Finding The Perfect Gift For The Writer On Your List

Let's start with the simple things. I love these greeting cards/bookmarks. They're great and designed to go with any book, genre, etc. The cards are $3.95 each and you can buy them from retailers or from the company's online store.
(http://www.inmybook.net/inmybook.htm)

Literary Calligraphy: This "All American Note Card Assortment" blends watercolor images with text from American writers. See these beautiful note cards at http://www.literarycalligraphy.com/stationery/allamericards.html.

Women Writers Journal from Library of Congress - $12.00 (http://www.loc.gov/shop/) They also have a women writers tote for $24.00. The women writers featured are Gertrude Stein, Louisa May Alcott, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Virginia Woolf, Emily Dickinson, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Jane Austen, Phyllis Wheatley, Charlotte Bronte, Mary Shelley and Sylvia Plath.

Submission Trackers: There are several versions of submission trackers. Most also offer a free demonstration. I'm sure any of them would be beneficial. See these to determine which might best suit your writer's needs.

1) Power Tracker (http://www.write-brain.com/power_tracker_main.htm) – Features include automatic follow-up reminders and searchable notes.

2) Quick Query Tracker (http://www.worldwidefreelance.com/qqt/) – Includes backup feature and ability to save favorite market details.

3) Write That Down (http://www.writerssupercenter.com/writethatdown/) – Features automatic letter of inquiry generator and resume of published work.

4) Luminary Writer's Database (http://www.luminarypub.com/services/writersdb/) – This is an online database and it's f*ree. The service allows you to keep track of submissions, acceptances, rejections, amount of money earned, etc.

5) SwiftTrack for Manuscripts (http://www.swifttechsoftware.com/tracking.htm) – Features 14 different types of reports.

Writing Books:

1) Writer’s Market is always a popular choice. (http://www.fwbookstore.com/) You can now get a deluxe version that includes access to the Writer’s Market online database. If your writer has a specialty, you can get Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market; Songwriter’s Market; Photographer’s Market; Poet’s Market; and Artist’s and Graphic Designer’s Markets.

2) If the writer you’re buying for is considering self-publishing, Dan Poynter’s book, The Self-Publishing Manual, will get him/her on the right track. (http://www.parapublishing.com)

3) If your favorite writer already has a book in print, consider John Kremer’s 1001 Ways to Market Your Books. (http://www.bookmarketing.com) Other good books on the subject include Publicize Your Book by Jacqueline Deval; Shameless Self-Promotion by Debbie Allen; and Guerilla Marketing for Writers by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman and Michael Lar.

4) A freelance writer? Some good options include The Renegade Writer by Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell; How to Write Irresistible Query Letters by Lisa Collier Cool; Feminine Wiles: Creative Techniques for Writing Women's Features Stories That Sell by Donna Elizabeth Boetig; and Facts in a Flash by Ellen Metter.

5) If your favorite writer is a budding Hollywood screen writer, you might want to get him/her The Complete Book of Scriptwriting by J. Michael Straczynski; The Screenwriter’s Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting and Selling Your Script, by David Trottier; 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters: Insider’s Secrets from Hollywood’s Top Writers; or Power Screenwriting: The 12 Stages of Story Development by Michael Chase Walker.

If all else fails, pens, pretty stationery and/or gift certificates to booksellers, office supply stores and computer stores are always welcome!