About Greeting Card Writers
Greeting-card writers provide content for greeting-card companies. Most greeting-card writers are freelancers who work as independent contractors, although some companies hire writers on a continuous, in-house basis. Greeting-card writers are both poets and prose writers who are able to create work with commercial appeal.
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History
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Greeting cards have existed in some form for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians sent each other greeting cards on papyrus scrolls to commemorate the new year. The card was a standard form of greetings and felicity throughout the middle ages, and became an American tradition at the turn of the 20th century thanks to American Greetings founder Jacob Sapirstein.
Function
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The main focus of greeting-card writers is to convey a message through poetry or witticism. A greeting-card writer must utilize universal themes to appeal to the broad audience of potential buyers. Most greeting-card writers are freelancers, so they are responsible for writing and also selling their poetry to a greeting-card company, which in turn buys the rights to publish the work.
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Types
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Greeting cards are separated into three distinct divisions: traditional, studio and alternative. Traditional greeting cards usually demand a traditional style, with poetry that rhymes and is metered. Studio greeting cards are more contemporary, and usually the most open to beginning writers. Alternative greeting cards are an off-shoot of studio, being contemporary in language but dealing with a wider scope of topics, including religion.
Significance
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Greeting-card writers came into prominence in the United States during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Many people sent each other greeting cards to lift their spirits during this difficult time. In modern times, greeting-card writers are important because they find a way to express emotions that are often inexpressible by the non-poet.
Identification
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A successful greeting-card writer is one who can reach out to the biggest card-buying demographic: women ages 18 to 50. A greeting-card writer is normally identified as a freelancer and poet who is able to promote her work for a commercial audience.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Richard Moross, flickr
