How to Share About Your Book at Holiday Events Without Being Annoying
7 tips to promote your book at holiday gatherings, parties, and events without having to be pushy.
The holiday season is filled with opportunities for you to share your book with friends, family, and potential readers. Holiday gatherings, parties, and other events are perfect settings to talk about your work. These social settings, however, shouldn’t be overrun with your book. You don’t want to be the person who turns every conversation into a sales pitch. You want to introduce your book in a way that feels natural, engaging, and, most importantly—not annoying.
Here are seven ways to share your book during the holidays without overwhelming your social circles.
1. Let the Conversation Flow Naturally
One of the easiest ways to come across as annoying is to shoehorn your book into conversations where it doesn’t belong. Instead of jumping into a discussion about your book the moment you meet someone, allow the conversation to naturally flow in that direction. If someone asks what you’ve been up to, that’s a perfect moment to mention that you’ve been writing. From there, you can gauge whether the person is interested in hearing more or if it’s best to switch to another subject.
For example, instead of saying, “Hey, I just published a book, you should check it out!” say something like, “Lately I’ve been working on a book project; it’s been an exciting journey.” This way you open the door for them to ask more questions if they’re interested. The conversation feels organic rather than forced.
2. Tailor Your Pitch to the Listener
Every audience is different, and the same applies to the people you’re talking to at holiday parties. Not everyone will be as passionate about your book as you are. Knowing your audience will help you gauge how much to share without overwhelming people.
For example, if you’re talking to a fellow writer or avid reader, you’ll know you can dive into the details of your writing process, the themes of your book, and what inspired you. If, however, you’re talking to someone who doesn’t typically read in your genre or doesn’t know much about the book world, you’ll know to keep it simple. You might say, “My book is a contemporary fiction novel about family dynamics during a summer vacation.” When you keep your summary brief like that, it gives others a chance to ask for more details if they’re interested.
3. Focus on Sharing Your Journey, Not Just Selling
Holiday gatherings are about connecting, so focus on sharing your writing journey rather than pushing book sales. Talk about the experiences you’ve had as a writer, what you’ve learned, and why writing your book was meaningful to you. Going this route, you’ll share more than just a product (your book)—you’ll share part of yourself.
Here’s an example: You could share a story about how long it took to write your book or a lesson you learned during the editing process. This will make the conversation more personal and will allow others to feel invested in your journey. People are more likely to remember your passion than your sales pitch.
4. Keep Physical Copies or Business Cards Handy—But Don’t Force Them
You should always have with you a few physical copies of your book or business cards with information about where to purchase your book. I do, however, strongly suggest you resist the urge to pull out your book the second someone asks about it. Wait until the conversation reaches a point where it feels appropriate to share a copy or card.
If someone asks where they can get a copy of your book, that’s the perfect moment to offer them a business card or suggest they check out your website. On the other hand, if someone casually mentions your book, don’t aggressively push a copy into their hands. Respect their space and their level of interest.
5. Use Social Media to Your Advantage
If you’re attending larger holiday gatherings where talking to everyone about your book isn’t feasible, you might consider using social media to make your book known in a more subtle way. Post about your book on social media in the days leading up to the event or share a post during the event with a caption like, “Having a great time at the [event]! So excited to celebrate with everyone! And if you haven’t checked it out yet, my book is available [link].”
This way interested people can get more information without you having to bring it up in every conversation. It’s a way to promote without interrupting the flow of the event.
6. Listen as Much as You Talk
Any great conversation is a two-way street. If you spend the entire time talking about yourself and your book but don’t take the time to listen to others, you’ll come off as self-absorbed. Show genuine interest in the people you’re speaking with. Ask them about their lives, what they’re interested in, and what they’ve been working on. When it’s your turn to share, they’ll likely be more receptive because you made them feel heard and appreciated.
People are more likely to support your work if they feel like you’ve taken the time to connect with them on a personal level.
7. Give Back by Offering Holiday Deals or Gifts
One way to share your book without being pushy is to offer something of value to people around you. You could offer a special holiday discount or even gift a few copies of your book to friends and family members. You could say, “I’m doing a holiday promotion for my book if anyone is interested!” Or, if you’re feeling generous, you could give signed copies as gifts.
This is a soft-sell approach and shows that you’re thinking about others during the holidays instead of focusing on your own goals. It also creates goodwill and can generate word-of-mouth promotion as others receive or buy your book and talk about it to their friends and family.
Put It Into Practice: Real-Life Examples
Here are a few practical examples of how you can share your book at holiday events:
At a Family Gathering
You’re sitting down at dinner, and someone asks what you’ve been up to lately. Instead of going into a detailed explanation of your book, you could say, “I’ve spent most of my year writing a book—it’s been a fun creative outlet.” If they express further interest, feel free to explain more about the book’s theme or the process. If not, let the conversation flow elsewhere.
At a Holiday Party
While mingling at a party, someone mentions they’ve been looking for a good book to read during the holidays. This is a great moment to say, “I just published a book! It’s a [genre], and it’s received some good feedback. I’d be happy to send you a link if you’re interested.” This casual approach offers them the option without making having to make a hard sell.
At a Work Event
During a work event, the topic of hobbies comes up. Instead of making a direct sales pitch, you could say, “In my free time this year, I wrote a book—it was a lot of work, but really rewarding.” Your colleagues can ask more questions if they’re interested. You could also mention any book promotions you’re running during the holiday season, but only if the conversation naturally leans that way.
At a Community Event
At a community holiday event, bring a few signed copies of your book as part of a gift exchange or a charity raffle. This is a great way to introduce your book to a wider audience without directly promoting it.
Final Thoughts
By applying these strategies and practicing them in real-life situations, you’ll become more comfortable sharing your work in a way that feels natural and authentic. Your goal is to foster meaningful connections while subtly promoting your book—without feeling like you’re giving a sales pitch at every turn.
Question of the Week: How are you promoting your book this holiday season?
You are reading Xulon Press Substack, a weekly newsletter about writing, self-publishing, author branding, and creative living from Content Manager, Erika Bennett. You can also find us on Pinterest, Instagram, the Xulon Press blog, and our website.