Social Media Content Ideas for Authors — October

October is here. Otherwise known as my birthday month 💅🏻 So, there’s one thing you can celebrate 😉 Joking aside, this is a great month for content purposes. Social media, especially Instagram, is awash in autumnal content. Recipes. Seasonal décor. Stacks of books with orange, red, and brown spines. Coffee and tea. Flat lays of rich burnt umber and torn papers. It’s an aesthetic Pinterest dream. Let’s get into some autumnal social media content ideas for writers!

International Coffee Day (Oct 1st): I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again: what goes together with books more than coffee (and tea)? Perfect day for an outing to a coffee shop to create a reel of you writing, preparing for NaNoWriMo, or reading a book.

Black Speculative Fiction Month: Black speculative fiction is an umbrella term for Black science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Use this month to shine a light on Black authors who write these genres.

Sunday Afternoon: Show us a regular cozy Sunday. Could just be you relaxing and reading. Could be you doing your weekly planning and prep work so you’re ready on Monday. Doesn’t have to be long. People love videos like this!

National Book Month: October is National Book Month! 📚 There’s a TON of content you could get all month from this one celebration alone. Book lists. Book hauls. Roundups. Take trips to the library or bookstores in your area. Feature your author friends. The ideas are endless. Be creative!

Spooky TBR: Are you planning on reading horror, thriller, mystery, and other spooky things all month for Halloween? Share that list or book stack with your readers! Add some Halloween décor to your photo if you’re taking a physical TBR pic.

Sweater Weather: Share your favorite seasonal movies, music, or tv shows. What gets you in the mood every year? These always get a lot of engagement when I share them. Not feeling up to posting about pop culture? Share a list of what you love most about fall, or your fall bucket list/yearly traditions. Encourage readers to add their list in your comments.

5-Star Reads: Make a reel of your last 5-6 five star reads! You don’t even need to show your face, if you’re like me and hate that. Here’s a good example. (If rating books makes you uncomfy as an author, just say it’s your latest fave reads.)

Movie Comp: People respond well when comparisons are drawn between something they already love and something new. Find a movie that has the vibe of your book and create a simple graphic. Here’s one I made about my book.

AO3 Tags: Visit Unhinged AO3 tags on Twitter and pull some that sound like your book. This is a super fun way to get people laughing and also interested in your book. (Shoutout to Em Porter for this idea!)

Seasonal Aesthetics: Use the season to your advantage and create a reel of photos that make you happy about autumn and reading. Tie it into National Book Month if you want, or any other day. Example.

---

BONUS: Other Bookish Events/Days for Social Media Content Ideas for Writers

• Filipino American History Month: October is a great month to celebrate Filipino-American books and authors. Share a post of your TBR.
• Mental Illness Awareness Week (Oct 1st-7th): Shine a light on the struggles of mental illness (and the joys of those with them!) by sharing a post with your favorite rep.
• National Boyfriend Day (Oct 3rd): Romance authors, it’s Book Boyfriend time!
• International World Space Week (Oct 4th-10th): Do you write science fiction? Tie some marketing into this week-long celebration.
• World Teachers’ Day (Oct 5th): Showcase the teachers and professors in your stories today.
• National Plus Size Appreciation Day (Oct 6th): Plus size characters, authors, and books are becoming more popular, but use this day to help those books and authors reach a new audience. There’s also National Curves Day (Oct 11th).
• National Frappé Day (Oct 7th): Yes. More coffee and aesthetics. But I mean, Instagram loves this shit. Grab a frappé and snap a cute photo.
• World Card Making Day (Oct 7th): Handmake a card of thanks to your readers. Or better yet, have one of your characters make the card. Post a photo of it with some swag from your novel, like a bookmark as a “sneaky” way to promote the title.
• Indigenous Peoples’ Day (Oct 9th): Celebrate the literary achievements of Indigenous authors today!
• National Handbag Day (Oct 10th): I’ve already given y’all the idea of sharing what’s in your bag in a previous ideas blog. But why not use this day to show something new, like what’s in your pencil case? Annotation bag? Tie it into books somehow.
• Southern Food Heritage Day (Oct 11th): Is your book set in the south US? Use today to market your novel and share a recipe.
• Bookshop Day (Oct 14th): UK authors, if you need another reason to visit a bookstore and film a little “come with me”, you’re welcome 😉
• National Dessert Day (Oct 14th): A good day for all the cozy mystery authors out there whose books are named after food! Feature a recipe from your book along with a pretty photo of your book. There’s also National Food Day on Oct 24th.
• International Artist Day (Oct 25th): Share some fanart or officially commissioned art of your book or series. Be sure to tag the artist and help get them some attention for all their hard work.
• National Transgender Children Day (Oct 26th): Young Adult or children’s author who writes about transgender kids? Great day to raise awareness and talk about your book!
• Books For Treats Day (Oct 31st): According to National Today, “On a day when we give candies as treats, Books For Treats Day favors giving books.” It’s a day that encourages giving kids a book rather than candy when they go trick ‘r treating.
• Halloween (Oct 31st): I mean. Does this need any explanation? lol.

Come back next month for 10 new social media content ideas for writers. Be sure to save this post for future reference! And don’t forget to check out my Autumn Canva Templates to help you promote your book this autumn. I have over 90+ ready-made Autumn, Halloween, and Black Friday templates that can be used on the Canva free plan.

---