Christmas for Our Readers

 

By DiAnn Mills

 

This month brings on the most festive time of the year, and for writers this often means asking ourselves a question. How can I give something meaningful to my readers? The what-to-give and how-to-present-it can be a huge dilemma, but hopefully after reading this article, you’ll choose the perfect gift for your readers that also fits your budget.

 

The following are five ideas to stir your creative juices. In addition, some of the ideas may be suitable gifts or events for family and friends.

 

1.      Write a new short story that fits your genre, a Christmas short that includes your characters from your last novel, or a Christmas short story. Create a cover and present the story in a PDF. This can be shared through an online link or QR code.

2.      Do you have a particular theme, hobby, or career in your last book or a topic uniquely you? Can you expand on any of those? For example, a PDF of recipes, instructions related to a specific hobby or interest, an epilogue to your current story, or a travel experience during the holidays.

3.      Do you have a self-published e-book that readers could download?

4.      Zoom parties are incredibly fun. The visual interaction creates lasting friendships. This option can include many opportunities to ensure a Zoom party is the best possible event.

·       Create a meme invitation and spread the word on social media and your e-newsletter.

·       If the writer has a green screen, he/she can opt for a Christmas background.

·       Add more fun to the event with a cookie recipe swap, Christmas pajama contest, ugly sweater contest, etc. Encourage participation with a vote and maybe a small prize for the winner.

·       Decorate your desk for all to see—food, clothing, and fun!

·       Random drawing contest for the viewer to list favorite Christmas songs, movies, books, holiday vacations, holiday-pertaining questions, who lives the farthest away, etc.

5.      Join forces with another writer or two and host a Group Zoom party. This allows the participating writers to contribute to the planning and fun! The event has the potential to be a memory-maker for all.

·       All the ideas listed in #4 apply.

·       Each writer contributes a book to a giveaway.

·       Each writer donates money for a grand giveaway gift card from an online retail store.

·       A Christmas play script could be developed for each writer to play a role. The script could reflect a specific genre, such as romance, mystery, suspense, or historical—just keep it fun.

 

Use your imagination for your Reader Christmas Gift. Your readers will thank you, and you will be blessed.

 

What other ideas can you share?

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and adamr.

 

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists, won two Christy Awards, Golden Scroll Awards, and finalist in the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. DiAnn teaches writing all over the country. Connect here: diannmills.com