If you ask just about any author, they'll tell you that they're tired of getting traditional gifts for the holidays. Forget those notebooks, those pens, those coffee mugs with the witty grammar sayings! Here are some new ideas for holiday presents that authors will really use and enjoy.
1. The Gift of Health
Authors are known for staying in the house, never getting enough exercise, and not living the healthiest lifestyle. Show your author that you care about his health by giving him a gift certificate to the local gym or yoga studio. With luck, you'll be building a healthy habit that sticks for life.
2. Scrivener or FastPencil
If you ask 10 professional authors what they use to write their books, seven or eight of them will talk about Scrivener. Writing platform, plotting tool, character sketches... Scrivener's got it all. It's a little pricey for most beginning authors to justify buying at first, but it's the ideal gift for someone who's serious about being an author. If you want your own private workspace to beging writing and fully automted tools to publish FastPencil is a great option!
3. Snack Time!
If your favorite author's desk is covered in snack food wrappers, it's time to change up her eating habits and give her something healthier. Order her a subscription to one of the healthy food snack boxes you can find online, From low calorie munchies to tastes from around the world, you can find a snack box subscription for just about any taste.
4. Listen Up!
Look in almost any author's laptop case and you'll find at least one pair of earbuds. They're great for blocking out the sound when you work at the coffee shop or around noisy children. Give the gift of one great pair of upscale earbuds or headphones, or get a rainbow collection of less expensive ones that your author won't mind forgetting at Starbucks.
5. Picture, Please
All authors are marketers now, and the odds are good that your favorite author is scrounging around the internet on the regular, searching for that perfect picture for her next Facebook ad. Give the gift of time and convenience by giving her a block of 100 photos from Photobucket, Depositphotos, or one of the wide variety of stock photo sites you can find online.
6. Home Away From Home
Every author eventually needs a website. If your favorite writer is just starting out, he probably doesn't have one yet. Stake his claim on the internet by buying a handful of domain names that fit in with his author name and book genres. They're generally inexpensive, so you can get creative with the collection.
7. A Working Vacation
If your author's been dreaming about going to a certain writer's conference, why not give the trip as a gift. As a bonus, many of these conferences are held in enjoyable cities that you'd probably enjoy, as well. Make it a working vacation and you can spend part of the time doing your own thing right along with her.
Keep the Faith and may the Force be with you!