The holiday gift dilemma: discuss
The holidays are looming again, and here at Quillblog we’d like to poll our readers on a burning – or at least slightly warm – question that must surely arise for most industry types at around this time. The book business is notoriously low-paying, and access to free books is one of its few perks. So: do you “gift” books you got for free to your friends and loved ones come holiday time? And if you do, do you acknowledge it? And even if you buy books-as-gifts as a matter of principle, do people assume you just got them for free? Let us know how you handle this annual conundrum by commenting below. (Remember, you can comment anonymously if you wish.)
Dude, the first rule of gratis copies…
Um, duh, yes? I re-give my free books and people can assume what they like. Quite often I get access to obscure books that my friends don’t find at their local bookseller and they actually appreciate the pass along. People who scoff at that don’t deserve a gift anyway.
This is a dilemma? A conundrum? Damn right I pass out the freebies come Xmas time.
So: do you “gift” books you got for free to your friends and loved ones
come holiday time? And if you do, do you acknowledge it?
Depends on if they say, “Wow thanks! Look what he gave me!” and begins running
around the room all superbowl victory like. or “Oh, thanks.”
or the worst, a totally non-verbal shrug and toss.
I think a lot of the time, since people know me, and since everyone answering this
is “gifting” this way, even if it isn’t acknowledge, there is a good chance the person already
knows it was a freebee.
But then you can always get them a nice 11 dollar Christmas
Card from Heather at Indigo with a diamond studded Snowman.
I don’t get free books, so I can’t “gift” freebies to anyone.
Well, that’s not exactly true. I guess I can “gift” free legal advice. This is a really busy time of the year for us, believe it or not.
Here’s my Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Holiday gift to all of you:
DON’T STEAL, DON’T BRAWL, DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE.
AND DON’T PUNCH YOUR SPOUSE.
Unless your spouse happens to be male, then he most likely deserves it.
(Kidding)
(Sort of)
Maybe I don’t get the concept of “The Freebie”, but I’m thinking it’s tacky to give out something you get for free. I dunno, I don’t do re-gifting either. (What is with the words running off the page here???) Is it not tacky? Am I missing out on a financial opportunity?
Do you think I can still regift that pair of Scants I got ten years ago? The tags are still on ‘em…
It’s not tacky to regift necessarily, but it’s not for me.
I also don’t imagine people who know me
assume the books are regifted.
I don’t conflate the question though, because I’ve little quarrel with my salary.