Social Media Content Ideas for Authors — January

Hey, my fellow writers! I’m back for another month of social media post ideas for authors. This actually completes our whole year of content ideas. Missed previous months? No worries, check out the social media tag here to view them.

January is a fantastic month to tap into writer- and book-related holidays, especially if you’re looking to engage your audience with themes of renewal, creativity, and literary appreciation. Here are some noteworthy ones:

New Year’s Day (Jan 1st): Make a post talking about your writing goals for the new year (tease any releases you may already have dates for!) and any resolutions you’re making. Motivate them to comment with their own goals to encourage engagement.

Lifechanging Reads: Share the book that changed your life and invite your readers to share as well.

National Science Fiction Day (Jan 2nd): Celebrate the legacy of Isaac Asimov (born January 2) and the imaginative genre of science fiction.

International Creativity Month: With the buzz of the new year, now is a good time to talk about creativity and all the ways it betters our lives. Maybe share a list of nonfiction books that have inspired you, like Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic or The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.

National Day of Dialogue (Jan 5th): Today celebrates meaningful conversations, which are vital for crafting authentic dialogue in stories. Feature some of your favorite dialogue moments from your books.

This Year’s Releases: What 2024 releases are you looking forward to as a reader? Share them with your audience. Ask them to comment with their as well. Good engagement booster but also you might find some new reads for your own TBR.

National Cuddle Up Day (Jan 6th): Share a scene from one of your books that gives readers the warm fuzzies or that’s spicy hot. It’s winter in the northern hemisphere, so lots of good hygge energy is on social media. Play into that! You could even weave in cuddling up with a good book if you didn’t want to feature a certain book/passage from a book.

Sex in the Shower Day (Jan 13th): Have a scorching shower scene in your book? Tease it with a saucy excerpt to entice readers to pick up a copy.

International Fetish Day (Jan 19th): Highlight a fetish or kink scene from one of your books. This works best for spicy romance or erotica books. But if you’re a BDSM or sex educator, this is also a good day for you to post some educational content.

National Spouses Day (Jan 26th): This one is for you, romance authors. Share your fave married couple you’ve written. Sweet or steamy scene, up to you!

BONUS Social Media Post Ideas for Authors: Other January Bookish Events/Days

  • Get Organized Month: Do you write productivity content for a living? Tie this monthly holiday into your marketing.
  • J.R.R. Tolkien Day (Jan 3rd): Honor the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien, one of the greatest fantasy authors of all time. If you’re a fantasy author, perhaps talk about the ways Tolkien inspired your own writing (if he did).
  • World Braille Day (Jan 4th): A day to acknowledge the importance of accessible books and the contributions of Louis Braille. (January is also National Braille Literacy Month.)
  • Make Your Dreams Come True Day (Jan 13th): An inspiring day to commit to personal goals, like finishing a writing project.
  • National Book Publishers Day (Jan 16th): Use this day to recognize the contributions of publishers in bringing stories to life.
  • Appreciate a Dragon Day (Jan 16th): Perfect for fantasy writers or readers to celebrate dragons in literature and storytelling.
  • Edgar Allan Poe’s Birthday (Jan 19th): Calling all gothic horror and gothic romance writers and lovers, today is your day. Revel in the works of Poe, whose influence on gothic literature is unmatched.
  • Library Shelfie Day (Fourth Wednesday of January [Jan 22, 2025]): Celebrate your love of books and libraries by sharing a “shelfie” of your bookshelves.
  • National Handwriting Day (Jan 23rd): Honors the craft of handwriting, a nostalgic nod to the days of handwritten drafts and letters. A good day to talk about epistolary novels.
  • Opposite Day (Jan 25th): An imaginative day for writers to experiment with alternative perspectives. Share a scene or chapter written from the perspective of another character or explore what would have happened had they made a different choice…
  • Inspire Your Heart With Art Day (Jan 31st): While not exclusively literary, this day encourages people to connect with art and creativity, including books and poetry.
  • Multicultural Children’s Book Day (Last Friday in January [Jan 31, 2025]): Focuses on diversity in children’s literature, encouraging writers and readers to celebrate cultural representation.
  • National Hot Tea Month: Feature tea in any flat lay or staged photos you take during the month.

Be sure to bookmark this blog post for future reference 🔖 More social media post ideas for authors can be found in the archive here. And don’t forget to also check out my Winter Canva Templates to help you promote your book this upcoming season. I have over 30+ ready-made templates that can be used on the Canva free plan to help make your content marketing batching simple and easy. All you have to do is drop your book cover into them.