Books

Why we still love them: What can I say? We love the written word. Books are usually a sure bet for gifts for writers. It could be books on writing, the newest edition of the Writer’s Market, or simply the latest novel from their favorite author.

Step it up a notch: If the idea of giving the writer in your life a basic book seems too “blah” for you, consider shooting for an autographed copy or a first edition / rare version of one of their favorite books.

Bookstore Gift Cards

Why we still love them: Um, we love books. We love choices. It’s pretty hard to go wrong with a bookstore gift card. If your writer tends to prefer online shopping, there’s always Amazon.com gift cards. If they prefer a hands-on approach to book-shopping, get them a gift card to a major chain store nearby or their favorite independent bookstore.

Step it up a notch: Gift cards might be a good option still, but any kind of gift card can still be kind of generic because they don’t take much thought. So to give it a personal touch, focus more on the delivery. Hint: having Amazon email them a gift card is about as impersonal as you can get. Unless the gift card is for a distant friend or colleague, go with a physical option when possible.

Journals and Notebooks

Why we still love them: We like taking notes. We like doodling. We like brainstorming, whether it’s for client projects or that Great American Novel we’re working on. You can personalize journals and notebooks to the writer’s taste, and maybe give it to them with a nice pen so they can put it to use immediately.

Step it up a notch: If you really want to impress with your gift of a journal or notebook, make it one that will last. A nice leather-bound journal can make for a gorgeous gift for writers for example.

Coffee Mugs

Why we still love them: Okay, so this is a more casual gift, and a budget-friendly one at that. But we love our coffee (well, many of us do at least). On a cold morning there’s just something comforting about waking up and getting into our writing with a warm cup of joe. Is the writer in your life more of a tea-drinker? Consider a tea cup and saucer set or even a teapot instead.

Step it up a notch: If giving someone a coffee mug alone doesn’t suit you, consider using it as a base for a cute gift compilation — put a nice pen in there, some of their favorite candy, or if you want to get more elaborate maybe something like a small digital voice recorder they can use for taking notes. Anything that can fit in the cup can work.

Looking for even more basic gift ideas for writers? How about a magazine subscription? Have a writer in your life who has a passion for the past? Consider an old fashioned typewriter (there’s something classic about them many of us still love, even if just for decoration). Want to spend a bit more and go a bit more modern? See if they need a new laptop or other office equipment to help them complete their projects more efficiently.

Finding gift ideas for writers doesn’t have to be difficult. And remember — writers are just people. You don’t need to feel limited to writing-related gifts at all!

Earlier this month I mentioned that you should be putting together gift idea lists and related holiday posts. I realized I still hadn’t gotten around to mine, so it’s time. Here are my top ten gift ideas for freelance writers for the 2008 holiday season:

1. Books – Sure, this is a given. Writers love books. More specifically, give them the gift of books that will help them grow their careers. Here are some of my favorites:
2. E-books – If the freelance writer in your life is a Web writer, they may have an appreciation for E-books. Here are two e-books ideal for the new writer trying to jump-start their freelance writing career (disclaimer: the first e-book is my own):
3. Subscriptions – Consider getting your favorite freelance writer a subscription they can use throughout the new year – a subscription to a writing magazine, to a publication they’d eventually like to write for themselves, or to a service like WritersMarket.com, where they can look for publishers to pitch articles to.
4. A Website – All freelance writers can benefit from a website, but many don’t know how to get started. Consider buying them a nice template, custom Web design, or Web design software. Or, get them a gift certificate / card to a Web host or domain registrar.
5. Business Software – Freelancers need to deal with a lot of financial and business-oriented tasks. Most would benefit from some decent accounting software or customer management software.
6. Green PCs and Notebooks – Do you know a freelance writer trying to go green? Consider getting them a new, low-cost cloud PC or notebook like the Cherry Pal PC or the CloudBook from Everex.
7. Reference Materials – Every freelance writer needs reference materials. Consider buying them a new thesaurus “>thesaurus, the AP style guide
   , or a subscription to a service like HighBeam Research this holiday season.
8. Some Time Off – Freelancers are notorious for overworking themselves with long hours. This holiday season would be the perfect time to “make a date” with that writer in your life – buy show tickets, take them away with you on a day trip, or just make a date to see a movie or spend some social time with friends or family.
9. Office Supplies – Sure, they may sound like a boring gift, but the cost can add up and writers would probably appreciate it. Get them some printer paper or ink (which can get expensive these days), some new pens, a nice notebook or planner, a new calculator to help with invoicing, or maybe even a collection of business forms that might come in handy.
10. Images – Is the freelance writer in your life also a blogger? Consider getting them a subscription to a stock image site, or prepay for a set number of images at a site like StockXpert.com. Images help to make blog posts more attractive to readers, and getting decent ones isn’t always easy (even at $1.00 or so per image for some of the decent services, it adds up for a frequent blogger, especially if they’re not making money through their blogging).

I hope these gift ideas for freelance writers gave you something to consider. And hey… if all else fails, we do like to do more than write! So get the writer in your life anything you think they would enjoy or be able to put to good use. :)

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. However any affiliate links used on this blog are to products I am comfortable wholeheartedly recommending.