Holiday Gift Guide for the Bibliophile In Your Life
The holidays are always a fun season of love and togetherness, but sometimes they can feel a bit overwhelming. Finding the perfect gift for the people you love most feels like it should be the easiest task in the world, but oftentimes identifying the perfect gift for someone can feel almost impossible. What can you give someone you love that not only lets them know you love them, but also offers them something they want but didn’t just buy for themselves earlier in the year? It’s a tricky needle to thread, and giving every bibliophile in your life the library from Beauty and the Beast is just impractical. So we’re here with a quick gift guide for those of you who have book lovers in your life.
I. A Gift Card to Self-Publishing Services
Okay, we know this one has a whiff of some self-promotion, but this might be the perfect gift for the writer with dreams of being published. A gift card with SPS doesn’t just mean that you’re essentially paying for someone to format their book and slap it online. A gift card with us means you’re helping them assemble a team of professionals that can use their skills and experience in the publishing industry to help craft, edit, and format their book in the best way possible, create a stunning cover, help navigate marketing, and even assist with the more arcane aspects of publishing like ISBNs and BISACs. In short, it takes out the scary and confusing parts of self-publishing, gives them a support team, and makes the dream of publication become an achievable goal. That sounds like a pretty happy holiday to us!
II. Special Editions of Their Favorite Book
If you’re not a book lover, this might not make a ton of sense. You might read that and think to yourself, “A special edition of their favorite book? Don’t they already own a copy?” And you’re right, they probably do have (at least) one other copy of their favorite book. However, there is just something really cool about finding a book that you love so much with a special cover that you’ve never seen before. If it’s an older book, you could explore options for finding a first edition copy. If they only own a mass market or a paperback edition, see about finding the book in a hardcover. Finding editions from other countries or other languages is always an exciting addition to a book-lover’s shelves. And, of course, if you can get a copy of the book signed by the author, that will always be an exciting gift to unwrap!
III. The Good Pens
Maybe you don’t quite have the money to buy a first edition of your loved one’s favorite book, and maybe they aren’t quite ready to publish a book of their own. But chances are, they’ve got a favorite pen. Sure, it’s a digital world, but stop just about any book or word-lover on the street and ask if they have a favorite pen. Chances are, you’ll get a yes almost 100% of the time. It’s a small, simple gift, but if you can help them build up their stockpile of the Good Pens, whatever those are to them, it not only can show that you know them, but that you care.
IV. Book Decor
Another way to help a bibliophile celebrate their love of books is to give them a way to show off their favorite tomes outside of their bookshelves. Find a way to help them showcase the books that have shaped their lives in ways that will mean a lot to them. Maybe they’d love a framed book cover of their favorite book, or perhaps a framed copy of a map from their favorite fantasy series. A cell phone case that celebrates books or a shirt or scarf inspired by their favorite book can help your loved one keep their favorite words close.
And if nothing else, just give them an uninterrupted afternoon in their favorite bookstore. After all, nothing says “happy holidays” like a day surrounded by books.