Will you get rich as a greeting card writer? If you browse through the many cards you find in gift shops, you may think so. You may tell yourself, “I could have totally written that card.” Even though it is possible to jump in the market, it is not an easy task. You must study the industry and learn about the markets that take writer submissions. You also have to compete among a see of other talented writers that are seeking their pot of gold.

There are 7 billion dollars made a year in the card industry. The companies that hold the largest market share, 85 percent to be exact, are American Greetings, Hallmark and Gibson Greetings. Only a tiny portion of the billions made in this industry actually go toward paying freelancers. Most of that money goes into paper costs, paying artists and printing costs. Those numbers also include the holiday card shopping spree that many of us do. These companies count on printing the same holiday greeting cards year after year. They do not have to hire new freelance writers to write new greetings. The odds are stacked against you to sell a new idea to the three large greeting card companies. In fact, Hallmark and American Greetings do not even accept submissions that are unsolicited. Anyone trying to enter this market will soon experience fierce competition, especially in the higher paying arenas. If you are set on writing greeting cards for any of these companies, your chances of garnering a staff position are higher than getting a freelance submission approved. Check each company’s website page and check their careers tab. You may find something that you are interested in.

This is not to say there aren’t other companies that you can submit your work to. There are places that do accept freelancer submissions, and these places are great opportunities for creative professionals. If you are artistic, your chances have just doubled or tripled. Most of the money spent in this industry is spent on paying for artwork, not for writing. The GCA (Greeting Card Association) estimates there are more than 1,500 publishers of greeting cards. This is a huge number. The industry has changed a bit since the internet. Now, many people send greeting cards online. The user can select pictures, sounds or animations to go with his or her message. Some online cards have pre-written greetings that the user can edit or make personal. Some are free and some require payment.

Yahoo recently incorporated Hallmark’s electronic card website into their network. Another company, Outpost Network, lets users select or write their own greeting card as well as stationary and addresses. The postal service then delivers the card to the recipient. Another electronic card distributor, Greet Street, has been covered in the news recently for entering into an agreement with Gibson Greetings. The financial agreement says Gibson Greetings will provide content for Greet Street’s online selection of greeting cards. This shift to the electronic card arena may have an impact on the industry itself. Writers may find some opportunities online, rather than with the print divisions of these companies. It could also change the way submissions are handled. Normally, print greeting card submissions are sent on index cards that contain versus. This could change to an email submission format. That has not happened yet as the majority of submissions continue to be handled the way of the index card.

How to Submit Your Verses to Greeting Card Publishers

Each greeting card publisher has a different set of guidelines for submitting verses. some require that each verse be submitted on an index card. Others prefer that several verses be printed on standard-size paper. For most companies, you will need to mail a self-addresses stamped envelope to the company requesting their guidelines. Then you’ll have to wait to receive them. Some companies are speeding up the process by allowing freelancers to request the guidelines via email.

Some publishers ask that you submit a batch of ideas, ideally 10 ideas per batch, and that each idea be featured on an index card. Each of these cards should be type and double-spaced. The writer’s name and address should always be on the index card, usually in the corner on the upper left-hand side. As with most submissions, you should enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope. You may also include suggestions or notes about artwork or other details at the bottom of each index card containing verse. This, however, is usually not a requirement for most greeting card publishers.

Requirements for each publisher may differ greatly so it is a good idea to ask for guidelines from each publisher you are interested in submitting to. Follow each company’s guidelines to the letter. The annual Writer’s Market publication contains listings and brief descriptions for about 40 greeting card publishers. Pay in this field can vary greatly. Some companies may pay $20 per approved submission while others may pay up to $150.

What Information Can I Find Out Online?

Finding information online can be a huge asset when trying to break into the greeting card industry. You can use the Web to look at each publisher’s catalog and get an idea of what types of verses they are publishing and looking for. You can also find information on requesting guidelines. Company information is also readily available, usually through press releases or blogs. You can find statistics about the industry and publisher links at www.greetingcard.org.

The top three publishers, American Greetings, Hallmark and Gibson Greetings, have in-depth websites. Both Hallmark and Gibson Greetings list employment opportunities on their website. Hallmark even gives creatives a glimmer of hope by noting that they hire people from all kinds of backgrounds including theater, creative writing, journalism and advertising. If you would like to search Hallmark’s employment page, go to www.hallmark.com and look for the careers link. For the Gibson Greetings employment page, go to www.gibsongreetings.com and click on the careers link. Unfortunately, American Greetings does not feature an employment area on their website. However, they do have a corporate site that offers company information. You can find the site here: http://corporate.americangreetings.com. Both Hallmark and American Greetings have extensive card catalogs on the web that can be used to get a sense of what verses are popular with consumers and what styles are successful commercially. A regular visit to the press release are of these websites won’t hurt either.

The companies that are more likely to buy greeting card verses from freelancers are the smaller companies. These companies often have websites that may provide more information to writers. You may even find guidelines for some of these publishers on their website but this may not always be the case as their first priority is still to sell to the general public. If you can’t find the writer’s guidelines online, you can always find the company’s address and query their guidelines by mail.

This industry may get easier to break into thanks to the Internet, which is simplifying the process of submitting greeting card ideas to companies as well as spreading the word of niche markets that writers would have not otherwise known about. You no longer have to go to the store to view a company’s card catalog. Instead, you can just log on and view their entire selection. However, the internet may also have a negative effect by allowing the big companies to get bigger and further shrinking the profits that go writers. Either way, those who are talented at writing catchy phrases or short verses should not get discouraged. Although it may be heard to break into, there may be a successful greeting card career waiting for you.

Author Bio: Willy Apiata is a writer who (amongst other things) has found success as a freelance greeting card writer. In his spare time he helps run a free ecard service, Delivr eCards.

Category: Writing
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