Review and gift idea by Paul Carroll.

A bit of a departure from books explicitly on writing as gift recommendations, I present Side Hustle by Chris Guillebeau.

I discovered Guillebeau’s work many moons ago, and have long been recommending him to people. One of his more recent ventures is Side Hustle, a guide on creating a small business to operate on the side of everything else in your life. As many authors find themselves seeking to publish professionally, I thought it only right that we as a collective prepare for the reality that maybe it isn’t so easy to just quit the day job.

Side Hustle provides a process for market research and implementation of a product – like a book – and how to build a second source of income alongside your day job or other responsibilities. I know one of our members approves of the idea of a side hustle already, and on her enthusiasm I suggest Side Hustle as the ideal gift for the writer in your life that’s seeking to publish on the side – especially those who will be self-publishing. As well as the standard business explanation and exploration, it’s a good way to show someone you believe in them, and to show them that they can get started without needing to go full-time immediately.