17 Gifts for Writers & Entrepreneurs in 2017

Can we take a moment to rejoice that this year is almost over?

Thank god…

Alright, now back to stressing about what to get your friends and family for the holidays.

Last year, I wrote about some really great stuff and was even gifted a couple of the items I recommended (yay — my family reads my articles!).

As with most annual activities, I always have the goal of making things bigger and better than the year before. Some of the items I found this year are pure genius, so I consider that goal accomplished.

I’ll let you have the final say, though.

So buckle up, and let’s shop for the writers and entrepreneurs in your life.

1. Typewriter Keyboard

Purchase from Amazon | Purchase from a Small Business

Last year I put a typewriter on my list of recommended gifts, but it was definitely a bank-breaker. Still, writers rich and poor (and we’re mostly poor) want to feel like Ernest Hemingway when we write. This keyboard has the look and feel of a typewriter without having to spend hundreds of dollars on something that turns out to be pretty impractical in the digital age.

2. Laser Keyboard

Purchase from Amazon | Purchase from a Small Business

If instead, your writer/entrepreneur wants to write like they’re in the future, then this laser keyboard will blow their mind. You can connect it to your phone, tablet, or computer and it will project a keyboard onto any surface. Just type where the keys are projected, and the words will show up on your device. It even makes a clicking noise like a regular keyboard. This gift can be found at multiple price points, but the low-cost ones seem to come with some glitches.

3. Floating Book Shelf

Purchase from Amazon | Purchase from a Small Business

Have you seen those amazing Instagram photos of bedrooms with books floating along the wall? Wooden bookshelves are a thing of the past. These shelves are minimalist and space-saving. Your giftee can even use them to organize their books like they would on a regular shelf (by color, by title, by author) but, instead of bulked together in a corner, they can be an integral part of their feng shui.

4. Library Chair

Purchase from Etsy

Speaking of books, if your loved one has too many, why not repurpose their many bookshelves into one beautiful, bookish chair. I have to warn you though, the price tag on this one can be pretty hefty, so you’ve gotta really love the person you’re giving this gift to. If you’re good with a hammer though, maybe a handcrafted chair will do the trick. Can’t be too hard, right?

5. Ocean Wave Projector

Purchase from Amazon | Purchase from a Small Business

I’m getting real tired of fairy lights. I have a million in my room, but they don’t necessarily provide the sense of calm that I’m looking for. However, I’ve found something I think would do the trick. Imagine running this projector and playing ocean sounds (on its accompanying speaker) while you write, do yoga, or go to sleep. Is your loved one looking like they could use a vacation? Give one to them, without an overpriced plane ticket, and bring the ocean to their home. God knows they could use it after the stressful work involved in running a business.

6. Solar-Powered Window Charger

Purchase from Amazon | Purchase from a Small Business

Technology continues to blow my mind. Last year it was a wallet charger; now it’s something even cooler. If you’re on a plane, in a car, or pretty much anywhere near sunlight, you can attach this charger to the window and charge your devices with the power of nature. A writer/entrepreneur will find this very useful, especially if they are a digital nomad and work on the go.

7. Grammar Merchandise

Purchase from Amazon | Purchase from a Small Business

You may make fun of them for it, but if you know someone who loves grammar, keep them happy. Having a friendly, neighborhood editor on hand to help you out with your writing needs will relieve stress you didn’t even know you had. And, as a thank you or holiday gift, something like a profane grammar mug or grammar pencils will definitely let them know you appreciate what they do… and find it funny. Credit to Sarah Kornblet of Destination Legal for finding those pencils!

8. WiFi Coffee Maker

Purchase from Amazon | Purchase from a Small Business

Yes, you read correctly. Technology has advanced enough that we can now make coffee on our phones and from the comfort of our own beds. If your loved one values their sleep (which I’m sure they do) and values coffee (as everyone does), then this is a naturally brilliant gift to get them. They can even set a schedule for their brew so that they have their morning coffee whether they’re running late or rising early.

9. Anything Finder

Purchase from Amazon | Purchase from a Small Business

Entrepreneurs run businesses, just like any other CEO, so they’re probably flustered 24/7 and prone to losing important things like their wallet and phone. Help them out by getting them a casual tracking advice for their belongings! Most trackers have multiple capabilities, like ringing and mapping, so that there is always a failsafe.

10. Hydration-Tracking Water Bottle

Purchase from Amazon | Purchase from a Small Business

We’re not athletes. We don’t spend our work hours at the gym or running laps prepping for the next game. And we’re certainly not paid like athletes. However, our bodies still need adequate hydration. The average human should drink about 64 ounces of water daily. This water bottle gets you to 80. Each time you finish the bottle, you gain a nifty dot. When you’ve got all four, you’ve hit your goal. If you or your loved one needs to be more diligent about staying hydrated, this is a simple gift that will prove very useful.

11. Polaroid Cube

Purchase from Amazon | Purchase Elswhere

If your loved one lives an active lifestyle full of travel or runs their business with a special interactive touch, then they probably love to document their lives. This Polaroid Cube is kinda like a GoPro, except it has Wifi and can post live to social media sites like Facebook. It’s surprisingly tiny, with a wide angle lense and pretty high quality photos, which is great for someone who doesn’t want to lug around filming equipment but still wants to make a good online impression.

12. Lay-down Desk

Purchase from Amazon | Purchase from a Small Business

Sometimes we need a little diversity in our work environment, and sometimes that diversity involves staying in bed all day. But after a while, straining our necks to see the laptop can be a burden. This lay-down desk is equal parts brilliant and terrifying. Brilliant because I will never have to leave my bed again; terrifying because I’d be constantly worried about dropping a laptop on my face. Luckily, no one in the reviews has had that problem.

13. Rekonect

Purchase from Amazon | Purchase from Rekonect

I’ve had this bookmarked since the beginning of the year, so of course I had to include it. This notebook solves the problem of wanting to take important (or useless) pages out of a Moleskine without messing it up in the process. It also solves the problem of the overused notebook that loses whole chunks of pages because the binding has broken. The rekonect notebook has magnets as its binding, so you can remove and add pages as you please and they’ll stay in place. Brilliant!

14. Lumio

Purchase from Amazon | Purchase from Lumio

When I saw this on Shark Tank a few years back, I was astounded. This book/light has stayed in my mind ever since and I’m really glad they didn’t go bankrupt. Quite the contrary, they have won a bunch of awards. Lumio is a lamp that’s disguised as a hardcover book. Your loved one can charge it via USB, carry it in a purse or backpack, and whip it out when they need some light. Or they can just put it in their office.

15. Nite Notes

Purchase from Amazon | Purchase from a Small Business

Many of the world’s greatest writers get inspiration from their dreams. But, dreams are fleeting and we often forget them upon waking. This small notepad lights up when its pen is removed and turns off when the pen is put back. So, if your writer/entrepreneur wakes with a brilliant idea, all they have to do is reach for this notebook, make some notes, and fall right back into another idea-generating dream.

16. Story Generator

Purchase from Amazon | Purchase from a Small Business

If your writer/entrepreneur isn’t much of a dreamer, you can help them along by getting them a story generator. There are generators that help with blog prompts, or ones that suggest creative ideas for a fiction piece. Depending on your loved one’s genre preferences, you can even get them something Sci-Fi or Fantasy related. The possibilities are endless!

17. Bathtub Caddy

Purchase from Amazon | Purchase from a Small Business

I would be lying if I didn’t say dozens of Instagram posts inspired me to include this on the list. This year I saw countless #selfcare photos of candles, bubblebaths, and this nifty contraption making reading in the tub a lot less… wet. The bathtub caddy sits across the edges of your tub, creating a table for you to put books, coffee, wine, candles, and if you’re feeling daring, a laptop. If your loved one likes their me-time, this baby is sure to rank high on their “best gift ever” list.

Now Go Out There and Be an Expert Gift-Giver

That’s it; with these recommendations you should have your 2017 holiday season in the bag.

I hope that you surprise your loved one with something they truly enjoy.

Happy Holidays!

If you’re a writer or entrepreneur whose friends and family struggle to buy you gifts, do them a favor and share this list. Not only will you make their shopping easier, you’ll get something you truly want. That’s a win-win in our book.