Picture Book Month Ideas for Authors: How to Celebrate (and Sell Books) in November

November is Picture Book Month, a grassroots literacy celebration that encourages families, teachers and librarians to share picture books with children all month long. It began in the United States and is now marked by readers, schools and libraries in many countries. For a self-published picture book author, it's a ready-made reason to get in touch with schools, libraries and bookshops, and it lands just as families start thinking about holiday gifts.

You don't need permission or a big following to take part. Here are practical ways to use Picture Book Month to reach new readers and sell more copies, with ideas that work in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the UK.

Why Picture Book Month is worth your time

Most of the people who buy picture books are not scrolling for authors. They're parents, grandparents, teachers and librarians looking for the right book for a child. A themed month gives all of them a reason to pay attention to picture books at the same time, and it gives you a friendly, non-salesy opening line: "I'd love to help your children celebrate Picture Book Month."

It also sits at a useful point in the calendar. In the US and Canada, schools are settled into the year and planning the weeks before winter break. In Australia and New Zealand, the school year is drawing to a close, and libraries are thinking about summer reading. Either way, a short, well-organised offer is easy to say yes to.

1. Offer a short Picture Book Month school visit

Schools are often a picture book author's biggest sales channel, and a themed month makes your pitch timely. Keep it simple:

• One clear session. A 30–45 minute reading with a short activity, such as drawing a character or inventing a new ending, suits most kindergarten to grade 2 classes (or Foundation to Year 2 in Australia).
• A parent order form. Send it home a week before the visit so families can order signed copies. Keep prices clear and offer one collection date.
• A virtual option. If November is too short notice for an in-person visit, a 20-minute video call reading is easier for a teacher to slot in. Our guide to virtual author visits covers how to plan and price one.

Not sure how to approach a school? Start with our school visit email template and adapt the first line for Picture Book Month.

2. Pitch your local library a storytime

Children's librarians run storytimes every week and welcome fresh, free sessions. A Picture Book Month storytime with a simple craft gives them a reason to feature your book, and often to order copies for the collection.

Keep your session plan to one page: length, age group, materials needed and what children take home. Attach a one-page information sheet with your ISBN, format, price and how libraries can order. If you're outside the US, our library guides for Canada, Australia and New Zealand explain how collections are chosen in each country.

3. Ask an independent bookshop for a display or signing

Many independent bookshops are already planning holiday displays in November. A local author with a themed reason to visit is an easy event to add. Offer to sign stock, read at a Saturday storytime, or drop off shelf-talker cards. In the US, Small Business Saturday falls on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and "meet a local author" fits it perfectly.

Before you pitch, make sure the shop can order your book through its normal channels at a trade discount that still leaves you a profit. Our article on how to price a self-published picture book walks through the maths.

4. Run a 30-day picture book series on social media

A themed month is a gift for content planning. Pick one simple daily or weekly series and stick to it:

• "A spread a day": share one illustration and the moment it shows.
• Behind the book: sketches, early drafts and how the story changed.
• Picture books I love: recommend other authors' books in your genre. It's generous, it helps your audience, and it shows readers where your book belongs.
• Who it's for: the age, the moment and the type of child who will love your book.

Use the official month's name in your captions, but keep the focus on helping parents and teachers find good books. For more formats, see TikTok and Instagram ideas for picture book authors.

5. Give teachers something free to use

Teachers love a ready-made activity. A one-page printable linked to your book, such as a colouring sheet, a story map or three discussion questions, is easy to share and keeps your book in the classroom after the month ends. Put your book's title, age range and where to buy it at the bottom of the page.

6. Line up gift-season sales

Picture Book Month runs straight into the holiday gift season. Use it to set up everything December needs: author copies ordered, a signed-copy offer decided, and your last order date set from your postal service's published deadlines. Our six-week holiday sales plan takes you through it week by week.

A simple Picture Book Month plan

• Week 1: email three schools and two libraries with a short, themed offer.
• Week 2: pitch one independent bookshop; start your social series.
• Week 3: deliver visits or storytimes; send parent order forms home.
• Week 4: share a free teacher printable; set your holiday ordering deadline.

Keep a simple record of who you contacted and what happened. Next November, you'll be able to start where you left off.

Get the templates ready to go

If you'd rather not build every pitch from scratch, the Picture Book Launch Kit includes the pieces this plan needs: a School Visit Pitch & Menu, a Parent Letter & Order Form, an Advance Information Sheet, a Bookshop Pitch, an Event Checklist, 30 Post Ideas and an Outreach Tracker. It's a 47-page instant PDF with 18 templates across 10 chapters, written as a UK & US edition, and the approach works for authors in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland too.

Just starting out? Download the free Picture Book Launch Checklist and work through the essentials first.