People love to give and receive books as holiday gifts, and when you research how to market a book, the holiday season figures in. Appearing in gift guides is one obvious way to promote your work, but there are others. The objective is to raise your visibility online and in the media to get people's attention. There is fierce competition because everyone understands the sales opportunity. Unlike some products, books sell year-round, but maximizing November and December sales is one way to achieve higher sales volume. You can gear promotional programs to those months or program for them specifically.

In-store and online promotions working together are likely your best bet. With large retailers embracing an "omnichannel" concept, you can follow suit with your book promotional plans. It simply means selling in every available channel to reach people where they prefer to shop. There may be some variation by genre, but most books today have audiences that shop in all places. Local bookstores can contribute to sales, but chain stores and big box retailers generally have higher volumes. Online, the largest booksellers command staggering market shares and are crucial to your sales success. 

If your book was released earlier in the year, a renewed marketing push to coincide with holiday selling can be lucrative. There are no "rules" about which books sell best as gifts, but some will undoubtedly do better than others. One example is children's books, nearly all purchased by parents and grandparents. They make favorite gifts; almost all popular titles will enjoy a holiday sales bump. Other genres, like cookbooks, will likely ring up brisk holiday sales. People add them to their gift lists, or people who already own copies and enjoy them buy books to gift to others. It's an excellent way to get extra sales.

You may also launch your book to coincide with the winter holidays, but remember, it's a competitive time. Authors increasingly consider other launch months that are quieter and with fewer competing titles vying for attention. There is no right or wrong answer, and you'll need to make a judgment call about your optimal release date. Regardless of when you do, you'll likely enjoy increased sales during the peak annual gift-giving times. If your book has a seasonal topic, it is crucial to ensure you release it when people will be most interested. It's a wise way to go after higher sales.