational books. This is the biggest time of year for people buying textbooks, so use that to your advantage. Got a book on how to get through college math? Not is prime time to release it and push hard. Holiday and festive books, though, will take a hit. July 4th is over and no one wants to think of Thanksgiving and especially not Christmas.

September-

College is still going so ride that wave. History books, politics, and memoirs also have a peak in sales around this time. Fiction tends to dip here, as more people are focusing on the previously mentioned.

October-

Halloween is upon us and it’s now or never to get our your mystery, horror, thriller, and dark themed novels. Be fearful of putting out thinking feel-good, loving, or romantic as it will be ignored around this time.

November-
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Thanksgiving is here and the cookbooks are flying, as long as they’re feel good, home cooked, comfort food. Also, holiday books, children’s books, and even religious books get higher sales during this time. Health and wellness books are forgotten, so if your recipe book is about eating green, save it for the new year.

December-

Christmas books and only Christmas books. Launching a new book now takes time out of the busiest buying season. Focus your attention on marketing and selling.