How to Cash in on Writing Greeting Cards

How many greeting cards have you sent and received over the course of your life? Multiply that number by the population of the United States.

Now you have an idea about the size of the greeting card market.

The thing is, all of those sentiments, poems and wacky greetings don't just write themselves. And with a little practice, you could be a well paid to write greeting cards. While huge greeting card publishers (e.g. Hallmark) have staff writers, most of the mid-size and smaller ones rely on freelancers to write their sentiments.

How much can you make? Some greeting card publishers pay $25 per concept. Others pay $300 or more. Most pay somewhere in between. One of the best aspects of writing greeting cards is you can develop it into a constant money maker year around!

Want to try your hand at it? Here's what you need to know:

Where to find greeting card companies. The Writer's Market is published every year and has a section completely devoted to greeting cards. Most companies have their own websites, where you can find their writers' guidelines. A quick search on the web will dig up even more leads. If there's a particular greeting card line you like, look them up, too.

Study the guidelines. While some greeting card publishers will accept online submissions, others will not. Some require submissions on 3 X 5 cards, while others want them submitted on standard 8 1/2 X 11 sheets of paper. Be sure you submit your sentiments in the format they require.

Study the product line. A sentiment that may work for one greeting card maker may not work for others. Study what the publishers have put out to determine whether your voice is a fit for their lines.

Think personally but write universally. Writing greeting cards isn't as easy as you would think. It's not the hardest thing, either. But if you capture a "me-to-you" sentiment that will appeal to a large group of people, you have an excellent shot of making a sale.