2019 Gifts for Writers and Readers

Writers and readers can be hard to buy for. I know I am! My family has completely given up on giving books to me in favor of giving gift cards to bookstores. But if you'd like to get a little more creative for the writer in your life this holiday season, or if you'd like to drop a hint that perhaps you don't need another fancy pen this year, here are some ideas of gifts for writers and readers.

[As a quick side note, these gifts for writers are things we at WD actually enjoy, use, or have on our own wish lists. A few items do use affiliate links, but we are were not paid to recommend any of these.]

I discovered this planner on a recent trip to a nearby bookstore. I was drawn in by the texture of the paper but then I saw it didn’t have specific dates on the pages and loved it even more. It’s perfect for writers who need a method of planning out goals but who haven’t started on a specific day of a specific month or year. Choose your own starting point and track your progress.

Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Get writing tips, inspiration, and prompts from 100 years of the WD magazine archives with this page-a-day calendar. It’s perfect for a stocking stuffer and keeps giving all year long.

Barnes & Noble | Books a Million | Amazon

The cards are color coded in increasing levels of difficulty but even better, they start with a general prompt on the front and then have variations and ways to take the prompt even further on the back.

IndieBound | Barnes & Noble | Books a Million | Amazon

I joined the Book of the Month Club this time last year and let me tell you, I have not been disappointed. I really wondered how they survive on their business model ($14.99 for one hardcover book per month with free shipping) but after a few months, I solved the riddle. The options each month are so interesting I almost always add an extra book or two to my box at $9.99 a pop. And this year, I’m giving a subscription to my cousin. As my favorite writing advice goes, “To be a better writer, be a good reader,” and there’s no easier way than BOTM.

Find out about gift subscriptions here.

In case you haven’t heard, 2020 is WD’s 100th anniversary and we have a year of exciting things in the works. From expanded issues, to exclusive content from the archives, to events that are bigger and better than ever, be the first to read it all, along with the writing instruction you’ve known and loved for decades with a subscription to the magazine.

Give a gift subscription here.

One of the most exciting days of my childhood was the day I got my very own library card. It was deep maroon with white lettering and I took great pride in signing it in my newly-learned cursive. It felt like I had the world at my fingertips. One of the best things about libraries is that they’re open to everyone, but some, like the Mercantile Library in Cincinnati offer special programming for paid members.

This most trusted guide to getting published is hot off the presses and ready to help you find an agent or publisher. Read Robert Lee Brewer’s editor’s letter here.

IndieBound | Barnes & Noble | Books a Million | Amazon

There is little that's worse than trying to type (or concentrate on what you’re trying to write) with cold hands. These gloves, developed by Ben Sobieck, author of two WD books (The Writer’s Guide to Weapons and The Writer’s Guide to Wattpad), solve that problem.

Most of us don’t have bookshelves that look as welcoming and atmospheric as the ones on this pendant. But when you put on this necklace, you can imagine you do. Plus, that color palette would match so many outfits!

Pin this up in your writing space for when you need inspiration writing a zinger, or when you need to shout your frustration at rejection letter—just don’t send these as an actual reply!

This online shop is a book-lover’s dream. Although I have my favorites (hello, bookstore cat coffee mug), give a gift card so the reader or writer in your life can pick what most speaks to them.

From Friday, November 29 though Monday, December 2, 2019, use coupon code FRIDAY19 to save 10% on all WDU courses. We highly recommend Fundamentals of Fiction and Getting Started in Writing but you'll find plenty more on different topics and at various levels of advancement.

When it comes to writing a manuscript, many writers swear by the organizing and reorganizing capabilities of Scrivener software. Give that gift to the writer in your life.

If you’re the kind of person who likes to learn at your own pace or if you have a wide variety of writing interests, a subscription to WD Tutorials is the perfect gift. Subscribe on a per month or yearly basis and get access to ALL 391 (as of this writing) videos. Plus, between November 29-December 2, 2019, use coupon code FRI2019 to save 25% of whichever membership you prefer.

Save 50% on almost everything* in the WD Shop using the coupon code BFRIDAY19 November 29-December 2, 2019. (*2nd Draft products are excluded.)

In WD’s upcoming interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Andrew Sean Greer (look out for our March 2020 issue!), he said he'll stay in a friend’s house to write while they’re out of town just for a change of scenery. If paying for a full writer’s retreat is out of your price range, consider giving an Airbnb gift card—the recipient can use it near or far. Snag one anywhere gift cards are sold.

Writer’s Digest will offer 2 conferences in 2020: Our Annual Conference in New York City August 13-16 and our Novel Writing Conference October 22-25 in Pasadena, California. Simply call or email our conference customer service representative and she’ll get you set up with whatever amount for whichever conference makes the most sense! (Please note, our office is closed November 28-December 1, 2019 so we can celebrate Thanksgiving with our friends and families.)