The Sapphic Gift Forward: A Community Christmas Initiative

How our reading community is paying forward the gift of being seen this Christmas.

Every year around this time, I think about what Christmas means for different people in our community.

For some of you, it's a joyful season—family gatherings, traditions, the warmth of being surrounded by people who love you exactly as you are.

For others, it's harder. Maybe you're not out yet and the holidays mean performing a version of yourself that doesn't fit. Maybe you've lost someone and the season feels heavy with their absence. Maybe you're alone - by necessity or choice - and that's complicated in ways people don't always understand. Maybe this year has been difficult and presents aren't possible.

Here's what I know about our community: we see each other. We understand the things that don't get said out loud. We know what it means to finally recognize yourself in a story, to feel less alone because characters on the page reflect something true about your life.

That recognition matters. That connection matters.

And what some of our readers have decided to do this Christmas has genuinely moved me.

PAYING IT FORWARD

Several of my Ruby Collective readers approached me with a beautiful idea: they wanted to donate gifts—signed books, audiobook sets, ebooks, art prints, personalized letters from beloved characters to other readers in our community.

Not as charity. Not as a handout. But as an act of solidarity. As a way of saying: "Sapphic stories made me feel seen, and I want to pass that forward."

This initiative is for anyone who:

• Might not receive a Christmas present this year
• Knows someone in the LGBTQ+ community who's been there for them and wants to recognize that person

IT'S NOT ABOUT NEED. IT'S ABOUT BEING SEEN

I want to be really clear about the spirit of this: we're not asking anyone to prove they "deserve" a gift. We're not checking financial circumstances or verifying stories.

Because here's the thing—being seen isn't about what you can prove. It's about what you feel.

Maybe you're having a difficult year and a surprise gift would make you smile. Maybe you know someone who talked you through coming out, who held space for your grief, who reminded you that queer joy exists and you want to honor that but can't afford to right now.

Maybe you're just tired of being invisible and you want to feel connected to a community that gets it.

All of those reasons are valid. All of you are welcome here.

WHAT'S AVAILABLE

Our generous donors have provided:

• Signed paperbacks (various Ruby Scott titles)
  
• Awakening of Desire audiobook series
• Ebook bundles (mix of my titles)
• Art prints
• Personalized letters from Victoria Fraser (yes, I'll be writing these in character—it's going to be an interesting creative challenge!)
• Multiple kindles & E Readers (to pair with ebooks)
• Multiple Premium Headphones (to pair with audiobooks)

We'll do our best to honor first preferences, but we can't guarantee everyone will get their top choice. 

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Email ruby@rubyscott.com by November 23rd with:

• Your name, address, and email address
• Your preference: audiobook / paperback / ebook / art print / letter from Victoria

Nominating someone else? Include your name and email, plus the recipient's name, address, email, and preference.

The rules:

• Must be 21 or older
• Maximum 1 self-nomination OR up to 2 nominations for others
• Completely anonymous—no one will know who nominated whom
• We ship internationally
• Gifts will be posted week of November 30th (allowing time for international delivery)
• Your address and details will be deleted after the initiative ends.

The generous donors will also include a personal message from them to the recipients - no names - just a heartfelt message of community. This is something they wanted to do, something important to them, and honestly, it's reminded me why I write these stories in the first place.

BUILT ON TRUST

This only works if we trust each other.

I'm not going to ask you to prove your circumstances. I'm not going to verify your story. I'm not going to make you jump through hoops to demonstrate you're "worthy."

Instead, I'm going to trust that if you're reaching out, you're doing it with honesty and integrity. I'm going to trust that this community built on the foundation of queer storytelling and representation, operates from a place of mutual care.

When we trust each other like this, we protect something precious. We create spaces where vulnerability isn't exploited, where asking for help isn't shameful, where generosity flows freely because we believe in each other's goodness.

That's the kind of community I want to be part of. I think it's the kind you want to be part of too.

SPREADING THE WORD

If this initiative doesn't apply to you personally, please consider sharing it. You might know exactly who needs to hear about this—a friend going through a difficult time, someone in your book club who's been struggling, an online acquaintance who could use a reminder that they're seen.

Follow my Facebook and Instagram pages (@rubyscott or Ruby Scott Lesbian Romance Books).

If you see posts from me about this initiative, please share them. The more people who know, the more readers we can reach. 

Use #SapphicGiftForward and #RubyChristmas on social media to help us reach people who could benefit.

 Send the email address to people who might benefit: ruby@rubyscott.com

Let's make sure this reaches the people who need it most.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO ME

I've been writing sapphic stories for years now, and the most meaningful part has never been the sales figures or the awards. It's been the messages from readers who tell me they finally saw themselves reflected in a story. Who felt less alone. Who understood their own experiences better because they recognized them on the page.

This initiative is an extension of that. It's our community saying: "You matter. You're seen. You're not alone."

In a world that often makes queer people feel invisible, that's revolutionary.

So thank you to the donors who made this possible. Thank you to anyone who shares this message. And thank you to everyone who has the courage to reach out and say, "Yes, I'd like to be part of this."

Let's make some people smile on Christmas morning.

With much love, 

Ruby

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