Do you have what it takes to write for greeting cards?
If you’re like me, you can spend hours roaming card aisles looking for the one that is 'just right!' Think there aren’t enough great cards and that you can write better? There could be loads of cash to be made out of writing greeting cards.
It is a very competitive market so you may not want to make a career leap just yet, but it can provide a creative outlet for your creativity that will earn you some extra cash. It doesn’t take much, just a few punchy puns could earn you up to £150!
Before you start emailing out all your funny one liners, we've got a few tips:
The greeting card game
Step 1: Research, research, research.
This can’t be stressed enough. It’s time consuming and critical. It will also end up saving you time in the long run. Many publishers don’t even get past the first few lines or words in a proposal because so many applicants don’t research before submitting.
The first thing to note is that not all cards are created equal - there are various genres.
The three main types are:
- Traditional cards which use metered, rhyming poetry.
- Contemporary prose cards which tend to be the sentimental cards.
- Humorous pun-filled clever cards which are by far the most popular.
Traditional cards are the most technical, and are therefore mostly written by in-house staff however both prose and humorous cards are written primarily by freelance writers.
Pick your style - but whatever style you choose make sure that you’re pitching to the correct publisher! Don’t send pitches of your funniest work to publishers of blank cards.
Step 2: Be organised
You need to keep your research organised, so when you start submitting your work you can keep track of what level of contact you are at with each publisher. Create an Excel spreadsheet with these details:
- Publisher's address
- Website addresses
- Type of cards published by the publishing company
- Their guidelines
- Dates you may have submitted guideline requests or work
- If you received an email or written response keep track of dates and the name of person who may of contacted you
- You may need to send follow up emails tracking the status of your submissions or thanking editors for feedback. Keep track of follow up dates. This is your opportunity to establish a rapport with someone and place a personality with a name.
Keeping organised records requires effort but it will save you time, and potential embarrassment later on. Research and contact is needed on a continual basis since publisher's requirements change all the time. If you are going to be submitting seasonal cards remember they produce them months in advance so Christmas card submissions my be needed in July. Check in periodically with publishers to see what seasonal submissions are currently required.
Step 3: Finding publishers
The best place to start your research is at a high-street card shop. Go in and take note of the types of cards available, read them, get an idea of what types of cards are popular. Take down publisher’s names which can be found on the back of the cards. You should write down as many publishers as possible.
Finding smaller publishers will give you access to a market with less competition. Smaller companies will pay less however they are a great place to get your foot in the door as competition is fierce in bigger firms. These may be a bit harder to find but again the initial research will pay off.
Visit niche shops like craft stores, restaurant gift shops, book stores and pet shops. Check out unusual places, such as home furnishings stores who sometimes sell greeting cards. Investigating these types of shops will give you some smaller publishing company names that you may not have found at your high-street greeting cards shop.
Another great place to find publishers is at greeting card trade fairs. You can meet all sorts of publishers all in one go and get an idea of which ones you want to pitch to.
Some upcoming trade shows include:
- Home and Gift, Harrogate: Contact Clarion Events on 020 7370 8359, or see the Home and Gift website. The event runs in July, or catch the autumn fair at the Birmingham NEC by contacting TPS on 020 8277 5800 or going to the autumn fair website.
- Top Drawer Autumn, Earls Court: Contact Clarion Events on 020 7370 8359, or visit the Top Drawer website. Both events are running in September.
Step 4: Contacting Publishers
Now that all your research is complete you can start contacting publishers. Most publishers nowadays have their guidelines online which makes research and tailoring your pitches easier than ever. Just get the publishers names you have gathered and start visiting them online. Remember that countless pitches aren’t even reviewed because they don’t follow the guidelines.
If you were not able to view their submission guideline forms online you must write to them requesting them. Do not submit any work or ideas without first reading their submission guidelines.
Remember to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your request. Some companies will send their guidelines via email, others will send you a package in the post. Remember to follow their guidelines closely, submit electronically if that is what is requested. If they would like you to post your submission make sure your name and contact details are on every sheet as pieces of paper can go astray.
Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you would like your work returned. Make sure that your envelope is large enough for your work and that is has the correct amount of postage. You need to make the editor’s life as easy as possible.
The most important thing to remember is follow their instructions explicitly! If it asks you to send a self-addressed envelope and to keep your submissions to under 100 words, do it. You need to be creative, as it’s a competitive market, however keep in mind they get tons of applications and need a quick way to weed people out. The fastest way is to get rid of those who can’t follow instructions.
E-cards: A booming sector of greeting cards is of course the e-card. Like card publishers most of these publishers have their guidelines listed on their sites. Carefully review their content and guidelines before submitting any of your work.
Clicking on the contacts section is usually where you will find submission details. Here is a list of online greeting card companies to try :
Step 5: The waiting game
Rome wasn’t built in a day, writing requires practice so keep at it and you’ll get better. It may take a while for publishers to get back to you, but be patient. Keeping on top of your follow up emails will also help this process along, but remember don’t be a pest! You want to have your name in their heads, but you don’t want to be known as the one who doesn’t stop pestering!
Be willing to accept rejection if an editor is kind enough to provide feedback on your work. Take their advice and be open - it will only help make you a better writer. Just because you are rejected the first time you submit work doesn’t mean you should never again submit to a publisher. If the editor did send you feedback, take their advice as it will help make your future submissions better and get them sold!
Step 6: Cashing in
The amount of money earned varies from publisher to publisher, but generally punchlines can make up to £150 per idea, while verses tend to go for around £25. Payment varies greatly from company to company, and like all freelance work it sometimes takes a while to receive payment. So initially this isn’t a good option for steady income, however with steady contact building many people make a career out of greeting card writing.
Great research reads
Amazon has some fantastic books to help with the research process:
Click your way to work
The magazine Progressive Greetings Worldwide offers great information on publishers, news products and industry issues. Publishers advertise for freelance writers in the magazine, a monthly publication that is available through annual subscription of £40. With your subscription you also receive special annual supplements like the 'Words and Sentiment' supplement and a 'Focus on Humorous cards'.
The Greeting Cards Association website is also another great place to find freelance work.
One great site to visit is Greeting Card Writing's tip sheet. Although the list of companies is American, she has been a greeting card writer for over 20 years and has some great writing tips to share. She also offers online courses.
Visiting the website Writers Write will give you an extensive list of publishers, great books to read, electronic card publishers and websites, tips and message boards where other writers discuss and share tips of the trade.
The European Federation for freelance writers is a good site to get writing tips, information on classes and job postings.
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