I can’t believe it, but here we are again! It’s time for one of my favorite parts of the holiday season: Broke & Bookish Secret Santa! And it’s all starting a bit earlier than usual! I’ve got a very busy November, so I’ve backed everything up by about 10 days. That’ll give me plenty of time to get pairings done before things amp up for me, and it’ll give you extra time to prepare your gift! Please make sure you read through the entirety of this post before signing up, even if you’ve done this a bunch of times, to ensure you’re clear on everything and aware of any changes!
CHRISTMAS CARD EXCHANGE INFO:
This exchange is open internationally and you must be 18 years old or older. You can sign up to send 5 or 10 cards and will receive the same in return. Please note that this will not be divided up by countries, so you might be sending internationally. You are more than welcome to sign up for this exchange in addition to a Secret Santa package, and I will not be placing a cap on participants for this exchange.
SIGN-UPS CLOSE AT 11:59 PM MST ON NOVEMBER 6TH!
I will be emailing you your list of card recipients on November 7th.
If you want to sign up for the Christmas card exchange, please do so through the following links:
THINGS YOU NEED TO DO:
1. Mail your cards by December 1st (ASAP if you’re sending internationally). Delivery times can increase during the holidays, so getting these out sooner rather than later makes it especially fun for those who enjoy hanging up or displaying their cards all season.
2. Once you have sent out all your cards, please fill out this form.
3. Writing a note (and not just signing your name) is not required, but encouraged, because it makes this exchange even happier and more special. Consider sharing the title of your favorite read of this year (so far), including a yummy holiday recipe you love, or offering cheerful wishes for the holiday season or upcoming new year. Some people have enclosed a bookmark or sticker, too, which is such a fun idea. Take the opportunity to make some new friends!
4. This exchange highlights holiday cheer, so please do not include personal promotional/marketing materials in your cards.
5. Include some way for your card recipients to find/contact you online! If you only include your mailing address and name, they won’t be able to figure out who you are unless they write back… and since that is not a requirement of this event you might miss out on a new friend. A Twitter/Insta handle, blog link, or email address would be perfect.
6. Include the hashtag #TBTBSanta or mention the event name somewhere on the envelope or in the card so your recipient knows you’re from this event.
SECRET SANTA INFO:
1. You must be 18 years old or older to participate.
2. Please only sign up if you are committed to sending off a package on time. Really think about whether or not you’ll have the time and the money to send a thoughtful gift to your recipient–one you’d be happy to receive yourself.
3. Be as thorough as possible in your questionnaire (no amount of info is too much). Please utilize the event hashtag on Twitter (#TBTBSanta) and/or the Facebook group to ask questions, or reach out to the contact your recipient provided if you have questions or need clarification on their survey. I’m also always available to help you!
4. I personally send out confirmation emails when I receive your questionnaire so that you know your info is safely in my inbox and you’re on my list to pair. I send these emails within 24-48 hours of receiving your sign-up (usually sooner). If you don’t receive a confirmation email, please write to me to make sure I got your previous email. Please don’t re-submit your sign-up unless I ask you to, or you might end up being paired twice.
5. There are Google forms linked below in the “things to do” section for you to fill out when you have sent your package and when you have received your package. These forms will also be included in the email I send out with your recipient’s information. Please don’t forget to fill them out!
6. I do my best to pair people who plan to be on the same social media platforms (and also those who do not plan to use social media at all and will be sticking to email or snail mail) because many participants really love that part of this event. So please answer the questions about your social media presence honestly. If you plan to post on Facebook, Twitter, both, or neither, I’ll try to match you with people who plan to do the same.
7. A note to people outside of the USA: Please understand that I can’t guarantee that you will be assigned to send to someone who lives remotely close to you. I try to work it out geographically, but it all depends on who signs up and which package they sign up to send. I can, however, guarantee that you will not be sending to someone in the USA in order to make sure you avoid any tariffs.
Countries are divided up into mailing groups to help with shipping costs. If you live in one of the locations listed below, you will be placed in that mailing group and could be sending to any of the countries listed in that group. If you sign up for a package type that nobody else close to you has signed up for, you will be placed in a different mailing group. If you are unsure as to whether or not you can afford the shipping, please do a little research before you sign up. I will continually update this post with a list of countries where participants are from (and which mailing groups they are in) so you can see where you might potentially be sending your package. If you have questions or concerns, please send me an email and we can discuss how to make this work for you! I’ll do my best to accommodate any requests, provided you message me well before pairing day so I have time to work on things.
Mailing Groups:
- Canada (Package C)
- Mainland/Continental Europe: The Netherlands (Package B, C)
- UK: Wales, England (Package B, C)
8. I’m capping this event at 250 participants. If you sign-up after the cap has been reached, I will reply and let you know.
9. I can’t ensure that you will not be assigned to send someone you’ve sent to before, or someone you’ve been paired with in other gift-giving events.
If a family member or significant other is signing up for the same package type that you are and you want to make sure you are not paired with them, please note that at the top of your signup before your questionnaire answers so that it’s the first thing I see. Please tell me their full name and/or the email address they used to sign up with. Making it large and bold would also be helpful. Once pairing emails go out, pairs are set in stone and I will not be able switch things around since many people start shopping immediately.
10. Please note that this is NOT a swap. You will not be sending to the same person who is sending to you except in rare circumstances where only one other person from your country signs up. In that case, I will pair you together so shipping costs less.
Sign-ups officially close at 11:59 PM MST on November 5th
and I will send out pairings on November 6th.
(Watch Twitter/Facebook for when I post an update that I’m about the start pairing.
I don’t recommend waiting until the last minute, but I also know life happens!
As long as your sign-up is in before I post that update, I’ll accept it as long as the cap hasn’t been reached.
I tend to pair during the late afternoon/early evening.)
HOW TO SIGN UP:
Please be careful if you are copying and pasting a previous year’s questionnaire, as the questions continue to change over time!
To sign up, send an email to TBTBSecretSanta (at) gmail (dot) com answering all of the following questions. (NOTE: Please do not attach a document to your email. Just copy and paste your answers directly into the body of the email. Please do not include any attachments that you want me to send on to your Santa.).
- Full Name & Mailing Address (Exactly as it should appear on the mailing label)
- Please choose which gift you will be sending to your recipient (I will be grouping people accordingly, so you will receive a package in the same tier you choose. Please note that ARCs have no monetary value and will, therefore, not count towards the item quantities listed here. Think of them as a fun bonus if you choose to include them.):
A. 1 book and a small gift/goodie (Due to lack of interest, this tier is only available to participants in the USA)
B. 1-2 books and a couple small gifts/goodies
C. 2+ books and multiple small gifts/goodies - Are you planning to be active on the #TBTBSanta hashtag on Twitter/X during this event? If so, please share your handle. (If you answer no, you will still be allowed to participate. This is just info for your Santa.)
- Will you be joining the private Facebook group for this event (open only to participants in my Santa events)? If so, please write the name you will be joining with. (This is also not required, but I really encourage you to be active in at least one of these places because it’s more fun! You can join this group with your outlet’s Facebook page or your personal account. You can also make a new account just to join this group if you want to maintain more privacy or keep your online and personal lives separate. Aliases are fine, too, just let your Santa know how to determine who you are in there. Anonymous posting will be allowed, which means it’ll be easier for you to be stealthy with your questions! You can actually tag your recipient specifically if you need an answer from them and they won’t know who you are. The link to the group will be included in the confirmation email I’ll send you when your questionnaire is received.)
- If you answered no to both of the above questions, where will you be posting about your gift/thanking your Santa?
- Other social media handles/links: (Include any social media or blogs that will help your Santa get to know you. You must be active and not private on at least one social media platform in order to participate. Exceptions will be made for people who have participated in my Santa event(s) before and have since left social media.)
- List of 10-15 books you’d like to read, or a link to a book wishlist: (Please include old and new releases and please do not ask for books that have not been released yet or books that are no longer in print. If you’re linking to a wishlist, please make sure it is viewable either publicly or by those who have the link at least for the time this event runs. Double check that your link works while logged out of your account. Please keep your wishlist separate if you participate in other gift-giving events. Santas should not feel obligated to return anything if they discover that items from this exclusive list were purchased by someone else, and will be advised to send the duplicate item anyway.)
- Genres you read the most:
- List of your bookish preferences: (your favorite authors, things you will not read, if you prefer hardback or paperback, if you would prefer all ebooks, if you don’t care about book format at all, if you collect editions of certain books, if you’re ok with used books, if you would be happy receiving a book not on your wishlist that your Santa thinks you would like, etc.)
- Food and other allergies/dietary restrictions:
- Would you be open to receiving homemade food items?:
- All the things about yourself: (Please tell your Secret Santa about yourself. The more they know about you, the better job they can do picking out your additional small gifts/goodies. For example: general info about yourself (pronouns, job, age, school/major, family, pets, etc.), if you celebrate Christmas or not, your hobbies/passions, music you love, smells or flavors you like/do not like, TV shows you watch, favorite movies, things you collect, fandoms you’re a part of, if you would love something special from where your Secret Santa lives, coffee/tea you like, candy/snacks you like, favorite colors, shoe/sock size, favorite patterns, your style/aesthetic, favorite animals, things you are obsessed with, etc. Also, if you have an e-reader and would be happy receiving ebooks or a gift card, mention that and include your preferred email address(es).)
- Would you be able to send internationally if needed? (This question mainly applies to people in the USA, since I can’t guarantee that you will not be sending internationally if you live outside the USA.) Please answer with:
A. Yes, I can.
B. No, I cannot.
C. Would prefer not to but will if needed (Be careful with this one, as you could be shipping anywhere.)
NA. I do not live in the USA, and understand that I might be sending internationally. (In order to avoid tariffs, nobody from outside the USA will be assigned to send to someone in the USA.) - Please confirm that you are 18 years old or older:
A. Yes, I am.
B. I am not. - Have you participated in Broke & Bookish Secret Santa or Christmas in July before, or is this your first time?:
- Please provide the contact information (name and Twitter or Insta handle/email address) of someone your Secret Santa can contact with questions about you: (This person does not have to know you well. They will only serve as the relayer of information between you and your Santa. Please ask this person to open their DMs on Twitter/Insta if this is how they prefer to be contacted. If you don’t know who to ask to be your contact or the idea of asking someone makes you feel anxious, you may put me down as your buddy and include either my twitter handle (@ArtsyReaderGirl) or the event email address. You don’t even have to ask me first.)
- Any questions, comments or additional things your Secret Santa (or I) should know?
- If you would like to sign up to receive an email notification when future Broke & Bookish Secret Santa sign-ups go live (always in October), please type out your preferred email address here.: (I will scan and remove duplicates from this list before emailing each year, so if you’re not sure whether or not you already signed up for this list do it again! You can ask me to remove you from this list at any point if you decide you no longer want to receive this notification, and I will promptly remove you.)
THINGS YOU NEED TO DO:
1. It is recommended that you mail your package by December 8th (perhaps earlier if you are sending internationally). This is a recommendation and not a shipping deadline. Please ensure your package arrives no later than December 24th.
2. If something comes up that will cause your package to be delivered after December 24th, please email me and let me know. I don’t need all the details if it’s personal, but communication is super important in an exchange like this. I will always be empathetic, understanding, and respectful of your privacy. If I have to chase you down to find out why your recipient did not receive anything from you, I will decline your sign-up request for future Secret Santa events I host. Exceptions will always be made if something catastrophic occurs, so if that happens please get in touch with me when you are able.
3. Please do not ship gifts directly from retailers (unless you approve it with me first). Gifts should be thoughtfully chosen based on your recipient’s questionnaire, wrapped nicely, and sent in a box together. Please include some kind of a note or card.
4. Once you’ve sent your gift, please hold onto the tracking number and submit it through this form. This is mandatory. Shipping delays and lost/stolen mail are not your fault. A tracking number proves you did all you could, and I do not expect people to replace lost/stolen gifts if the tracking shows that they mailed it. That’s why submitting tracking is so important. Holding onto tracking also enables you to file a missing/lost mail claim and collect insurance on the gift so you can re-buy if needed. If you’d rather email me a picture of your tracking number, please still fill out this form and specify you emailed me so I’ve got a record and know where to look for it if I need to.
5. Once you’ve received your gift, please fill out this form.
6. Be sure to thank your Secret Santa when you receive your gift. You can do this via social media or reach out to me for their email address. I know this should go without saying, but there have been some ungrateful people in the past who never thanked their Santas or even acknowledged that they received their gifts. That’s completely unacceptable, not to mention rude. People who do not thank their Santas will not be allowed to participate in future Secret Santa events I host.
Another note on thank you’s… Please acknowledge you received your gift even if you do not plan to open your gift until Christmas Day (or any day other than the day you received it). In this case, please say you received it publicly on social media or reach out to me for their email address. Your Santa is likely watching your online activity, eager to know that their gift is safely in your hands and has not been stolen or lost. You can thank them personally after you’ve opened your gift and discovered their identity.
7. Please do not ask me to investigate where your package is until December 27th. I will be taking Christmas Day and the day after to spend with my family, and I will be happy to investigate the status of your package on the 27th. I will try my very best to work things out, but please understand that there is only so much I can do.
8. Ignoring important emails from me that require a response (such as me checking in for a status update on a late package or asking if you received your gift/plan to thank your Santa) will disqualify you from participating in future Santa events I host.
9. Please reach out to me through the event email with any questions or concerns, and not my Twitter DMs or my blog/personal Facebook pages. I juggle so many things with this event, and having everything in one inbox where it’s easy to manage means I won’t lose track of your message.
10. Please utilize the event hashtag (#TBTBSanta) or the Facebook group to ask questions, post hints, thank your Santa, and share in your shopping/gifting/receiving/sending process! Show us what you got! It’s also really helpful to search your person’s handle with the hashtag and see all the questions they’ve answered and the gifts they received in previous years. You can also search the Facebook group by your recipient’s name, which will bring up a list of all the posts they have made in the group and also all the posts they have commented on. Then you can sift through the comments to find theirs. It’s a little clunkier than searching the Twitter hashtag by keywords, but it gets the job done!
11. Please do not request a tracking number from your Santa on the event hashtag or in the Facebook group. This causes unnecessary stress for everyone involved in this event. If having the tracking number is important to you (because you live in a shared dwelling or will be traveling), please put that request in your questionnaire.
GIFT GUIDELINES & SUGGESTIONS:
1. Books can be new or used. Use your discretion as far as used books go, but please be kind and don’t send something you wouldn’t want to receive. They should be in very good condition. ARCs have no monetary value and should, therefore, only be included in addition to the number of books and goodies you committed to send.
2. When I say “goodies or small gifts”, I don’t mean free swag. If you think your recipient would really love and appreciate these kinds of items (maybe you have something cool signed by an author they love), feel free to add them after you’ve gathered some other thoughtful goodies. Please just make sure that these additional goodies are not all things anyone could have picked up at a book event or received from publishers in the mail.
3. Please do not include personal marketing or promotional materials such as promotional bookmarks, postcard ads, business cards, book samplers, etc. in the gift you send. This can appear as though you signed up only to promote your product/service, and takes away from the holiday cheer.
4. Regarding food items: Due to allergies and other health concerns, please do not send homemade food items unless your recipient mentions that they would like them. Pre-packaged, store-bought foods are encouraged! Please just make sure that they are wrapped/sealed in their original wrapping/packaging from the manufacturer. Sprinkling candy into the box like confetti is fine, it just needs to be individually wrapped to protect the health of your recipient.
5. Be thoughtful. Most of the time the gifts are really sweet and thoughtful, but occasionally someone throws random crap from the donation pile in their house into a box to fulfill their commitment.
6. If you aren’t sure what kinds of things to add for the additional small gifts, peruse the #TBTBsanta feed on Twitter/Instagram or look through the media in the Facebook group to see pictures of packages from previous years. There are lots of good ideas!
Please ask any questions in the comments in case others are wondering the same things!!
1. The Artist of Blackberry Grange by Paulette Kennedy
3. 
5. 
7. 
9. 