IS THERE A “BEST TIME” TO PUBLISH YOUR BOOK?

Many people ask, “When is the best time to publish my book?” The answer is always the same:  when it is ready and not a minute before. But that is not really an answer, but it is the best answer.

When people ask this question, they want to know if a particular month or day is better for the success of their manuscript.

The answer is a definite maybe.

There are definitely times of the year where certain types of books do better than other times. However, there is no hard and fast rule to this, nor is there any proof that publishing in a particular month will bring you more success than any other month.

If you are still wondering when to publish your book, here is a quick list of what each month tends to showcase the most. Note: This doesn’t mean that these books are a success; it means this is when most books in these non-fiction genres are published. I still believe that the best time is when the manuscript is ready and not before.

Anyway, here we go:

January – At the beginning of the year, the diet books, exercise books, self-help (new year new you) books are published.

February – Poetry is a big deal around Valentine’s day. Since February is Black History Month, historical, inspirational, civil rights, and biographies on African-Americans are often published this month.

March – Since March is Women’s History Month and this month also has International Women’s Day, any book about historical or current events surrounding women is often published this month. Easter, religious texts from various religions, books about Christ and the resurrection, and other relevant topics are published toward the middle and end of March.

April – World War II, personal memoirs, and holocaust historical narratives are often the non-fiction books published in April.

May – Travel books start coming out in May and continue until August. Books about the historical and current events surrounding Hispanic Americans are often published this month. Also, books on motherhood, memoirs of mothers, and similar topics come out around Mother’s Day.

June – Gift books and inspirational books for graduates from high school and college are the big sellers in June. In addition, job hunting books also see an increase this month.

July and August – These months are more focused on fiction genres as people are in search of summertime reads while by the pool, at the beach, and on vacation.

September – American historical and current events books are often published this month, as are textbooks and other books on going back to school from kindergarten to college.

October – Paranormal and Halloween books, whether they are about the history of Halloween or how to do Halloween crafts or some other relevant topic, are published this month. Some religions also publish books about celebrations at this time of year.

November – Cookbooks, general history, and spiritual books seem to be published more often this month. There is also an increase in publishing children’s books this month in preparation for the holidays.

December – Any topic about any of the December holidays and year-end observations is often published this month.

Please note that the above list is not an all-encompassing list of when books are published. What it is showing is that the largest number of those topics are often published in those months.

Now with this list in front of you, can you decide when the best time to publish your book is? Do you want to publish it when other books of a similar topic are published, or would you rather be outside of the crowd?

In non-fiction, there is no perfect time to publish your manuscript other than when it is polished and ready. You don’t have to wait for a given day, week, or month. You have to publish when you are ready. Maybe you’ll decide to publish a month or two before the big influx of that topic hits the presses. Perhaps you want to ride the wave with others to get more promotion for less.

No matter when you decide to publish your book, you have to do it when you feel the time is right.       

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Content credit: C. Storm

Image credit: Laura Chouette