The Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide for Copywriters
Because you know we’re already planning ahead.
As a very proud member of The Copywriter Club, I think a lot about what it means to be a copywriter. What time do people wake up in the morning? Where do they tend to live? Who has children and/or owns a house?
The truth is all of these, and yet none of these. The modern copywriter is hard to typify because we no longer need to belong to agencies to call ourselves copywriters.
We work in coworking spaces.
We work in offices a few days a week, then spend the rest of the time consulting.
We can work from home in our pajamas (or soccer pants, in my case).
Or any combination of the three!
But of course, this makes us terrible people to shop for. What do you give someone whose career is barely being formed as I write this?
Well, I asked. And here are the top 10 recommended gifts for the copywriter/consultants/ad nerds/mole rats in your life (as gathered from actual copywriters). Enjoy the easier shopping trip!
A note: This post contains affiliate links. No cost will go to you if you click, and these products were curated without affiliate income in mind.
10. Standing desk platform.
Not everyone works from home. But for those of us that do, it can cause serious physical damage. You have to sit down to concentrate, but you have to stand up and stretch to keep your butt from falling asleep.
A standing desk platform that can shift according to the needs of the person at hand is best recommended for copywriters. Our needs may change at any time. Gotta be agile!
Royal Craft Wood Standing Desk for Back Pain Relief, $59.97 from Royal Craft Wood.
9. Personalized stationary
An oft-misunderstood aspect of working as a copywriter is how much work we do following up with people. Every person we pitch, every job we’re recommended for, every person who give us great advice that may have earned us hundreds of bucks… those all require thank-you notes.
And really, what is more baller than using paper with your own name and company on it?
Stationary Paper and Envelopes Set, $18 from Lemon Grace Paperie Boutique.
8. A fr*^&%&%$ing comfortable chair
The fact is, we love you, Family and Friends. We don’t want you to spend a million dollars on a chair for our office.
But the fact is, some chairs are just terrible. Give us some lumbar support and a nice mesh back, and we will be much easier to live with.
There’s also an incredibly wide variety of office chairs on the market. IKEA has an incredible selection at prices that range to very affordable. Anything that gets the job done and doesn’t hurt everything will do the trick.
Mid-Back Black Mesh Swivel Task Chair with Flip-Up Arms, $80.99 from Flash Furniture.
7. Subscriptions that makes us happy.
There’s lots of recurring subscription boxes out there. But the whole point of giving a copywriter a subscription box is to break up the monotony of working on a daily basis. Also: Working alone can eat your brain.
Me, I like snacks. But also cited by other copywriters were flowers and beauty products. It’s all about keeping the day happy!
Indie States of America subscription, $54 per month from Mouth.com. Other subscriptions are offered.
6. Small, portable coffee pot.
Being a successful copywriter often involves travel. Every one of us has a caffeine preference, but if you’re on the road, it’s suddenly all about what you can find.
There’s lots of coffee out there. But is it GOOD coffee? The gift of consistently good coffee means everything to a copywriter with that inclination.
AdirChef Grab N’ Go Personal Coffee Maker with 15 oz. Travel Mug, Black/Stainless Steel, $19.99 from AdirChef.
5. Noise cancelling headphones.
The stereotypes about copywriters attending a lot of webinars are true. But we also listen to podcasts, transcribe, play League of Legends, and basically live with our computers.
We love you, Friends and Family. But we really need to listen to this right now.
Hiearcool L1 Active Noise Canceling Bluetooth Headphones, $69.99 from Hiearcool.
4. Relaxing pants that lend us some dignity.
Or none at all. However you interpret it!
There’s lots of fancy pants lounge pants out there. But you know we dig the fun stuff too.
Whatever you decide to give a copywriter in terms of chill gear, it has to be of somewhat good quality. Nothing threadbare, sexy, or overly trendy. The cardinal rule is: Don’t wear it to work if you would be embarrassed seeing yourself wear it on a Skype call.
3D Print Black Space Astronauts Unisex Leisure Sweatpants, $33 from YGRSEGT.
3. A clock that doesn’t suck.
Yes, those of us who work from home try to DIY our offices to look “legit.” It’s all part of the gig!
Part of that is taking time to decide what parts of a traditional office you want to keep. You don’t have to have a cubicle. But a formal clock? For sure.
(I can’t recommend Tarzan Kay’s talks about financial mindset enough. Build your dream office, get taken more seriously!)
LED Word Clock, $89.95 from FStop Labs.
2. Books, books, and more books.
Over and over again, people wanted books. It’s not even funny. We love to read, or at least there’s a lot of things we want to read at any given moment.
A few other classics that made the wish list:
- Who Am I?: The 16 Basic Desires That Motivate Our Behavior and Define Our Personality
- Breakthrough Advertising
- Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
- Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
- Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect
“Everybody Writes,” by Ann Handley. This and various other recommendations on Amazon.
And the number one recommended present for copywriters was…
1. Pens that last forever.
Oh my god, pens. You always need more pens, and they’re never going out of style.
More than customized pens to the business, overall quality is most important to the working copywriter.
The brand posted is only a suggestion (based on average customer reviews). Chances are your favorite copywriter already is a diehard fan of a certain quill company already.
Seriously, just ask and make sure that they don’t have a preference already. It’s probably the case.
Pilot Precise V5 RT Retractable Rolling Ball Pens, Extra Fine Point, $6.94 from Pilot.
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Need help marketing your big strange idea? Contact Brit on her website, Black Bow Communications.
