Tag Archive | authors

Time to start Christmas shopping?

As a writer, what do I think about at Christmas time to buy everyone?

Well, the natural thing would of course be… books. But then that’s what everyone expects me to give, so I can’t. Besides, according to all contracts from publishers, the few free copies the authors get are supposed to be given away as promo to potential buyers, not freebies to friends and relatives.

My next thought is, a reading device, like a Kindle or a Kobo. But truthfully, almost everyone on my Christmas list already has one. So I can’t. Besides, if I did, I’d be tempted to load it up with my own books, which hopefully all my friends and family have already read. Besides, you can download the Kindle reader app onto your phone, if you really want to read a book on your phone. Which I don’t.

Or, how about a remote keyboard that syncs with a cell phone. Everyone has a cell phone, right? But then again, no one I know, except a few other writers, need to type long things into their phones that would make a separate keyboard worthwhile, so I can’t. Although it sure is cool to have a keyboard that works with a phone. Except, one more thing to carry in our purses that we don’t use every day. Plus the time it takes to connect, especially when you haven’t used it for a while. (But it’s still cool!)

Then the next thought, buying a pass/ticket to a really cool event – like the next writers’ conference. Learn lots of stuff, meet cool people, schmooze with authors. Get autographs. Oh wait. My friends schmooze with me, and it’s probably not that exciting. And not everyone things attending classes and workshops is fun. Never mind that idea.

Oh well. I guess there’s always Starbucks gift cards…