Gift guides on Substack make giving fun again
The perfect gift does exist. It comes from a trusted recommender
Gift guide culture can be overwhelming. Gift guides exist for mother-in-laws, for best friends, for a child’s kindergarten teacher. The internet is awash in suggestions for cashmere sweaters, pickleboard paddles, and candles that smell like the woods.
As gift guides have proliferated, it’s become even harder for discerning readers to know who to trust. Is this product being recommended because a real person bought it and loves it? Or is it being recommended because it will appeal to the widest audience possible? Are those the best packing cubes for your older brother who’s always on the go? Or does the gift guide’s creator have an undisclosed partnership or advertising deal with the brand?
On Substack, writers have an interest in building and keeping the trust of their readers. When they choose to recommend another writer, or curate a gift guide, it’s with the understanding that their audience—including paying subscribers—values their opinions. Writers and culture makers are motivated to share things they truly love and offer ideas that may appeal to a niche audience they know well.
That’s why
can create “A new-parent gift guide for product managers”—a twist on his annual gift guide that reflects his recent experience becoming a dad. “I use all of these products daily or weekly, and everything in this email is in my home today,” he writes. echoes the importance of recommending things he actually uses. In introducing the “Shut Up Evan 2023 Gift Guide,” he writes: “This is solely intended to be a resource for Shut Up Evan readers, a peek into me as a gift giver with the hope of inspiring you in what can be a very stressful search.”We rounded up great gift guides published recently across the Substack network. Inherent in each of them is a principle that underpins Substack itself: that trusted recommendations come from people you trust—writers you invite into your inbox, who make you laugh or share a novel idea that changes the way you think.
We hope you enjoy them as much as we did:
Ali LaBelle: EXTRA Side Order: Gifts under $50 that’d I’d be excited to get
Courtney Grow: Gift Ideas: For The Group Chat & Gift Ideas: For The _______ You're Winning Over
Hester Grainger: The ADHD and autism friendly Christmas gift guide
Hillary Kerr: 11 Hyper Specific Presents for Hyper Specific People: A Gift Guide
Lenny Rachitsky: A new-parent gift guide for product managers
Lucy Williams: As a ‘difficult person’ to buy for, trust me when I say these are great gifts & The Remotely Christmas Gift Guide
Perfectly Imperfect: A Perfectly Imperfect Gift Guide (2023)
Rayne Fisher-Quann: The Ultimate Internet Princess Extended Universe Gift Guide
Thinking of putting together your own gift guide? We noticed the best gift guides on Substack have two key points in common that ensure they hit the mark for readers:
Recommend things you use, and would buy again for yourself or a friend.
Don’t be afraid to get weird and specific. Creative, niche ideas are so much more interesting for your readers than generic ideas they can find somewhere else.
And if you’re a writer listed above—tell us your top tip for fellow writers starting out on their first gift guide.
Give the gift of a Substack subscription
A paid subscription to a favorite Substack publication is a thoughtful gift for a friend, family member, or colleague—especially one who values great writing and the people who create it.
Be sure to look at our guide to setting up gift subscriptions for readers this season, as well as how to purchase a subscription as a gift for a loved one:
Has one of your favorite Substack writers shared a holiday gift guide? Or are you giving Substack subscriptions as gifts this year? Share your gift guide links, as well as your favorite publications you are gifting this season, in the comments.
Not me doing seven gift guides and nobody sharing them 😂
I loved them!
I've read and loved all of them!!!
You best believe I did!!!
I made like 12 gift guides this year but this was the reader favorite (don’t miss the comments): https://downtime.substack.com/p/answers-to-your-toughest-gifting
If I may shamelessly plug!!! Here's a gift guide for home decor gifts under $100 https://212interiors.substack.com/p/10-home-decor-gifts-under-100, and another for gifts under $20! https://212interiors.substack.com/p/10-gift-ideas-under-20 :)
Last year i posted lots of creative ideas for the gifting. Check it out! (Its in spanish) X❄️🪩
It was so much fun putting mine together! It’s filled with things I use or have, or wish I did! Colourful Gifts for Kids, Teens & Adults - with items from the EU, UK & US... and a very important bonus gift idea at the very end. Enjoy :-)!
https://practicallyfabulous.substack.com/p/036-colourful-gifts-for-kids-teens
Adam Grant has a book that breaks people down into givers, matchers, and takers. I think that as a rule one should be a giver not a taker, but nuances apply: sometimes receiving can be a form of giving and if you give and give you'll get burnt out, so it's good sometimes to match. Balancing generosity and reciprocity isn't always easy. Great work has been done on the anthropology of gift giving (good time to read about it vis a vis "secret santa" and the like) by Marcel Mauss. I'd recommend the Gift by Lewis Hyde, which is a beautiful book about art as a gift that inspires us to give. We discuss gift giving and philosophy on our Chronicles WhatsApp group
https://chat.whatsapp.com/FD6M9a35KCE2XrnJrqaGLU
happy to share my gift guide was one of my top posts this year! https://gatekeeping.substack.com/p/the-2023-gatekeeping-gift-guide
Okay I'm blushing!!! A joy and an honor to be included.
This is cool but I have better gift ideas 😉
https://open.substack.com/pub/raisini/p/from-zero-to-100000-subscribers-the?r=aegif&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
I've got one that rounds up gifts with your face on them (meaningful gifts), games everyone will like, my fave subscriptions (ie. last minute gifts), and then random gifts that are cool for a lot of people (like your hairdresser): https://karakull.substack.com/p/wsuas-3-what-i-wont-shut-up-about
I previously shared a small business gift guide
https://leannarjulius.substack.com/p/small-business-holiday-gift-guide
I’ve got an Post Capitalist Gift Guide up at Camp! Kitsch! Schmaltz! Schlock!
https://candicewuehle.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/139432298?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fhome
Especially timely, since my latest post is a last-minute gift guide with ideas that are low-impact and way more thoughtful than some random doodad form Amazon.
https://open.substack.com/pub/inthegray/p/last-minute-gift-ideas-that-dont?r=9x25q&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
The Soloist has a Gift Guide for tabletop roleplaying and boardgame players. It's currated by 30 indie game designers and includes not jus t games, but books and accessories to enhance play!
https://open.substack.com/pub/soloist/p/the-soloist-gift-guide?r=5okvb&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Calling all youth sports parents: Here's my gift guide of presents that keep on giving (no fancy embroidered jersey they'll outgrow in 2 months here): https://goodgamekid.substack.com/p/youth-sports-holiday-gifts-that-keep
If anyone is interested in supporting women directors, that's the focus of my gift guide: https://oldfilmsflicker.substack.com/p/all-this-years-been-a-busy-blur
Today I shared a gift guide for 5 simple handmade gifts
https://leannarjulius.substack.com/p/homemade-holidays
If you're looking for book suggestions for your middle grade (8-13) reader I got you covered!
https://sarahallen.substack.com/p/the-ultimate-middle-grade-christmas
My Gift Guide for Engineers and Managers: https://hybridhacker.email/p/holiday-season-gifts-for-engineers-and-managers
Oops you missed the best one!
https://open.substack.com/pub/onpurposeproject/p/the-2023-on-purpose-gift-guide?r=f96pn&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Fun! I bought my first gift subscription for my mum! She struggles with your app and worries about having to pay for things so I’m going to sit and set it up with her on her iPad!
Reading from the app on my iPad is one of my favorite things! What a gift! Hope the set up goes well.
I saw someone else post about it and I realised it would be such a wonderful world for her. She’s paid for mine but it sits in with emails from like the rest of the world - I got to get her on here! ✨
I made a goofy gift guide :) https://open.substack.com/pub/megmemesblogs/p/holiday-gift-guide?r=4mmqw&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
I love the Meg Memes gift guide https://open.substack.com/pub/megmemesblogs/p/holiday-gift-guide?r=5efn2&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Yes, I published a holiday gift guide last week. Please consider Wine Wanderings in future recommendations. Cheers, Tricia "Holiday Gifting Guide for the Wine Lover"
https://triciawinewanderings.substack.com/p/holiday-gifting-guide-wine-style
Need to allow substack authors to offer gift subscriptions for a max number of people to give as gifts we pay for as the gifter...increase subscribers and substack users
This is the best gift guide :-) https://open.substack.com/pub/megmemesblogs/p/holiday-gift-guide?r=2n2ug6&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
I was pleased to offer my third annual gift guide, an extensive gift guide for every vibe: https://www.nightwater.email/p/gift-guide-2023
I had so much fun putting my gift guide together — all the things I would love to receive: https://pillowtalkstudio.substack.com/p/the-pillow-talk-holiday-gift-guide
Hey, you. Yes, you!
Need a stocking stuffer? I just released my first book, 50 Fifties, a collection of fifty-word stories. I’d be grateful if you decide to check it out.
https://www.amazon.com/50-Fifties-Justin-Literary-Project/dp/B0CPP2NZST/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=11XJRKAHTVSNR&keywords=50+fifties+justin+deming&qid=1702586558&sprefix=%2Caps%2C87&sr=8-1
Thank you so much for the feature! 💝💝
I shared two posts on gift ideas for WRITERS!
https://joyeheld.substack.com/p/gift-ideas-for-writers
https://joyeheld.substack.com/p/holiday-gift-baskets-for-writers
Happy holidays, WRITERS!
Here’s my gift guide! It’s for people managers who are interested in buying gifts for their employees https://open.substack.com/pub/workwithashleyr/p/2023-holiday-gift-guide-showing-appreciation?r=2rounj&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Love this round up!
🚀This is inspiring me to create a guide to independent space artists. We need all the support we can get.🎨
🎄 winsome stocking stuffers
10 exceptional books to calm, heal and inspire
a bunch of out-of-the-box suggestions
https://lindastoll.substack.com/p/porch-120-merry-christmas-from-your
Treat yourselves. 3 books, 3 films, 3 games x 2. 666
https://open.substack.com/pub/alexanderipfelkofer/p/a-devilishly-good-gift-guide-2023?r=26onua&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Love the feeling of connection amongst the community... specially this season. Great work Fam. If you hop in, I’ll have some gifts for you, so I’ll see you in the HQ! ☝🏻🩵
I have a gift guide-ish for children who enjoy reading: https://www.readablemomentsbookclub.com/p/bookish-gift-ideas-2023
I went a different route—sharing out my own gift guide a few weeks ago, but more recently curating a list of all my favorite guides for everyone interested in #menswear. A few of the same ones were also featured on @Substack’s list. 😉
https://presentable.substack.com/p/my-favorite-gift-guides
Please read and answer Substackers Against Nazis
I made a tomato-adjacent gift guide to get through the doldrums of winter: https://open.substack.com/pub/borschtforbreakfast/p/make-it-an-heirloom-christmas?r=gdhcr&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Do not recommend giving subscriptions to the Nazi sites on Substack, unless of course you’re profiting from them...
https://open.substack.com/pub/findinggravity/p/substackers-against-nazis?r=1pjrv1&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
If you know a freelancer, solopreneur or creator here is a gift guide specifically for them: https://immacollective.substack.com/p/the-best-gift-for-solopreneurs-isnt
Loved this article as I couldn't agree more — I've actually already bought a couple of the ideas from Pandora and Lucy Williams's guide. Mine is niche and definitely different as everything on there is by a brilliant Turkish creative or brand (all available for worldwide shipping) — and everything is something that I've personally encountered this year and love. (Hence their inclusion!) The Lucy Loves Gift Guide was also one of my top posts this year! Bud i'd love to know how I could improve it for next year....
https://lucyscovell.substack.com/p/the-lucy-loves-christmas-gift-guide
Great idea! I just wrote a gift guide (including Amazon Affiliate marketing links) for astrologers: https://astrologybooks.substack.com/p/2023-astrology-gift-guide
Don't send me any more ads until you remove the neo-Nazis from your platform.
https://open.substack.com/pub/katz/p/substackers-against-nazis?r=2cs3z&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Wht is this?
I have done a guide for how to reduce your Christmas waste while doing that gift giving. Check out how to make gifts more planet friendly this Christmas.
https://suesenger.substack.com/p/8-gift-giving-tips-to-cut-your-christmas-waste
Weird concept. Consider you charge for writers to gift a free week to potential subscribers.
I'm drawing free art for all of my subscribers! https://tapirclip.substack.com/p/december-giveaway-thank-you-for-subscribing
Yes, all of them!
Sober (curious) gift guide 🤘🏽
https://open.substack.com/pub/tawnylara/p/sober-curious-gift-guide?r=3f4vk&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
As designers, we can’t help but be particular about the gifts we give and receive, so at Design Better, we put together a put together a list of beautiful and useful gifts at varying price ranges for all the creative folks on your shopping list (or maybe something for yourself?) 🎁 https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/design-better-holiday-gift-guide
I write a newsletter rounding up cool vintage and secondhand stuff from around the internet. Here are the two guides I made filled with unique and thoughtful vintage gifting (because there's already enough stuff in the world!)
https://trashpanic.substack.com/p/a-trash-panic-guide-to-gifting
https://trashpanic.substack.com/p/a-trash-panic-guide-to-gifting-vol
I'm surprised at the direction Substack is taking. I was interested in the story about who blew-up Nord Stream pipeline. I thought it would be a hard news, reported objectively, supported by facts. It seems to have morphed into a writer's platform for people who want to start a blog or a post stop for click bait.
There is a lot of interesting global and domestic events that are newsworthy. The US is talking about UFO's and a strange and powerful weapons base in Antartica. Another US Marine swears and testified to Congress about firsthand experience with UFO's trafficking humans in Indonesia, west of Sumatra. As bizarre as that may sound if you listen to Shawn Ryan Show and Patreon and You Tube. It's interesting. The war in Europe is interesting. Old warfare munitions and are being replaced with drones and precision artillery shells. Russia has superior electronic warfare equipment.
I won't renew my subscription because I'm not looking for springboard for a writer. I think podcasts have killed a lot of print media. Thanks for you time and information, but I'm out.
Bob, not to mention: https://open.substack.com/pub/katz/p/substackers-against-nazis?r=2cs3z&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Such a great range of guides! I wrote one to help curious folks find joy and purpose in parenthood. (hint: need less, be more, gift small until there's a year where you have THE PERFECT item - then gift big! https://raiseinplace.substack.com/p/the-quiet-gift-guide-2023
(and for the parent who just needs their toddler to master the potty over the holidays --> https://buenomarket.com/pages/join-the-p-word)
Here's my gluten-free gift guide for people with celiac disease or other gluten-related disorders! https://celiacselfcare.christinaheiser.com/p/gluten-free-gift-guide
You missed this one! https://paulgregutt.substack.com/p/the-most-essential-wine-gifts-and
Appears that Substack is challenging the main thesis of my latest newsletter, titled “Internet Gift Guides Are All Terrible.”
https://open.substack.com/pub/georgeg/p/internet-gift-guides-are-all-terrible?r=pdyid&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Welcome to the Series Page of https://uncutmaza.com.co/. Here, you can explore a large collection of web series with some of the most popular actresses. You can easily find your favourite adult and hot web series from this page.
Thanks for your share. It was so much fun putting mine together! It’s filled with things I use or have, or wish I did! https://www.ovounblockedgames.com
15 ธันวาคมแม่ผมเจ็บท้องมาก1974-²⁰24
I need financial help to write a book
Ouais je veux tous ok bon weekend ok j'ai besoin de votre votre aide m'aider à p*** reçu mon problème d'argent
Very good history lesson and show, I enjoyed it very much, thank you!
You can also check out these cool gift ideas for those music lovers:
https://whirlmind.substack.com/p/3-super-cool-gift-ideas-for-music
A gift for all nature love And you https://wbird.substack.com/p/fb8a7357-516f-41f6-b90e-4da6c3be9be3 and another for just a $1
👏
Gift guide for Graphic Novels & kids books:
https://open.substack.com/pub/doodlegooder/p/2023-gift-guide-part-i?r=q0l9g&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Love gifting cookbooks? I round up my outstanding classic (back-list) and notable new titles in an Ultimate Cookbook Gift Guide. Also, just announced a 25% off paid subscrips sale for the newsletter. It includes titles from some of my favorite authors in the Substack community, including @andreanguyen @nancysilverton @doriegreenspan @emikodavies and @davidlebowitz . Happy holidays!
https://cookswithoutborders.substack.com/p/the-ultimate-cookbook-gift-guide
Here's a book gifting guide if you're still on the hunt for something perfect these last few days before Christmas!
https://open.substack.com/pub/ksbooknook/p/books-for-christmas-how-novel?r=2i7iqf&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcome=true
Thank for you sharing these! I'd love to add to the collection. I wrote about ideas for gifting high-quality experiences over things.
"Let’s combat our culture of materialism by replacing gifting things with gifting our highest-quality time and experiences over things. These experiential gifts can involve new knowledge, community, bonding, playfulness, and exploration — of our inner child, of new ways of being. They can help create lasting memories, rather than the fleeting joys associated with gifting things like the latest gadgets or toys."
https://askdrdevikab.substack.com/p/lets-gift-experiences
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Rất hay
I wrote a substack on 'things I recommend you try' - some are very niche indeed:
https://jimmysjobs.substack.com/p/things-i-recommend-you-buy