An ergonomic glue pen employs a spring-loaded advancing assembly for advancing a glue stick toward a heater. When the proper temperature is reached, a trigger is depressed to dispense glue through a forward nozzle. In some embodiments, the nozzle changes color when the proper temperature is obtained. A button at the side of the glue pen is manually displaceable by the user. The glue stick is loaded at the rear of the glue pen via a one-way collet. The trigger preferably interacts with the advancing assembly via a spring-loaded ratchet mechanism.