How to Make Money Writing Greeting Cards

You don't have to be a best-selling novelist or famous journalist to make a decent living writing. According to the Greeting Card Association, the greeting card industry brings in billions of dollars in sales yearly. Writing for this market requires an intimate voice and a knack for writing verse.

Instructions

1. Study the "Writer Guidelines" on The Greeting Card Association (GCA) website. This will give you a good overview of what writing greeting cards is all about. Go to the Writers Write greeting card page for a list of publishers, a discussion forum and links to further information.

2. Read Patrisha Stauss's "Freelance Writing for Greeting Card Companies." Make sure it's the second edition published in February 2007. This will tell you about running your own business as a greeting cards freelancer.

3. Study as many greeting cards as you can get your hands on. Notice who publishes them. Buy the ones that impress you the most and keep them in a special file for inspiration. Keep up on new developments in the greeting card industry on Twitter's news site.

4. Check out the company directories on the Writers Write page and in Yahoo! Be sure to examine samples of their cards so you understand what styles they're interested in. Make a list of companies to query. Check their websites for writer's guidelines or send a letter requesting the guidelines with a self-addressed stamped envelope and two first-class stamps.

Tips & Warnings

• Be diligent about following the company's guidelines. There's no quicker way to damage your chances for consideration than to violate them.

• Jot down ideas for all occasions as they come to you. Be aware, though, that the highest demand is for Christmas, Valentine's Day and birthday greetings.

• Don't send submissions by email unless they tell you in the guidelines that it's okay.