Wednesday, December 03, 2014
Holiday cheer for wordy types…and a contest!
Say “You’re awesome!” to your favourite writers and editors with fun, tasty and memorable gifts, and enter to win fabulous prizes (details below).

 
Words they can wear.
You’ll find a huge selection of gifts for word lovers on Etsy,including typography tees like this cheerful “Futura” top from mediumcontrol (about $30 + shipping). It also comes in blue, grey and brown.









 
Exotic caffeine.
At $39 per pound, the Hawaiian Kona beans imported by Quebec-based Cafés Volcanik are a splurge for that very, very special someone (or, um, yourself), but they also make super-smooth, bitterness-free lattes. Free Canada-wide shipping.











 
Something to toast the new year
. I’m not a whiskey drinker, but I have it on good authority (hi, Danielle!) that Writers Tears Pot Still Blend Irish whiskey ($47.75 at the LCBO) is much desired. Woody at the whiskey company kindly elaborates: “We triple distil our whiskey and do not use any peat in the process so you don’t get that smoky taste. In Writers Tears, there is an element of pot-still whiskey. This is distinctively Irish as it is a style of whiskey that is made in no other country.” Plus, the name alone…



 
A sweet spot to park that drink
. I featured Out of Print’s bookish T-shirts in my 2012 gift guide. Those are still available, and this year I’m also smitten with the online shop’s coasters. Themes include punked-up authors, library sign-out cards and sci-fi novels ($20 US per set of four + shipping).

 



 
A really great pen…
Wonder Pens specializes in writing instruments, including hard-to-find fountain pens, rollerballs, fineliners and more. This shop at 906 Dundas West in Toronto also offers fancy inks and beautiful paper. Shipping across Canada costs a flat rate of $7, or it’s free if you spend $100.

 


 
…and a superb notebook.
Paper notebooks still rank high on editors’ and writers’ wish lists. Peruse the colourful selection from Ecojot, which is local (products are made in Canada), eco-friendly (100% post-consumer recycled paper with veg-based inks) and charity-minded (the company donates school supplies to underprivileged kids). Ecojot’s App Ready notebooks work with Android devices and iPhones to digitize handwritten notes and share them via Dropbox, Evernote, Facebook and email. Version two of the ecojotConnect app is in the works – check out the Kickstarter campaign.

 

Pretty, functional desk stuff
. You’ve never seen pens, bookmarks and binder clips so easy on the eyes. Quills, a boutique in Hamilton, Ont., wraps its goods in beautiful chiyogami (handmade, screen-printed Japanese paper). Prices range from $3.50 for a trio of binder clips to $10 for a four-pack of pretty pens or eight magnets.

 

Health and well-being.
This idea came from writer and editor Susan Peters, who suggests yoga classes, massages or a stand-up desk for the achy desk dwellers on your list.

 
Magazines, of course!
Make someone happy and support Canadian magazines at the same time? Heck, yeah. Buy a gift subscription from the titles listed at Magazines Canada, or pick up a bunch of single issues at the newsstand and tie them up with a ribbon – all done!




WIN IT
: Editfish is giving away a holiday prize pack to one lucky reader! You could win a magnetic bookmark, pen set, binder clip set and magnet set from Quills (retail value $30) plus a spiral-bound App Ready notebook from Ecojot (retail value $14) featuring charming illustrations of Toronto landmarks on the cover (photo above).

TO ENTER: Recommend a useful tool, tip or resource for writers and editors in the comments below by Dec. 31, 2014, and your name will go in a random draw.


- Jaclyn Law
About Me
Jaclyn Law

 
Jaclyn Law is a writer and an editor with more than 17 years’ experience. Formerly copy chief at Chatelaine and managing editor at Abilities, she has freelanced full-time since 2006. Her clients include magazines, websites, non-profits and corporations. Jaclyn is president of the Toronto Chapter of the Professional Writers Association of Canada and a member of the Editors’ Association of Canada.
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Jaclyn says:
THANK YOU for all of your great advice, everyone. The winner of the prize pack is...SHANNON REID. Co...
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