Five Great Gifts for Aspiring Writers

Is someone in your life a writer or aspiring writer? You can support their calling by providing great writing gifts for Christmas, birthdays, Father's Day, Mother's Day, or even Edgar Allan Poe's birthday. As writing can sometimes be a low paying job, thoughtful gifts for writers can really be important in helping them get prepared, get writing, and get published. Here are five great gifts for writers:

1. The Writer's Market.

For years, one annual book has served as the comprehensive guide to freelance writing and markets for freelance writers: The Writer's Market. Amazon currently sells the 2011 Writers Market by Robert Lee Brewer for $19.79. The paperback version has over 3500 listings for potential markets for writers. However, the 2011 Writer's Market Deluxe Edition which sells for $31.49 provides the print book plus online access to over 6000 continually updated market listings. Over the years, aspiring writers have found magazines, journals, and other potential markets that will buy their articles through the Writer's Market. However, when you are starting out as a writer, even $20 or $30 can seem like a lot of money. That's why the Writer's Market makes a great gift for any writer.

2. Writing Magazine Subscriptions.

Writing magazines are also a good source of inspiration, writing exercises, potential markets, and good advice on the business of freelance writing, novel writing, and non-fiction writing. Magazines such as Writer's Digest, The Writer Magazine, and Poets & Writers have informative articles that can be invaluable to aspiring and even established writers. Writing magazines can also dive deeply into topics that are important to aspiring writers. However, a writer can't spend all his or her writing income on writing magazines. Thus, the timely gift of a writing magazine can really be a great help to anyone getting started in the writing business.

3. A Portable Word Processor.

In the shipbuilding industry, if you aren't "hanging steel," you aren't working. If the writer in your life is spending too much time aspiring and not enough time writing, you can make banging out prose a lot easier with the gift of a portable word processor. AlphaSmart built a cult following among writers with simple word processors like the AlphaSmart 2000. Today, the AlphaSmart Neo is a great choice for someone who just needs to take notes and write. A no frill word processor that sells for $169, the AlphaSmart Neo (www.neo-direct.com ) has a comfortable keyboard, weighs less than 2 pounds, and can run for 700 hours on 3 AA batteries.

4. A Netbook.

If your aspiring writer needs to be distracted by the Internet (or research articles), they might be better served by a traditional netbook. Several Intel Atom-powered netbooks are now available for less than $200. You just need to make sure that the netbook you choose has a comfortable, nearly full-sized, keyboard. You might even look at low cost laptop computers like the Acer Aspire 5515. However, with their reduced footprint and weight, netbooks are really great gifts for writers who want to be able to take a computer with them and write as inspiration strikes them.

5. Pens and Stationary.

Of course, high technology isn't always the best gift choice for a writer. Sometimes a nice pad of paper and a reliable pen is a great place to start the writing process. Pens and paper are always ready at any time and any place to capture an idea, outline an article, or even write short pieces. The gift of pen and paper can ensure that your writer is ready when writers block is banished and the lightning of inspiration strikes.

The important thing is for the writer in your life to be equipped and ready to capture the great article or book idea when it comes to them. Perhaps your gift to a writer will play a part in the next literary masterpiece!

Sources:
Amazon.com
Alphasmart (www.neo-direct.com)