Recently, on Instagram we have been discussion how to create a catchy novel title. It appears to be a very personal decision. Some people can’t name their novel until they have finished whereas I can’t start my novel until I have a name for it. Although, as you will see,my ‘working’ titles are not set in stone.
Here is a collection of some of the covers I have created for my debut novel over the years (there are more). I am now going with Ocean Heart.
Originally my book was called Drift. You will also notice one called Wipeout. At one point my novel was two books but during a brutal edit, I cut loads and they became one.
In 2019, I tore my novel apart (again), deleted loads and added new content. It changed so much since the first draft, I renamed it Jewel of the sea.
My novel is now set for a new venture as I enter the world of Self Publishing. Now, I am paying for editors and working with other professionals to take my novel to print. As a result I have renamed my novel again. The new title is Ocean Heart.
I have no idea what the new cover will look like. Once I finish my current edit and know the final word count, I will instruct a professional cover designer. But for now… edits.
The book starts with a short prologue that helps to set the world building. It introduces the way the royal family is set up and religious belief system with the gods. Instantly you know that this is another world.
The first chapter jumps in with action and quickly introduces the main characters and their personality. We quickly get a sense of Shalitha’s free spirit and how she feels constrained by the rules in place to protect her. I loved the start so much. The way it was written was so vivid, I could see it in my head playing out like a movie.
Middle
A lot happens in this novel. There are loads of plot twists throwing in things I hadn’t anticipated me. Watching the conspiracies unravel, kept me turning the page to the end.
I won’t give too much away but there are lots of people conspiring against the crown. One traitor manages to capture Shalitha and things get quite dark. This was really well written and I felt her pain, desperation and fear.
Don’t worry, Shalitha is no dainty princess. She trains alongside the palace guards and knows her own mind. It is her feisty spirit that often gets her injured but without it she would probably be dead.
The best part of the middle is the slow burning romance between Shalitha and Talnova. Due to their positions in the palace they both have to take care. It makes their actions believable and I was rooting for them all the way.
The Ending
If you are hoping for a big battle, you have got it. It didn’t end how I expected though and left me needing the next book.
Final Thoughts
I need to read the next book in the series (hurry up Kara). For some reason I thought the book would have more magic than it does. It is really well written and there are lots of good plots within this story. This novel is not predictable and well worth a read.
I feel so honoured to get to share with you a behind the scenes of Number Eight Crispy Chicken, a novel by Sara Neofield. Here is the book trailer:
What inspired you to write Number Eight Crispy Chicken?
I was inspired to pick up writing again after a long hiatus when I was stranded in an airport due to a cancelled flight. The resultant book – about a hotel inspector – was terrible, but it rekindled my love of writing.
The next time I was stranded in an airport, I wrote about the experience, and wondered what character might benefit from being in that situation. That’s when I hit upon the idea of an immigration minister, trapped in an airport.
Sarah Neofield with Number Eight Crispy Chicken
For years, the right to seek asylum and the fair, compassionate treatment of asylum seekers has been an interest of mine. But in my conversations with others, I found there were other, competing stories out there, which demonised those seeking refuge. To my dismay, otherwise kind, decent people seemed to believe the narratives peddled by those in power who seek to divide us.
The overall goal of my writing is to use humour to get readers to engage with the kinds of topics that are hugely important, but which we might otherwise ignore. Sometimes the world’s problems can seem insurmountable. Like there’s nothing we can do, so why even bother.
That’s why hearing that someone read my book, and changed their mind even a little about, for example, treating our fellow human beings with compassion, brings me great joy.
You enjoy travelling – which countries have you enjoyed visiting most?
Since leaving my job as a university lecture a few years ago, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit sixty different countries. Every single one has taught me something.
I think every country has its strengths that others could learn from – I especially love visiting unique museums that teach you something about one aspect of a place in depth, like the rainwater ‘theme park’ in India, or the butter museum in Ireland.
Choosing one or two places I’ve enjoyed visiting most is really hard, but Japan always holds a special place in my heart since I spent a year on exchange there when I was growing up, and I love to go back and visit my “second family”.
What genre is Number Eight Crispy Chicken this and do you read similar books?
I would consider Number Eight Crispy Chicken to be a sort of literary, satirical book, or perhaps even a social novel. I can’t say I’ve read any books exactly like it (which is why I had to write it!) but I was inspired by the works of Robert Tressell, Margaret Atwood, Charles Dickens, and Kurt Vonnegut.
One early reader told me Number Eight Crispy Chicken reminded her of 1984, which of course thrilled me! In terms of humour, I love British comedic writing (I’m a big fan of Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, and of course, PG Wodehouse!)
How long did this novel take from the first idea to publishing?
From the moment I started tapping out words in the airport hotel which bears a striking semblance to the one Peter enjoys, to the release date of January 2020, three years, almost to the day!
Why did you choose to self publish?
I have wanted to be an author ever since I can remember. When I started school, my class was tasked with creating fabric representations of ourselves in the future for a quilt. I created a rather detailed rendition of myself as an author, painstakingly drawing in all of the individual pages in the stack of books my future self had apparently written. Unfortunately, one of the mums helping the class deemed it ‘too fiddly’ to cut out of cotton, and suggested something easier, like a checkout operator at Target instead.
As things go, I didn’t end up working at Target (which is probably a good thing, considering the only Target in my hometown closed down!). But I did end up writing a book. Several, actually.
After completing my PhD in Linguistics, I wrote and edited a number of academic books, book chapters, and journal articles. While I still love research, my heart was still with fiction, which was why, after a number of years of hard-core saving and investing, when my husband and I finally quit our jobs to travel the world, I returned to my first love, creative writing.
As for why I became an indie author specifically… Like many authors, I began by sending my manuscript out to publishers. I knew I didn’t want to send my work to a large publisher from the start, but I became increasingly uncomfortable with the idea of even a small publisher having control over my work as time went on. While I completely respect the work of those in the publishing industry, I wanted to write something a bit different. It was a feeling I’d experienced before, and I knew that I had to be brave and go down the indie path.
Number Eight Crispy Chicken released 20 January 2020
Please share a snippet “teaser” of your novel?
Peter shoved his way to the front of the queue, and with a flash of his Priority Clearance card, tossed his luggage onto the belt. As the X-ray machine swallowed his bag, airport security eyed Peter’s cardboard tube. ‘You’ll have to open that up,’ the agent prodded at the sticky-taped plastic lid.
‘It’s just plans.’
‘Government regulation.’
Peter peeled off the tape, his stubby fingernails scraping against virgin cardboard. The plastic lid popped, like on a bottle of soda.‘See?’
‘You’ll have to remove the contents.’
‘This is ridiculous!’ The new security measures meant Peter had needed to arrive a full three hours early to be metal detected, swabbed, patted down, and sniffed. Surely his Priority Clearance status should afford him better treatment. He’d have to ask Percy when he got back to the office.
‘Government regulation,’ the agent repeated, bearing his yellowed, broken teeth, rivered with cracks. The sight almost made Peter wish he hadn’t voted against the Dental Care Act.
I’ve got a number of projects on the go (I’ve always been a hopeless multitasker!) but the project I’m most excited about is called Propaganda Wars.
Propaganda Wars is about cousins who, growing up in a city separated by ideology, split into two opposing countries by a formidable wall, one day meet – and how they perceive life on the other side.
It’s inspired in part by my travels through the former Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and modern-day socialist Asia – countries which, when I was born, were out of reach – and in part by the surreal world of today’s fake news, ‘reality’ shows, ‘social’ media and hyper consumerism, and the firewalls and bubbles of today’s internet landscape.
What is a typical day in the life of author Sarah?
Since leaving my job to travel, my ‘typical day’ is really quite variable, but it usually involves budget accommodation, finding something to cook, learning to speak or at least read a bit of the language around me, and sometimes, a long-distance bus or train trip.
I enjoy reading and writing (of course!) but also exploring in my travels – both usual sightseeing activities, and exploring abandoned places. To date, some of my favourite explorations have been an abandoned theme park, tuberculosis hospital, bobsleigh track, and an airplane graveyard.
Tell us an interesting fact about your novel?
I read over a hundred books, articles and websites in order to research Number Eight Crispy Chicken. While the story is light-hearted, and the characters and institutions depicted are entirely fictitious, the policies and events presented are sadly grounded in real life. (You can find out more at https://www.sarahneofield.com/resources/)
Where can we buy it and find out more about you?
Number Eight Crispy Chicken is available on Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, B&N and Apple.
You can find out more about me on my website sarahneofield.com where you’ll find a free sample of the book, reading guide, and resources.
I can’t remember when I downloaded this book. It was just there on my Kindle, unread. It was like finding a hidden treasure. It became the perfect companion to read during the late night feeds with Aria.
The Beginning
The novel quickly sets up the scene of the three main crowds. It is told told from two points of view, Hannah’s and Cody’s.
Hannah attends a private school. She is only able to go due to a scholarship she achieved thanks to her high grades. She works hard to keep her place and never breaks the rules.
Then there is the ‘it’ crowd made up of the rich kids of the most influential families. Cody was once part of this crowd but following the scandal where his pregnant high school sweet heart died in a drink driving accident, he is now an out cast.
Hannah realises she is going to finish school without ever doing anything wild or having a boyfriend. She sets her sights on Harrison, the high school king and famous for his exclusive parties. To get invited you need to be given a key.
The Middle
Considering that Cody knows the ‘it’ crowd but is no longer part of it, she singles him out to ask for his help. Cody tries to talk her out of her plan. He warns her the clique are not nice people but when Hannah resolves to blackmail him, he decides she might fit right in.
Hannah thinks Cody is a safe perfect practice boyfriend because there is no way she would fall for him. Cody teaches her the rules of the elite and helps her practice her kissing. Cody is rich and even pays for her to have a full makeover and wardrobe upgrade.
Cody pretends to be her boyfriend. To keep up the pretence they have to spend a lot of time together. They have their first kiss and more. Cody continues to help Hannah to get noticed by the ‘it’ crowd and it works.
Now Hannah is being invited to hang out with the girls eager to gossip about Cody. They want her to see the monster he is as they blame him for the death of their friend. Being in the spotlight attracts the attention of Harrison and it looks like Hannah is going to get her wish.
The End
Hannah discovers that money, popularity and wealth isn’t as glamorous as she anticipated. She discovers some ugly truths but is it too late to make things right?
Final Thoughts
I absolutely loved this book. I wanted Aria to wake up in the night for her milk so I could read some more. It was fast paced. I loved the world building. The twisted ‘it’ crowd reminded me of Cruel Intentions. I love the misunderstandings and conflict between the two and the relationship was believable.
Both characters were well developed and I really liked both of them – which is a tricky thing to do in dual points. I would definitely be interested in reading more by Christina Benjamin,
This post will share my ambition to traditionally publish and why that dream has changed to wanting to be an indie author.
The Traditional Author Dream
For years my dream was to be a published author. From the moment I realised someone wrote the story I was reading, I wanted to be that someone.
Back then, the only way to publish was to look inside a similar book for the contact details of the publisher and send your manuscript to them with a covering letter in the post.
Since then, things have changed. Many publishers won’t accept unsolicited manuscripts so you first need to get a Literary Agent. Most places won’t accept manuscripts by post so you now must send the document by email or using a form on their website. Their websites inform you of everything they want and don’t want. Most places now want:
A polished manuscript
A personalised covering letter (body of email) saying why you choose them
A synopsis (that fits on one page)
Comparative novels
A pitch
A marketing plan
And social media links.
Sounds like a lot! And often you need a good pitch to even get invited to send all that to them in the first place.
That’s not to add that rejection is high.
The Different Publishing Paths
As a result, it is no surprise that people have come up with solutions to this madness. One alternative method is to self publish and another is vanity publishing.
Here is a little info graphic on the basic differences between the different paths for novel publishing (from my interpretation):
Vanity Publishing is not for me. I don’t have the upfront costs and I want more control.
Traditional Publishing is no longer for me. I have a lot of admiration for people that are fortunate enough to get their Literary Agent and publisher. It instantly gives their novel validation that it is good enough to print. And, you know that it will have been processed by a number of industry professionals before going to print. But, I’m bored of querying.
Ready to publish
I have waited long enough and now I realise I don’t need someone else to say yes when I can give myself permission to publish today.
Con Artists
In recent years, the only requests I have had have been from ‘publishers’ I don’t trust. They requested my novel after a pitch event or via Instagram. Their websites were newly created and had no details about authors or books they have worked on/with or even who the agents or editors at the company are. I passed.
Costs
It has taken me years to find the money to pay for an editor myself. I need to pay as you go. I also like the idea that the sales will go to me.
Autonomy
After all the time I have put into it, I want my novel to be the way I want it. I want a say over the formatting and the cover. I want control.
Readership
I don’t want this to be my only novel. It is important that my novel is a quality product. I want to be confident and proud of my book. I want readers to enjoy it and want more. Once I publish, I don’t want to stop.
Self publishing is scary. But, I’m ready. And, I hope you will enjoy following me in my journey to publication.
I can’t believe it has been 10 years since I first wrote my novel. I’ve written countless other novels but this one I felt had potential. This one, I decided to take seriously.
2009 and 2010
It was Christmas 2009 and I was off work for the holidays when the idea for a novel, about a redhead teen with no idea she is a mermaid discovers she has powers, hit me. I wanted it to be like a modern Little Mermaid.
Once I sat at my PC and started to write I was unable to stop. Without an outline, it was like I was possessed, I struggled to sleep, to eat… I felt anxious if I wasn’t writing Drift.
My fiancé got worried. He saw the sudden change in me and urged me to take a break, to visit family.
But, I couldn’t not write. So I lied to appease him. Pretended to go out, then sneaked back once he had gone to see his own family. It was like having a secret wiring affair. But after an intense week, the first 60k words were written.
I share my novel with anyone willing to read it. My novel was on WeBook where I developed a supportive group of fans. They were a huge confidence boost and we had our own little group to chat about my stories!
It is laughable now but I edited my novel in 2010 and started querying. Surprisingly, I did get some requests. It is surprisingly because now I look back at that early version and see how it wasn’t finished. At the time, I thought it was ready.
My fan had some valuable feedback for me, “You can’t end the story like that!” At first, I saw that as excitement for the next book in the series and began writing Wipeout, but slowly it dawned on me that they were right.
Promise and Deliver
I learnt an important lesson. Readers will develop certain expectations of your story and you must deliver on those.
Version 1 ended with Jace winking at Fern and there being the ‘suggestion’ they were about to get together. But, fans had read for 60k words. They wanted to see Fern achieve her happily ever after and a ‘wink’ was not the grande finale they had invested their time for.
2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Early 2011, I was distracted by wedding preparations as my June wedding date got nearer. Then, I desperately wanted a baby. We were also trying to move house and the recession meant the value of my home was dropping every month, loosing the equity needed to move.
But 2013, we sold our house, bought a lovely family home and I had my son. With everything falling into place I would like to say I returned to my novel… but my baby boy was the biggest distraction of all.
Stupidly I thought being off work with a baby would free me up to write more but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Noah was not a chilled out baby. I spent his first year keeping up with his hunger, entertaining him and sleeping whenever I could.
Have realistic expectations
Sadly WeBook was no longer the thriving community it once was. All my fans had moved on, possibly grown up, and I had lost them through inactivity. I had to find a new source of feedback. I joined Movella, Figment and Wattpad.
Wattpad became my new favourite. I began editing Drift and Wipeout and shared other novels and created some poetry collections.
For Drift, I changed the ending so Lily (formerly Fern) is asked out by Jace (formerly Sam). I removed the parts by Denny (Jace’s mum) – she gave an outsider perspective of Lily’s unusual upbringing.
Th sequel Wipeout was also told from Lily’s viewpoint and had a few part’s told by Kiara – she was able to show what was going on with Murray. The sequel wasn’t coming to me as easy as Drift had and I was falling in love with Kiara…
2017 and 2018
2017 started with my employer going into administration. I had worked for the company for over 10 years. It scared me, not knowing where my next pay cheque would come from. With bills to pay, I had to find work fast and job hunting became my new priority.
Once I found a job, I felt a little disappointed in myself. I felt I had wasted an opportunity to spend time with my son as I now worked more hours. I realised how I wasn’t prioritising my dream. My profession is a job, not my passion.
Make it a priority
Whilst job hunting, I thought HR and PR work looked appealing but didn’t have the knowledge employers wanted. So in September 2017, I told my employer I was interested in doing the CIPD HR qualification and to my surprise they were willing to support me. I learnt, if you don’t ask the answer will never be yes.
In November 2017, I found out I was pregnant. I was over the moon and in a much better place.
Passing my course, doing well in my job and having a baby were all super important. But, I no longer wanted to treat writing as a hobby. I knew how busy my life would be once Aria was here so I became determined to edit and query before her arrival. My goal was to be signed by an agent by August 2018 (Aria’s due date).
I learnt knew ways to query. I developed my pitch and took part in Twitter events, I found out about Agent 1-2-1s and worked on improving my synopsis. Despite getting requests, I never got offered representation.
In 2018, I edited Drift by removing the parts told by Gwyn (Lily’s mum) – she did some foretelling using her crystal ball. I also decided to scrap Wipeout. I took parts from the sequel and put it into Drift, Glide or cut it out completely.
2019
My goal was to finish editing Drift and Glide. I began by restructure my novel using Save The Cat Writes a Novel. It started off a a way to check my plot and pacing but it soon became apparent that I needed to pull the whole novel a part. It was very intimidating but by the end I had a better novel and a brand new ending. Now there was the highs and lows, romance and I had delivered on the promise of an epic battle. This novel was so different from my original idea of a modern Little Mermaid and I needed a new title, Jewel of the Sea. I also renamed Glide as Diamond in the Sky.
I tried new ways of querying my novel. I pitched on Twitter and in person and got requests but sadly never heard more. Although, I still love the idea of traditional publishing, I have spent the year learning about indie publishing.
I discovered the writing community on Instagram and joined groups like Hustling Writers, Fellow Creative Minds and World Indie Warriors. I also connected with talented authors like Pagan Malcolm and Bethany Atazadeh who share their journey and advice.
Connecting with indie authors gave me insight into their world and processes. No longer did their world scare me, but intrigued me. With their support and encouragement I decided not to spend another decade waiting for someone else to give me permission to publish.
Say yes to yourself!
The problem with querying is you are waiting for someone else to say you can publish. They can say no for countless reasons and rarely have time to explain why. The truth is you don’t need their validation because you can give it to yourself.
You no longer have to traditionally publish. If you are willing to work hard, you can choose your own team and publish yourself. With so many crooks masquerading in the traditional publishing world, it is a mine field to navigate now (I’m sure I had requests from at least three dodgy publishers, I didn’t submit to in 2019 alone).
After ten years writing and querying Jewel of the Sea (formerly Drift), I have decided to Self Publish.
2020
This year is the start of a new era. This year, I am going to publish. It won’t be easy and I have lots still to learn but I’m ready.
Jewel of the Sea is due back this month from a developmental editor. This is my the first step in my big publishing plan.
Celebrate your milestones
To celebrate this new venture, I feel Jewel of the Sea, aka Drift, needs a new name.
I have set myself some strict deadline to keep myself on track but I I won’t rush to publish. I have waited so long for this, I want to be certain my novel is a quality product when I put it out there. I want my readers to love it.
I will blog about my publishing journey, so if you are interested in the process, stay tuned. I would love to hear your thoughts on the new title Ocean Heart.
Do you write Book Reviews? If so, good for you. Reviews not only help readers make more informed choices on their next read but it also support authors.
I don’t get much time to read. I’m constantly surrounded by distractions. But, I wanted that to change. So last year, I set my target low at 6 books.
There were times I feared 6 books was ambitious and it highlighted how little time I get. As I actively tried to combat it, I found more time to read. By the end of 2019 I had exceeded my goal.
I took my son to the library to exchange his books (or renewal and get more books). Whilst he was struggling with the dilemma of choosing his new books and returning books he loves, my husband pointed this book out to me. I have always wanted to write a novel about faeries so this was to be a fun read and research into how someone else has done it.
The MC is a boy called Ethan Chase. I don’t read many books with a male protagonist so this was a refreshing change and it was done well. Skip to my final thoughts it you don’t want any spoilers.
Beginning
Ethan is aware fae exist and has a troubled past with them. In the opening chapters he shares how they are dangerous and the result of their interference in his life has lead to him being expelled from schools and blamed for a fire he didn’t cause.
Ethan is starting another new school. On his first day, he stands up for a boy being bullied, Todd. Nobody else can see that Todd has long furry ears but it is because he is a half-fae. Ethan doesn’t want to be friends with Todd as he distances himself from all fae. He also doesn’t like Todd’s wee fairy companion.
Ethan also attracts the attention of Mackenzie, who wants to interview him for the school paper. He tries to push Mackenzie away as anybody that gets close to him always gets hurt but she is persistent.
Middle
A deadly new type of fairy are consuming fae and half-fae. Todd asks for Ethan’s help. At first Ethan doesn’t want to get involved but he takes pity and agrees. Unfortunately, Todd is taken and now the creatures are coming after Ethan. Ethan is at a martial arts tournament where Mackenzie is trying to get his story but during the tournament the deadly fae come for him. Nobody else can see them. Ethan runs. Mackenzie follows.
Ethan needs to keep Mackenzie safe. He makes a choice to use a special object his sister gave him to transport into the fae world. They are greeted by a cat, Grimalkin, who knows the way to the Iron Kingdom where his sister, Meghan, is queen. The journey is dangerous but when they arrive his sister wants to keep him safe. They are sent to a room to ‘rest’ but feels more like prison. When Ethan and Mackenzie get the opportunity to escape with the help of Keirran.
On their mission to rescue Todd, there are a lot of truths uncovered which I won’t go into. Their are fights. There were some very interesting characters along the way. I liked Kierran’s love interest and the exiled queen and the cheeky little gremlin.
They travel to the earth and are attacked again. They manage to escape to the in-between and learn how serious the problem is. They visit Hyde Park to follow a lead but things get worse for the gang when the nephew is taken prisoner.
Something I really enjoyed was the slow burning romance between the Ethan and Mackenzie. There is plenty of conflict between them and good reasons why they hold back. I couldn’t wait for them to get together.
The Ending
The build up to a battle where Ethan has to save his friends (and nephew) was worth it. There were also some reveals that I hadn’t seen coming and I liked that the supporting characters were well developed too.
Finally Thoughts…
There were a few times Ethan annoyed me. He blames himself for Todd being kidnapped but I didn’t really see why it was his fault, after all, Todd was a fairy and hung around with the fae. Ethan made it clear that doing that meant trouble was inevitable. I got that he felt responsible for what happened to Mackenzie but she wouldn’t leave him alone. She did bring it on herself too.
What I loved was how all the characters were well developed. You could easily tell who was speaking and they all had rich backstories. There were plenty of magical creatures and I loved the world building especially the ‘in-between’ world.
I hadn’t realised the book was part of a series (it’s book 5 in the Iron Fey series). I was really pleased when I discovered that as I wanted to read more. I wonder if some of the things that didn’t click with me is because I need to read the other books. For example, I want to know more about Meghan and why she is the Iron Queen and why Ethan holds so much resentment for the Iron Fey.
I love being part of World Indie Warriors. They have been one of the highlights of my 2019. The members are incredibly supportive and creative. They have encouraged me to push myself to try new things and above all, believe in myself.
We have been chatting online for a while. We meet via video on Zoom. And, some of us have even met up in person. Together we are developing a community on Facebook to support more Indie Creatives.
One of the projects we are working on is to create a brochure with products by Indie Creatives. We want to make discovering products and books by indie creatives easy. The brochure can be downloaded or printed, and is accessible to anyone interested
We needed someone to create the brochure. Guess who volunteered? Me!
It was a bigger project than I anticipated. I had to juggle it around my other commitments and doing NaNoWriMo, but I pulled the first copy together in time for the deadline.
The December edition is another great resource for gifts during the Holiday season. You can discover the brochure on the World Indie Warriors website. Please visit: https://worldindiewarriors.wordpress.com.
We welcome all indie creatives and want to support each other. If you are self-published, an artist, a musician or any type of creator, pop along and find out what we are all about. You won’t be disappointed!
We also want to connect with small businesses that provide services to support indie creatives. We love getting to know book bloggers and product reviewers.
People say I’m hard to buy for but its codswallop! I’m passionate about my writing making gift buying a doddle… if you understand what writers want.
If you are looking for ideas to gift the writer in your life you’ve come to the right place.
Stationery
Writers can never have enough notepads, and pens. They are easy to buy for all budgets and tastes.
Under the Rowan Tree: This fabulous little indie store has a wide range of stationery. You can sign up to the subscription box (the gift that keeps giving) or buy a previous box, box of the month or a gift set taking the guess work out of what to get.
Ellen Bee Makes: There are plenty of lovely stores on Etsy where you can buy handmade custom gifts. Ellen’s store sells lots of crafty bits but specialise in stickers. These are great if your writer keeps a planner, diary or needs some ‘fun’ motivation to get organised.
Bookish
This had to make the list because writing and reading pretty much goes hand in hand. You could buy a bookmark, book light, book thumb, book stand or book holder.
Euphemia Bloom Books: For a truly beautiful and unique gift, check out this store for book sleeves. These are the most stylish way to keep a book safe from getting damaged in your bag.
Amazon Gift Voucher: With a range of options for different needs and occasions, Amazon couldn’t have made it easier to gift book money. The voucher can be used on anything! Or, if they have a Kindle (or the app), you can gift them Kindle Unlimited giving access to over a million books for free.
Goodreads: Okay, this is not a shop but if you are really smart, check out your writer’s account to discover which books are on their wish list and surprise them. Keep receipts encase they have already been bought – book lovers have a habit of buying books… a lot.
Keep Warm
Some people think socks are boring but when I am busy writing I can lose track of time and my feet get cold. I’m always grateful for socks. Other great ideas are slippers and finger-less gloves to keep writers toasty.
Zazzle: The fuel of most writers is caffeine. It keeps their imagination alive. Support their creativity with a quirky writers mug or thermal flask (for writers on the go).
The Literary Tea Company: This company has blended tea to match popular books. They even have a collection of book inspired diffuses that can be used with any loose tea. There is bound to be (or not to be) a tea to peak the interest of any literary fanatic.
Self Care
Writers often cram writing into every spare minute of their day, pushing out unnecessary things like eating, sleeping and taking care of themselves. Force your writer to stop. Buy them an experience to get them to take a break.
Spa Day: Find a spa that is nearby and buy them a spa package. Force them to relax for at least half a day. The relaxation will rejuvenate them and they’ll return home with a whole new novel plotted out.
Able and Cole: You can gift your writer a recipe box or one of the other organic boxes . This will encourage them to eat healthy (not just a pot noodle or toast). There is plenty of choice from fruit, veg, fish, meat, smoothies, soups, slow cook, chocolate, hampers or the essentials. Check you know their dietary restrictions.
Digital Gifts
Today’s writer needs to keep up with technology. If they publish they will be expected to market themselves and although typewriters are beautiful they are not practical.
Kindle: This is the most popular eReader for a reason. Many writers have the app on their phone but it’s nice to have a tablet. If they already have one, you could look at getting them a case to keep it safe.
USB Flash Drive: Back it up, back it up. Many writers have learnt the hard way the importance of saving their work to multiple places. This is a very practical gift that could protect the writer a lot of misery if their computer/laptop dies.
I hope the above ideas have helped you come up with the perfect gift but if you need more ideas please check out my posts from last year (low/big budget).
Low Budget
Gift ideas for anyone looking for non-expensive gifts. Perfect for stocking fillers, secret Santa, or ‘just because’ gifts (click image below).
High Budget
Wow! Can I be your writer friend. This is the more extravagant list with big price tag ideas for when you want to splurge (click image below).
World Indie Warriors Brochure
More details coming soon. This catalogue is one to look out for. It is packed full of products to buy from indie creatives and gifts writers will love. I’ll write a post about it soon.
