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The holiday season is in full swing, and most everyone is thinking about the gifts they are going to give others. While we’re probably spending a lot of time on Amazon or looking around local stores, the best gifts come from who we are, not just what we buy.

As a writer, you are in a unique position to give to others in a variety of ways. As I was thinking of ways to give and serve this holiday season, I thought it would be fun to make a list of a few different ways we can give to others as writers.

1. Mentor another writer.

The word “mentor” scares a lot of people. Why? Because they picture a wise older person who knows everything. But mentors come in all shapes, ages, and sizes. A mentor is just someone who passes on their knowledge in a specific area.

If you have been writing for a while, you probably feel comfortable passing on some of your knowledge. If you are new to writing, you might wonder if you have anything to teach. The answer in both cases is “yes”! You always have something to give. Whatever you have learned, there is always someone who is a step or two behind you.

Mentoring does not have to be a big formalized arrangement. More often than not, it’s focused on making yourself available to answer questions and help someone as needed.

I’m mentoring probably half a dozen people on a personal one-to-one basis right now. I email one of them a few times a week as they ask me questions. The others, it’s not as frequent. I also mentor many more through my writing and this podcast.

I challenge you to choose just one person. Make yourself available to answer questions and pass along your knowledge about writing and other areas.

2. Give helpful feedback to another writer.

One of the biggest needs every writer has is feedback. We all need to know whether our writing is working. Editors are great at giving feedback, but in the earlier stages, you don’t always need an editor. You just need honest feedback on your writing.

If you’re in a writing group, or if you regularly interact with some other writers, offer to read other people’s work. You can’t do this for everybody, but as they say, do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.

Notice that I said “helpful” feedback. That means we are giving suggestions that will help them. If we read something that isn’t working, what can we suggest instead? Criticism without a solution is not very helpful.

3. Buy and promote a friend’s book.

This is a slam-dunk easy one. Every writer wants to sell books and know that people are reading their work. Books make great gifts, so you are not only giving something meaningful, you’re also supporting your friends. And don’t just buy one copy–buy five or ten copies!

A friend of mine recently bought five copies of my last book and asked me to sign them. That made my day, and of course I was happy to oblige.

The other part of this is promoting a friend’s book. You can mention it on social media, tell people about it in person, send it through email, or include it in a newsletter if you have one. The bottom line is that authors love people who promote their books. So if you want to be your author friend’s favorite person … you know what to do.

4. Leave reviews for books and podcasts.

This is closely related to the last point in helping get the word out about books. Next to book sales and good word of mouth, book reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as podcast reviews (if they have a podcast), are super helpful. Reviews are one of those things that take very little time, but they make such a huge difference.

I challenge you to make a list of ten books, and ten podcasts, that you can review in the coming week. Of course, you’ll leave those podcast reviews on Apple Podcasts, also called iTunes. If you don’t use Apple products and don’t have an Apple ID, I highly encourage you to set one up just for the purpose of leaving podcast reviews. It really is that important.

5. Write that book you’ve been planning.

One of the best ways to give to others is through your own writing. You have ideas, stories, and content that can greatly help other people!

We tend to diminish the value of our own work, don’t we? Most of us don’t realize the incredible treasure we carry around with us. You have a unique perspective on life that others need to hear. If you don’t write the book that is burning in your heart, nobody else will. You simply must do it.

Chances are pretty good that you have some extra time over the next few weeks to write that book. So I challenge you to make a plan to get it done over the next 90 days. When you get that book done, it will be one of the best gifts you can give to the world.

6. Publish your work.

Closely related to the last point, you must publish your work. And not just your book, but your writing in general. Some writers spend a lot of time writing but never put their work out there for others to see. If that describes you, I challenge you to start publishing.

You don’t have to only focus on books. In fact, I challenge you to post regularly on social media. You can write blog posts, which are a great way to publish regularly. You can also start an email newsletter, or write for other websites and outlets.

The point is to publish, and publish regularly. With all of the ways to get your content out there these days, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be publishing. What are you waiting for? Just pull the trigger.

7. Gather your writer friends for a call or mastermind.

This is one of the most powerful ways you can give to other writers. Especially right now, in the middle of this pandemic, people are longing for community. They want to belong to a cause or a group that matters to them. So this is a perfect time to invite some writer friends for a call on Zoom.

I do this quite frequently. Several times a week, I do calls with other writers and entrepreneurs, just to chat and see how we can help each other. I also participate in a weekly mastermind call with a few other writers. I’m also regularly doing client calls, in addition to podcast interviews.

Most people wait around for someone to invite them. I say, what are you waiting for? You don’t need an invitation. Take the lead and invite a few other people to a call. See what everybody is working on, and what they need right now. You will be surprised at the connections and blessings that result from this one simple act of gathering writers together.

8. Say thank you to clients or others who have helped you.

You’re a writer, which means you are good with words, right? That’s a huge blessing this time of year because we naturally want to recognize people who have helped us the previous twelve months.

Think back over 2020. Yes, it’s been a crazy year for sure. But in the midst of all the chaos, there have been people who have helped you succeed. And if you have clients, they have helped your business. Don’t forget to take some time and say thank you to these people for the specific ways they have brought goodness into your life.

Also, don’t forget that you’re a writer! Be creative with how you express thanks. One of the most fun cards I sent in recent memory was to Vincent Pugliese, who heads up the Total Life Freedom community where I’ve been a member since last year. I know he likes the band Queen, so I bought a Queen t-shirt and sent a thank you card along with it.

But it wasn’t just a regular thank-you card. I took about a dozen titles of Queen songs and I integrated that into the thank you card. Now I’ll be honest–it took a while to craft this very special thank you card, but it was well worth it.

You can do the same thing by standing out with your creativity as you thank people who have helped you.

9. Tell an author how their work impacted you.

With the gift of social media, you can personally connect with just about any author. How cool is that! Imagine if you wanted to do that twenty years ago. You would have had to figure out their mailing address and write a letter.

There are a lot of different ways to let an author know how their book impacted you. One of the best ways is to talk about it on social media. Take a screenshot of you holding the book, or a picture of a certain passage from the book. Then share a specific way the book helped you.

I’m telling you, every author absolutely loves this, no matter famous they might be. Every author wants to know how their book has helped people. Just like with thank you cards, be creative in how you acknowledge authors and their books.

10. Give to yourself by reading.

For my final point, let’s bring it back home by talking about a way you can give to yourself–by reading more books. The best way to give a better version of yourself to the world is by becoming a better person in the first place. And one of the best ways to become better is by reading.

As writers, sometimes we ironically feel guilty for taking time to read. But it’s absolutely essential if you want to continue growing as a creative person. So don’t feel bad about taking time to read. In fact, it’s essential that you plan this time, even if it’s just 15 minutes a day.

CHALLENGE: Choose just two of these and put them into practice from now until New Year’s. I’d love to hear about the difference it makes in your writing, relationships, and creative life.