Greeting cards are a popular tradition in America, generating millions of dollars in profit for their publishing companies.
Statistics show that Americans purchase 7 billion greeting cards each year, making it one of the popular customs in the United States, according to the Greeting Card Association. Greeting cards are also one of the fastest, most profitable ways for writers to make money, but breaking into the industry can be quite challenging. Although there are more than 3,000 greeting card publishers of all sizes in the United States, most of the largest and well-known companies maintain their own staff of creative writers who develop the greeting cards customers purchase. However, many freelance writers have found success in this genre of writing by querying smaller publishers.
Instructions
1. Do your research. Study as many greeting cards as possible to get an idea of popular fads in the types of cards being published. Visit the Greeting Card Association's website to get a feel for industry trends and to determine which companies are hiring.
2. Generate two or three good ideas for greeting card verses. Choose the best verse to be used as your writing sample when querying companies. Keep your wording concise, and be as unique as possible.
3. Purchase a copy of "Writer's Market" or a subscription to Writer's Market online, or Google the term "greeting card publishers" for a list of companies currently publishing cards. Follow each company's submission guidelines, if its website or listing provides that information. Find either the e-mail or postal address for a submissions editor at the company and submit a query letter pitching your services. Include your best sample of a unique, creative greeting card verse, if the guidelines request it. Target smaller companies to improve your chances of getting an acceptance reply.
