15 Gifts Writers and Authors Need on Their Holiday Lists

Posted by Arthur Gutch on Fri, Oct 31, 2014 @ 09:00 AM

It's never too early to start hinting to your loved ones about holiday gift giving. Writers need love, too, and gifts that further your career show how much your family and friends support your efforts. The range of writerly gifts runs the gamut from almost free to major credit card overhaul, so there's something on this list for people in any price range. If your writer's group is planning a gift exchange this holiday season, check this list before buying some random generic gift. Whether they're for friends or for yourself, holiday gifts are always more appreciated when they're used every day. Picture1

Inexpensive Gifts

Children and club members usually have a strict budget on how much they can spend for each gift. All of these items can be purchased for under $20, and many of them are a lot less expensive than that.

Really nice pens. Sure, you'll use any old pen that's laying around, but nothing compares to the feel of a great pen in your hand
Just the right note paper. Some writers use only one type of pad for notes, be it a reporter's spiral-bound, little Moleskin books or a leather work of art, and more is always better
A tomato timer. For writers who follow the Pomodoro technique in their writing, an accurate timer is crucial
Chocolate covered espresso beans. Thereby filling two basic needs in a writer's daily intake
Travel mugs. Writers may not travel much, but a travel mug will almost always avert disaster if the coffee cup is knocked over near the computer
One hour each day. For some writers, finding peaceful time in which to write is almost impossible. A promise to entertain the family away from the writing area for an hour a day might be priceless

Moderately Priced Presents

More than token gifts but not enough to break the bank, these gifts tell your favorite writer that you respect her work and want to support it in any way possible.

An hour massage. Hey, creating worlds is stressful
Prepared meal delivery service. For those days when the writing goes long, a regular schedule of prepared meals gives self published writers just a little more time to work
A tablet. A moderately priced tablet can be found for around $100 and, while it won't be great for writing, you can fill it with productivity app
A virtual book gift certificate. No matter what type of eBook reader your writer has, she'll appreciate free books to fill it. After all, reading is part of a writer's day
An eBook reader If your writer doesn't have an eBook reader, or if he's using one from the last decade, a new version would make a great gift
An ergonomic keyboard For writers who work on a desktop machine, an ergonomic keyboard can save hands and wrists from pain and fatigue

Break the Bank

Sometimes you just want to go all out. If you're hinting for a major gift or buying one for someone extremely special, you can't do much better than anything on this list.

A luxury desk chair Leather, lumbar support, adjustable in multiple positions. That's a real writer's environment. What author wouldn't be able to work for hours on end using that?
A tablet/keyboard combo Netbooks used to be the last word in small, portable writing devices, but tablet and keyboard combinations are lighter, thinner, and do the same tasks
A writers conference trip Mystery writers have them. So do romance writers, sci-fi authors, and every other type of person who puts words on a screen. An all-expense paid conference trip would thrill any author

Birthdays, holidays, or just plain appreciation, any time is a great time to gift a writer with tools of the trade. This list is just the beginning. What are you putting on your holiday wish list? Don't be shy let us know your thoughts for the list.

Keep the Faith and may the Force Be with You!

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