Do you know you’ll be able to earn cash by discovering greeting card writing jobs? Listed here are 7 corporations that pay freelancers.
Greeting playing cards, by their nature, are supposed to be displayed. A few of them characteristic artwork so beautiful, you possibly can put them in a body and cling them in your wall.
So in case your visible arts skills are much less “Thomas Kinkade” and extra “juice-box-addled toddler who’s solely half taking note of what he’s doing,” then it could not even have occurred to you that there’s a spot in your skills within the greeting card business.
That’s the place you’d be unsuitable.
Even when you suppose Adobe is a spice you purchase at Complete Meals, there are a couple of greeting card corporations that settle for work from freelance writers—no inventive skills wanted.
Our information under covers every little thing you have to find out about freelance greeting card writing jobs, together with how a lot you may make, which corporations are searching for writers, land the gigs, and extra.
How a lot do greeting card writing jobs pay?
Whereas the record of corporations actively soliciting copy-only submissions is brief, the stack of greenback payments you may have the potential to earn with these corporations is pretty tall.
Among the many corporations listed right here, pay might be $100 or extra for every accepted verse. So neglect in regards to the cents per phrase you would possibly earn from an article—how about $5 to 10 USD per phrase?
On the excessive finish of the spectrum, Blue Mountain Arts pays $300 for the primary accepted verse (and much more for subsequent verses), however their playing cards characteristic multi-line poems versus one-liners.
This pay is even higher when you think about there’s little to not one of the analysis, interviews, outlines, and all the opposite behind-the-scenes work that another types of writing contain. You simply want to talk out of your coronary heart, or, in some circumstances, your snark organ.
Will you make an enormous revenue writing greeting playing cards? In all probability not, however it may be a enjoyable supplemental strategy to make cash writing.
How do you turn into a greeting card author?
Probably the greatest issues about greeting card writing jobs is that almost all corporations don’t care whether or not you’ve simply been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize or your mother’s fridge is the one place your writing has ever been revealed.
Simply present them your phrases. In the event that they like your verses, they’ll both put a number of of these precise verses of their playing cards or they’ll use your poetry as the premise to begin a working relationship, relying on the corporate.
If you wish to write greeting card verses, a very powerful factor to do is familiarize your self with the corporate’s work earlier than submitting.
You don’t need to ship jokes so filthy they’d make your grandma faint to an organization that publishes inspirational poems in regards to the nature of friendship. (Possibly that earlier line ought to learn: “…jokes so filthy your grandma needs she’d considered them herself…” We don’t know your grandmother.)
Fortunately, getting a really feel for an organization’s model couldn’t be simpler, as just about each vendor has their full catalog proper on their web site.
One other tip, from Amy Smyth, co-owner of A Smyth Co.: “Be prepared to edit, change and write a variety of strains to get to some good strains.”
You should definitely fastidiously comply with the submission pointers, which differ wildly from one firm to a different. Some corporations need you to allow them to understand how you think about the cardboard wanting, whereas others simply need the phrases, thanks, and so they’ll deal with the remainder in-house. A Smyth Co., for instance, desires submission concepts utilizing a Google Sheet.
As all the time, we additionally extremely advocate visiting the Freelance Writers Den, a superb useful resource for freelance writers who’re looking for methods to make more cash. The Den has over 300 hours of precious programs and coaching supplies that present you run a hit writing enterprise.
Greeting card writing jobs you’ll be able to pitch proper now
1. Blue Mountain Arts
Based by Susan Polis Schutz and Stephen Schutz, this firm publishes not solely greeting playing cards however poetry anthologies, calendars, framed wall prints, inspirational books and extra.
What they’re searching for: Based on their submission pointers, the corporate is searching for 50-300-word works of “modern prose or poetry…that displays the ideas and emotions individuals as we speak need to talk to 1 one other, however don’t all the time know put into phrases.”
Even relating to oft-used themes resembling parent-child relationships, verses ought to be “refreshing and distinctive or…specific age-old sentiments in new and other ways.” The corporate’s don’ts embody rhymed poetry, spiritual verse and one-liners.
In case your work is chosen for additional overview, you’ll hear from them inside eight weeks. As soon as a chunk is chosen, it may very well be as much as two years earlier than you get ultimate phrase in your submission. In different phrases, don’t depend in your earnings from this firm to pay subsequent month’s hire.
Based on Ingrid Heffner from Blue Mountain Arts’ editorial division, they often look by writings below market overview for his or her greeting playing cards to search out materials that may work for an anthology challenge resembling a calendar or e-book. In that case, they’d purchase one-time rights for the piece.
Full submission pointers might be discovered right here.
Charges: In case your work is accepted for his or her greeting playing cards, you get $300 in your first accepted submission and much more for subsequent accepted work, as much as a most of $700; pay is $50 if accepted for an anthology challenge.
2. Oatmeal Studios
Should you lean extra towards the sarcastic than the sentimental, this firm may be extra your pace.
What they’re searching for: Oatmeal Studios is searching for “humorous greeting card concepts that attraction to a variety of ages and pursuits.” Whilst you don’t have to be an artist to undergo this firm, their pointers ask that you simply describe the paintings you envision going along with your verse.
Their card classes are Birthday, Get Properly, Retirement, Belated Birthday, Anniversary, Thanks, and Congratulations, however editor Daybreak Abraham says they use only a few from the final two classes.
“At prime political moments we think about political concepts that can be utilized for these events, particularly birthday,” she says, including, “we’re all the time wanting essentially the most for birthday concepts, particularly ones that poke enjoyable at getting older.”
Oatmeal Studios’ author’s pointers might be discovered right here.
Charges: $100 per accepted verse.
3. Calypso Playing cards, Inc.
What they’re searching for: Based on their submission pointers, Calypso’s greeting playing cards are “refined, modern and modern.” They need, “recent, authentic paintings that approaches the greeting card from a unique approach.”
Their submission pointers might be discovered right here.
Charges: Calypso Playing cards, Inc.’s web site doesn’t point out how a lot they pay, and the corporate didn’t return emails looking for remark, however that is one other firm that in all probability gained’t be supplying you with subsequent week’s grocery cash. “We overview a number of occasions a yr, however a number of months can go by between evaluations,” their web site states.
4. NobleWorks Playing cards
Should you make “that’s what she mentioned jokes” so typically that the phrase is embroidered on a throw pillow in your sofa…really, you would possibly nonetheless be too tame for a few of this firm’s choices. “Though we inventory our share of conventional greeting playing cards appropriate for any event and even essentially the most puritanical individuals in your record,” the corporate’s web site says, “NobleWorks actually stands out for humor playing cards that flaunt the bounds of excellent style and civility.”
What they’re searching for: Based on their author’s pointers, which you may get by filling out a type on their web site (your identify and electronic mail handle are all that’s required), the corporate appears for “recent textual content and humorous, intelligent writing. We desire textual content that’s versatile sufficient for use with a wide range of photos.”
NobleWorks publishes playing cards for all kinds of events, together with Christmas, Hannukah, Mom’s/Father’s Day, Anniversary, St. Patrick’s Day and extra, all listed on an annual schedule included with the submissions pointers. They ask for not more than 20 submissions per introduction.
Charges: Based on senior editor Kathy Krassner, “If we do choose and publish a card with a verse submitted from an out of doors author, we pay a flat charge of $150 for that verse/idea.” There’s additionally the potential for a longer-term working relationship: “In case your writing model suits with ours, we could select so as to add you to our writers’ electronic mail record,” their submission pointers state. “We periodically electronic mail photos to writers and ask for copy to be written.”
5. Papyrus
What they’re searching for: With a slogan of “Categorical Fantastically” and an internet site that advertises that “you’ll all the time have refined sentiments to share with people who deliver pleasure to your life,” you would possibly need to save that soiled one-liner in your partner’s boss. (Nope. Nope. Don’t do this, both.)
Info on the submissions course of might be discovered throughout the firm’s FAQ part. Papyrus accepts portfolios for overview through snail-mail. They ask for not more than 12 copy submissions at a time, together with a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you’d like your work again. Ship them to:
Papyrus Portfolio Evaluation
240 Gateway Rd
West Napa, CA
94558
They ask that you simply permit a minimal of eight weeks for a response.
Charges: Their web site doesn’t record fee info, and so they didn’t reply to emails looking for remark, so in the event that they like what they see from you, be ready to barter a fee.
6. Avanti
To be thought of by Avanti, snail-mail samples of your writing to their editorial division.
7. Greeting Card Affiliation
In case you are up for some cold-contacting, the Greeting Card Affiliation is the place to be for card makers—company behemoths and impartial, one-man/lady operations alike. Their member listing lists dozens of corporations together with hyperlinks to their web sites, however most of them don’t actively search writers’ submissions through their web sites (therefore the cold-contacting).
Why write for greeting playing cards?
As a result of the market is so small, particularly amongst corporations that actively solicit copy submissions, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to feed your loved ones solely by writing greeting card verses. Simply as with poetry writing jobs, consider it as one strategy to make cash as a author, however not your solely method.
However we predict it’s nonetheless value it to offer it a shot.
Why?
For brand spanking new freelancers, it’s a good way to follow making contact with potential houses in your writing in an surroundings that would show rather less nerve-wracking than the standard pitching course of (with many of the corporations listed above, you’ve already been invited to submit your ultimate product—no want to fret about whether or not your pitch might be accepted).
For established freelancers, greeting playing cards generally is a change of surroundings…a strategy to follow tightening your writing (once you solely have a 5×7 house, each phrase has to depend)…and a attainable house for that joke that may have slayed at your good friend’s party final week—when you’d have considered it, , through the celebration as an alternative of on the best way house.
By the best way, Should you’re a multi-talented artistic kind who’s assured in your visible paintings (think about Napoleon Dynamite’s voice saying, “Fortunate!”), many of the above-mentioned corporations work with visible artists independently of their writing arm. Additionally take a look at Amber Lotus publishing, Leanin’ Tree, Nice Arrow Graphics, Greetings Card Firm, and Design Home Greetings, in addition to wanting by the Greeting Card Affiliation’s Member Listing.
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Andrea Davis has spent a lot of her employment within the newspaper business but in addition works as a contract author. She lives in a small Ohio city alongside Lake Erie along with her husband and two kids.
