We may not always give a gift for birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions, but we nearly always send a card. Americans buy about 7 million greeting cards each year, with each household responsible for sending an average of 30 greeting cards. Christmas cards top the list of seasonal cards, while birthday cards are the most popular everyday cards. The greeting card industry is worth $7.5 billion in sales, according to the Greeting Card Association. That’s good news for writers. Greeting card writing is a niche where many freelance writers choose to make their mark.

Necessary Skills

As a greeting card writer, you will need to call on all the emotions you, your family and your friends have felt to create the right mood or tone for a particular occasion. Your goal is to write down the words that people want to say but may not be able to express for themselves.

Greeting card writers should have a basic writing flair, considerable sensitivity and “heart” plus an understanding of what’s on consumers’ minds, so they can write messages for cards that help people connect with one another.

Dollars and Cents

Freelance greeting card writers earn in two tiers, according to the Greeting Card Association. In the bottom tier, pay ranges between $25 and $50, while in the upper tier the range is between $75 and $125. Greeting card writers who write humor tend to earn more than those who write traditional poetry or modern prose. E-card writers may earn about $10 per accepted piece. If this sounds low, remember that you may only have to write 10 words, so the per word rate is good.

It’s harder to get recent figures for in house greeting card writers. Department of Labor figures from 1999 suggest that the average salary is above $30,000 a year.

Career Outlook

The greeting card industry is huge, and the popularity of e-cards adds to the career opportunities for writers. Demand for writers is rising at between 10 and 20 percent each year, while writers and editors held more than 300,000 jobs in 2006. While the market for in house greeting card writers is small, standing at 210 employees in 1999, according to the Department of Labor, there are thousands of opportunities for freelance greeting card writers.

Education and Training

Greeting card writers are not required to have any formal training or hold any special certificates. Greeting card writing can be learned by reading books on the subject and practicing. Practice is important and the only way to develop professional skills as a writer. Here are some freelance writing websites that offer greeting card writing classes.

Writing Greeting Cards with Sandra Miller-Louden | AbsoluteClasses.com

Greeting Card Writing with Sandra Miller-Louden | WritersCollege.com

Hallmark offers college students a summer internship program (go to www.hallmark.com, click on ‘careers’, then ‘college students’, and then ‘internships’) at the Hallmark headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri.

If you’re interested in a greeting card career, why not try some submissions on your own? Check out the list of greeting card markets below.

Employers

Hallmark and American Greetings hold the lion’s share of the greeting card market, and it can be tough to break into one of them since they don’t accept unsolicitied submissions. If you decide that greeting cards is something you’d like to try full-time as a paid staffer, you’ll want to try to land a job writing cards for these giant companies. Each of these companies’ have a ‘careers’ section on their website you can monitor to see if there are openings for writers.

American Greetings | Guidelines

Hallmark | Search Jobs

However, with 3,000+ greeting card publishers in the US alone, there is plenty of demand for new content for greeting cards and plenty of new opportunities for people who love to write. Each company has different card lines that feature one of these styles: traditional, rhymed verse, funny, ironic, off-color, sweet, or poetry. If you’re working as a freelance greeting card writer, you’ll need to decide which style fits you best, and then contact the company to whom you want to send your ideas.

Companies that accept freelance submissions have their own guidelines, which you’ll need to follow precisely. Typically, you’ll need to write your ideas on index cards (some companies want a separate index card for each idea; others will accept a sheet of paper with a list of ideas), usually in batches of 10. A few companies are beginning to warm up to the idea of e-mail ideas, but most still like to see a paper copy the old fashioned way-sent through the mail. Once you mail them off (including a self-addressed, stamped envelope) you can wait a few weeks to a few months to hear whether any of your ideas are accepted.

Avanti Press | Click on ‘contact us’ and then click on ’submissions’

Comstock Cards | Writer’s Guidelines (Adult Humor)

Dayspring Greeting Cards | Editorial Guidelines (Scripture/Ministry)

Ephemera, Inc. | Writer’s Guidelines (Adult Language/Novelty/Satire/Cutting Edge)

Freedom Greeting Cards | Guidelines (Contemporary Humor/Sophisticated)

Gallant Greetings | Employment Opportunities

Kalan – An alternative greeting card and novelty gift company. Sold in Spencer’s stores. Our humor greeting cards run from subtle to risque to downright rude. We are looking for fresh humor with a twist, or humor that pushes the limits. Does not accept e-mail submissions. Type or hand-write ideas on 3×5 index cards. Include your name, address, and phone number on the back of each card. Submit in batches of 8-20 with an SASE. Pays $75 for cards, and on acceptance. Buys all rights. Responds in 6-8 weeks.

Kate Harper Designs | Kid Quote Submissions – Seeking submissions for our “Kid’s Quotes” greeting card line, greeting cards that expresses the wit and wisdom of children. If child’s submission is accepted, they will receive a payment of $25, name credit (Author’s name will be printed on the card), $40 worth of free greeting cards, and with the parent’s permission, press releases will be sent to child’s local newspapers. Examples of past published quotes are: “Sometimes you just have to take a nap and get over it.” – Age 8 and “You are my night light.” – Age 7.

Kogle Cards

Magic Moments Greeting Cards

Melting Pot Gifts – Submission Guidelines

Papyrus | Writer’s Guidelines (Witty Humor/Cute Remarks/Silly Puns)
Note: Tends to avoid off-color and sophomoric humor.

P.S. Greetings, Inc. | Creative Guidelines

SPS Studios | Formerly Blue Mountain Arts

Sunrise Greetings (subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, Inc.)

Vagabond Creations

Writers Market

Moving Up

Successful freelance greeting card writers may want to start their own greeting card business. There are many possibilities with this business. You can sell them on the Internet, person-to-person or open up your own storefront. To learn more about the greeting card business, pick up your Greeting Card Profits guide here and your Mom’s Talk Biz Guide to Start Your Own Greeting Card Business. Both guides will give you more insight into this booming industry, ways to make money, how much to charge and more.

For More information

Greeting card writers may belong to a couple of associations which support their profession. These groups offer their members professional and educational services, including publications, meetings, workshops, conferences, and other informational and networking opportunities.

Greeting Card Association – USA | GCA is the trade organization representing greeting card and stationery publishers, and allied members of the industry.

Greeting Card Association – UK

Recommended Resources

Writers Market 2008 by Robert Brewer – Includes a list of greeting card publishers with submission guidelines and features exclusive articles and interviews with successful writers.

Poets Market 2008 by Nancy Breen – A well-organized, useful tool for the poet that wants to sell poems. If you’re serious about selling your poetry, you need this book.

You Can Write Greeting Cards by Karen Ann Moore a professional greeting card writer and editor for 20 years. She has worked for American Greetings Corporation, headed her own studio for greeting-card writing, and served as a Creative Director for Gibson Greetings, Inc. She has published over 2000 greeting cards in her career. You Can Write Greeting Cards is a trade paperback and is well laid out and easy to read.

Sell The Fun Stuff: Writers’ And Artists’ Market Guidelines For Greeting Cards, Posters, Rubber Stamps, T-shirts, Aprons, Bumper Stickers, Doormats, And More! by Jenna Glatzer

How to Write and Sell Greeting Cards, Bumper Stickers, T-Shirts and Other Fun Stuff by Molly Wigand – The book is very user-friendly; the writing is fun, friendly and concise. While it covers all types of greeting card writing, it gives a special emphasis in the new humor and alternative styles of writing.

A Guide to Greeting Card Writing by Larry Sandman

Mom’s Talk Biz Guide to Start Your Own Greeting Card Business

ARTICLES

Questions & Answers Regarding Selling Your Greeting Cards

You’re A What? Greeting Card Writer (PDF)

Say It With A Card – Meet Three Hallmark Writers

Breaking into the Spanish-Language Greeting Card Market

Breaking Into The Greeting Card Market

Using The Internet To Crack The Greeting Card Market

FORUMS

Greeting Card Writing Forum from WritersWrite.com

MAGAZINES

GREETINGS etc. – This official publication of the Greeting Card Association is the only magazine that exclusively covers the greeting card and stationery marketplace. Each issue of the bi-monthly magazine contains information on product trends, manufactures, retailers, designers, suppliers, industry news, licensing, trade shows, web news and more.

WEBSITES

Greeting Card Profits – How To Start Your Own Greeting Card Business

Greeting Card Writing – The only site totally dedicated to the subject of writing greeting cards.