We’re heading rapidly into the holiday season, so who’d like a present?

A giveaway is not a present.

Well, not unless you’re giving it to everyone that enters (or visits your blog depending on the wording).

A giveaway is a raffle, or a draw, where an advertised number of people win a prize by being drawn at random from all the entries received. Most countries have rules on what exactly constitutes a raffle, or a draw, and the fine line between it being a gentle bit of fun, and a form of gambling which requires a licence.

I’m not going to go into what those laws are, although there are some very good posts around on the internet to help you ensure you aren’t straying into vice. Most of them I found through The Story Reading Ape reporting them, thank you, Ape … mwah! Rafflecopter has a very useful set…