Celebrate These Upcoming Honorary Book-Centric Days!

 

 

Dr. Seuss Day/NEA’s Read Across America Day March 2

 

“Dr. Seuss Day (Read Across America Day) is celebrated annually on March 2nd—the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel (born 1904)—to promote literacy in schools and communities across the U.S.. Established in 1998 by the NEA, it encourages reading through themed activities, dressing up, and enjoying his classic books.”

 

— Source quoted: AI

 

National Grammar Day March 4

 

“National Grammar Day is observed annually on March 4thto promote better written and spoken English, chosen because the date acts as a sentence command: "March forth!". Established in 2008 by author Martha Brockenbrough, this day encourages celebrating language through activities like writing, reading, and using the hashtag #NationalGrammarDay.”

 

—Source quoted: AI

 

World Book Day March 5

 

“Research shows 6 things that help children want to read at home:

·         Share – read or listen to audiobooks together 

·         Access – having reading materials around them (including audiobooks, ebooks and graphic novels and comics) 

·         Choice – they pick what excites/interests them most 

·         Time – quiet moments help reading happen 

·         Help – get ideas from someone who knows what they like 

·         Fun – connect reading to other things they enjoy

 

These shape and guide everything World Book Day does.”

 

—Source quoted: WorldBookDay.com

 

International Read To Me Day March 19

 

International Read to Me! Day aims to:

 

1.    “Change the dynamic and empower children to ask for more support, not just from their birth family but also from their community. Marking a day when kids can ask to be read to is a key part of this strategy.

 

2.    Promote, encourage and inspire reading activities within communities.

 

3.    Showcase organizations who are passionate about improving the literacy standards of the children around them.

 

4.    Address the disparity between resources and where they are distributed, by supporting a book drive and sending the collected books to locations around the world to those who are looking for books!

 

5.    Support the invaluable work of all organizations trying to positively increase the literacy rates of children in their countries.”

 

— Source quoted: readtome.com

 

International Children’s Book Day April 2

 

“ Since 1967, on or around Hans Christian Andersen's birthday, 2 April, International Children's Book Day (ICBD) is celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children's books. Each year a different National Section of IBBY has the opportunity to be the international sponsor of ICBD.”

 

Source quoted: ibby.org

 

Right To Read Day April 20

 

“Right to Read Day was launched in 2023 to encourage public action on behalf of libraries, which are facing an unprecedented deluge of censorship attempts. The event coincides with the release of ALA’s Top 10 Most Challenged Books list and the State of America’s Libraries Report and is part of ALA's Unite Against Book Bans campaign.”

 

— Source quoted: American Library Association

 

National Book Mobile Day April 22

 

“…celebrates library outreach and the dedicated library professionals who are meeting their patrons where they are. Whether it's a bookmobile stop at the local elementary school, services provided to community homes, or library pop-ups at community gatherings, these services are essential to the community.” 

 

— Source quoted: American Library Association

 

English Language Day April 23

 

“UN English Day is observed annually on 23 April. The event was established by UN's Department of Public Information in 2010 "to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversityas well as to promote equal use of all six official languages throughout the Organization". For the English Language Day, April 23 was chosen because it is the date "traditionally observed as both the birthday and date of death of William Shakespeare".

Source quoted: Wikipedia

 

World Book & Copyright Day  April 23

 

A celebration of the power of books!

 

“Books are like a window onto another world – with each new page, they introduce us to new people, new cultures and new ideas. Every year, on 23 April, UNESCO celebrates World Book and Copyright Day in recognition of the power of books as a bridge between generations and across cultures.”

 

Source quoted: unesco.org 

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator! 

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 5,600,000 page views. With 5,500+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

 

 

 

Interview With Author Acar Murat Boyner

 

 

1. What inspired you to write this book?

There is a profound sense of alienation in the modern world. We are realizing that our lives are shaped by a governing class, but we only feel that 'pressure' when the government stops reflecting our personal values. For a long time, many of us viewed our own social constructs as universal. Now, as those constructs shift into something we deem undesirable, we feel like strangers in our own land. This is what inspired It Always Rains in Estaran. I aimed to explore the fragility of power, the fragility of idealism, and the cyclical nature of the war between competing value systems. A striking real-world example of this is the reaction to the recent 'Bad Bunny' halftime show. While millions tuned in, a significant portion of society chose to ignore it entirely, creating their own 'alternate' halftime show. Why? Because they no longer feel that the 'main stage' reflects their value system. It almost doesn't matter if that detachment is born of cultural preservation, resentment, or a refusal to evolve—the result is the same: a society so divided that we can no longer even share a television broadcast, let alone a national identity. This dissociation, where people retreat into their own “boxes”, is exactly the atmosphere I wanted to capture in Estaran. There are two Estarans and neither accept one another. The book isn't about which side is right; it’s about the tragedy of the division itself. It’s about the 'rain' that falls on everyone, regardless of which box they are hiding in.

 

2. What exactly is it about — and who is it written for?

 

The central ideas and themes of the book explore the fragility of power and idealism

alongside the constant battle of values. It serves as a reflection on how values we

perceive as universal are often not so, suggesting that as people, we have no choice

but to constantly fight for our future. Although Estaran feels geographically and

regionally resonant, it represents every nation conceivable, offering an analysis of the

ongoing global climate where values are dissipating and times are changing for the

worse. Ultimately, in the world of Estaran and our own, there are no simple heroes, but the villains are easy to identify. I wrote this novel for readers who find themselves at the intersection of political fiction, history, and dystopian thrillers. It isn’t designed to be a fast-paced action story; rather, it’s a deliberate and atmospheric.

 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?

 

It is a call for each of us to choose those who can uphold rather than destroy, acknowledging that the struggle is not merely for ideology, but a war for decency against degeneracy. No matter how pragmatic a revolution built on idealism becomes, the narrative emphasizes that what was won can only be maintained through empathy, acceptance, and understanding. Ultimately, in the world of Estaran and our own, there are no simple heroes, but the villains are easy to identify.

 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?

 

The cover design is actually a personal story, as my girlfriend and I collaborated on it ourselves. The image was inspired by two factors: the blurring of our hero, and the thematic attempt to remove his influence from Estaran’s collective consciousness.

Overall, the main design element is that blur. It represents a general being erased from the very history he helped create. As for the title, it was the first thing that came to mind when I began writing. To me, the rain represents the constant, inescapable pain and the relentless struggle for power and values.

 

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?

 

Just write. Don’t get bogged down in the styling or the editing in the first draft. Let the story flow and the world build itself!

 

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? 

 

I feel publishing is heading toward a more “decentralized” world where authors and readers find each other in smaller, more dedicated pockets. Like the world of Estaran, nothing is truly universal. We write for our own box unfortunately. And I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

 

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? 

 

I studied Government at Georgetown University, while also diving deep into the philosophy of mind and cognitive sciences. This background was essential in writing It Always Rains in Estaran, (and my other works) as it allowed me to blend the political with the philosophical.

 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to?

 

Ouff, that is a tough one to respond to… but I guess I would describe my writing style as atmospheric and, at times, very dialogue-heavy. I know that’s not for everyone; it can sometimes come across as preachy or even 'monology.'

But at the end of the day, my work is about the human political condition. I love the clash of ideas between two people in a room. I want the reader to feel like they are eavesdropping on the conversations that determine the fate of a nation.

 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?

 

Honestly, the biggest challenge was the language barrier within my own head. Writing both in Turkish and in English can sometimes be daunting and outright difficult as I navigate both languages. My friends and I often call it Turklish as we sometimes blend the two even in conversation. So navigating that is sometimes annoying to say the least... Especially when you forget a certain word in English but remember it perfectly in Turkish So the editing process was crucial to all my work.

 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?

 

BECAUSE IT’S GREAT! Just kidding… I wish I had that sort of self- confidence.

But in all seriousness, I think most political fiction is focused on heroes and villains while ignoring the true emotional toll on the people involved.This book  is for anyone who feels that sense of modern alienation and wants to understand why the 'idealism' we were promised feels so fragile. It may not be perfect, but I feel like the emphasis on both the intimate lives of the characters and the struggle of society as a whole is a fresh take on the political fiction world.

 

About The Author: Murat Boyner is a 30-year-old writer and Georgetown University graduate whose work primarily engages with the philosophical complexities of power, justice, and ideology. Drawing on his background in political philosophy, he has published the dramatic exploration of tyranny The Council (2022) and the philosophical science fiction novella Neptün Müzakereleri. His current and most ambitious project, It Always Rains in Estaran, builds on these interests by examining the friction between secular progress and deep-seated tradition through the lived experience of navigating a culture defined by its historical transition and heritage. For more info, please see: https://muratboynerr.wixsite.com/author?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio

 

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator! 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 5,600,000 page views. With 5,500+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

 

 

 

Authors Can Turn A Weakness Into A Strength!

 

 

Authors can improve their book marketing results and they should do so. Once you get past what is holding them back, they can flourish.

Authors under-perform because of one or more of the following reasons:

* Lack of encouragement
* Fear and insecurity
* Failure to set appropriate goals
* Don’t invest enough time
* Have not tried to learn new skills
* Shy and not great communicators
* Suffer from poor health or disability
* Do not know enough about book marketing
* A general discomfort with technology
* Don’t fully believe in their book
* Misspend their marketing money or don’t invest enough

Miracles won’t always happen, but measurable improvement in any of these areas is quite possible. Authors can learn how to do a lot of things. They can also designate time to execute marketing tasks. And they will gain more confidence and become more driven once they see some positive results. But they don’t. It is all mental and once one commits to making changes, good things can happen.

Let me give you an analogy from my life about how one can change their attitude, effort, strategy, and ability to turn a deficiency into an asset.

I am a middle-aged athlete warrior. This means I get aches and pains after, sometimes during, and even before undergoing physical activity. I am overweight and not the image of an Olympian. But I love competitive sports and for a little over the past year, I have found renewed life playing pickleball.

I know my weaknesses — I am slow-moving and don’t jump so high — but I employ good strategy and am crafty with a paddle in hand. However, early on I saw that my serve was very weak.

Too many did not make it onto the court consistently. I prayed before each one that the plastic ball would just land somewhere in the designated area. Often it did not. When it did find a piece of the court, it was easy to return by the opposition. I was losing plenty of point-scoring opportunities and burdening my partner.

Although I lacked confidence in my serve, I excelled at the rest of my game. I had to play harder to increase my strengths and compensate for my weaknesses.

For a good six months I played with the handicap of a bad serve. Teammates never said anything negative to me, though they had to be disappointed.

Then, one day, it just clicked, and I found a way to consistently get the ball in and not have it be a weak serve. Instead of being an automatic out, I started scoring points and turned a liability into an asset.

I continued to experiment, work hard, and improve to the point that I arguably have one of the strongest serves amongst the 75 or so different players that I have competed against. All teammates defer to me to start a game as a server.

I change speeds and location. I can get it to spin away or into a player. I can position the serve to set up a score after they struggle and fall out of place to return it. I get my share of aces too. What was my Achilles heel is now my Popeye’s spinach.

So, dear author, I implore you to find a way to change. Invest more time and effort into your marketing. Make a concerted effort to learn what you need to know in order to take ownership of your book marketing. Then, work collaboratively with a book marketer to attack any areas of marketing that still may be lacking.

Learn from my pickleball battles. It really is possible to go from being the ugly duckling into a beautiful swan. You can transform into something more — with effort, knowledge, inspiration, goals, and a desire to be better and do more.

 

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator! 

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 5,400,000 page views. With 5,500+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum