Gifts: Giving, Receiving & Gift Ideas for Writers
No supply chain issues here--it's a bonus November newsletter!
Are you tired of hearing all the dire warnings about ☠️ Supply Chain Issues ☠️?
I am. I think by now you’ve gotten the message that if you want physical things to give to people or yourself, you should probably buy them early. Earlier than even now, perhaps? Oh well, too late!
Anyway, it’s that time of year, obviously. I was putting together updated gift guide cards for my books (despite knowing they don’t exactly lead to a sales boom), and got to thinking about gifts and giving in general.
If this sounds boring, scroll on down to the second half for the gift guide!
🎁 gift weirdness
I have friends for whom gift-giving in their families is extremely fraught. In their worlds, if you don’t spend the right amount or get the right thing and present it in the right way, people get mad! And they stay mad and are ready to be mad again on the next holiday and the cycle continues. I’m fascinated by those families. What’s it all about? Luckily, mine doesn’t fall into this particular category.
No, we have our own weirdness around gifts.
Whether it’s an expectation of a big reaction that some in my family grew up with, or trying to hide disappointment to protect feelings, or issues around gifts connected to growing up without money, we sometimes just deal with it all by saying, “I didn’t get you anything” or “don’t get me anything, I don’t care.”
And to an extent, we don’t. Our gifting fails don’t tend to fester. It is what it is kind of sums it up, I think. All of that being said, who doesn’t love the well-timed gift, the perfect gift, the personal gift that shows, “I have been paying attention to who you really are”?
🎁 gifts & work
Another category of gifting is the dreaded professional gift. I say dreaded, because having grown in the gritty seventies in an always-broke family with parents with somewhat random jobs, I have no model for all of this.
The first time I heard about writers getting gifts for their publishing team and agents, I started to sweat. What’s a good gift? How much should I spend? If I don’t give anything, will they think I’m low class, whatever that means? This led to a haphazard array of comestibles, booze, mugs, or, more often, nothing.
I’ve had author peers send me what to me are lavish thank-you gifts for giving their drafts a read. A box of fancy meats, a Dean and DeLuca gift box, a copper baking dish. Of course I love getting these things, but I also wonder, “Am I supposed to do that?” Again, my poor-kid anxieties kick in and I fear I’ll be branded some kind of boor who doesn’t know gift etiquette.
🎁 opting out
I’m most comfortable when I see something that makes me think of a friend or loved one, and I get it for them, the end. Even better if it’s not a holiday. Being on the receiving end of this kind of gift is so nice, too. One time a friend brought me over a sampling of pens from a Japanese stationery store just because she knows I’m obsessed with that stuff. It felt like that kind of “I’ve paid attention” gesture that makes me know I’m seen. I also love giving extravagant surprise gifts, when I have money and can pull it off.
Lately, I’ve enjoyed holidays more by taking gift-giving out of the equation. Of course, other people in my life might actually like to get something and I acknowledge that while this takes pressure off me, it might dampen their festivities.
Opting out is an available choice, though, and if you need permission to do that, take mine.
🎁 opting in
Giving to community organizations is always in season. I like to give to my local food bank, because…food. Everyone needs it. Not everyone can afford it. Especially with grocery and rent and gas prices going up, way too many people are living very close to the bone.
Homeless Shelters Directory also has a good way to find orgs in your area that can always use money and/or volunteers.
On to stuff:
If you like to give books, I made a little gift guide video with regards to books by me. Please enjoy the royalty-free music and my obvious giftedness with design. You can also look at some lists I have at Bookshop for more recommendations generally, including highlights of my 2021 reading.
buy links for my books: AMAZON | APPLE BOOKS | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOKSHOP | LIBRO.FM
Sick of books? Me too. These are some of my favorite writer things that could make good stocking stuffers, secret Santa stuff, Hanukkah gifts, or for just because.
Notebooks
Most writers are particular about their notebooks—lined, blank, or dot-grid? Soft or hardcover? Large, medium, small? Everyone is different, but I stand by these as my go-to’s for the last decade:
Softcover dot-grid notebooks from Leuchtturm: These make me want to keep a consistent journal. Will I??
Decomposition notebooks: The best covers, a good price point, reliable paper. My favorite is the dot-grid spiral.
Kyokuto F.O.B. Coop: My other favorite spiral notebook. Clearly I am team dot-grid!
Pens
Again, personal preferences run strong here. Here are my favorites:
EnerGel 0.7mm Navy Blue: These are the ones. This is the final pen. These are the pens I have everywhere in the house, in my backpack, in the car. They play well with all sorts of paper and you can buy refills. No caps to lose, long-lasting. The navy blue is the perfect happy medium if you can’t decide between a blue or a black pen.
Kaweco Perkeo Fountain Pen: This is a great entry-level fountain pen, if you’re curious about that. I’ve found all the Kawecos to be very reliable and they don’t tend to dry up like other pens, even much more expensive ones. Same goes for the Kaweco Sport, which is probably my favorite fountain pen of all time in terms of performance (especially with Diamine cartridges).
(P.S. No, I am not a JetPens affiliate, I just love their company and selection!)
Other stuff
Dry Erase Index Cards: I really like these as an alternative to Post-Its, for daily reminders, disposable writing notes for a given work session, and other randomness.
USB power bank: You might need it for your ring light, or keeping your phone going during an IG live when you’re not near an outlet, or in your bag for whenever. I just feel like us modern writers always need power for our devices. I have a couple of cute ones with patterns and all the right cords, like this. Target has a decent selection, but you can find them lots of places.
A cute timer: A lot of writers use timers to keep focused using something like the Pomodoro method or their own version. Yes, you can use your watch, phone, or desktop timer, but what about something cute like this one I saw on Kim Baker’s IG. (Unsurprisingly, Amazon also has a ton to choose from.)
And of course, books about writing, which we never get sick of. I’ve got a list for that on my Bookshop page. Am I missing your favorite book about writing stuff? Tell me about it.
Finally, there’s the hybrid option: making a donation to a writer-related cause, for example We Need Diverse Books, PEN America, or the Writers Guild Foundation.
P.S. again! I didn’t think of this until after I sent the email version, but if you have a writer in your life and they aren’t a bestseller, the chances are very good that they need money. Cash and gift cards that can translate into food, clothing, shelter, meds, and maybe travel are always appropriate! 💸
A Thank You
Mostly, for reading this far. 😅 But seriously, thank you for your interest in what I do and for caring about that enough to get yet another piece of email and for actually opening it! My stats say that most of you do, though I know you could just be trying to trick me so my feelings aren’t hurt. Even that deserves thanks.
I hope you get time off at Thanksgiving. I hope you get to do exactly what you want for at least one day. And I hope to see you back in your inbox in December!