Introducing the Greeting Card Experts, part 2

Sandra Miller-Louden

On starting out:
“I knew no one in the business and I made every mistake in the book. But even so, I sold my first card to Current of Colorado Springs, the card catalogue I was just browsing through three months earlier. It was a Halloween caption and even though I only netted $15 for it, I was thrilled that someone paid me for my words. Later that same year, I sold two more verses to Oatmeal Studios in Vermont, for $50 each.”

On using the most proper voice:
“No question – the vast majority of editors look for that ‘me-to-you’ voice in a greeting card. Note that I use the word ‘voice’ rather than the more common ’style’ used to indicate other genres. That’s because greeting card writing is unique in that it is an interactive genre; the greeting card writer is that anonymous third voice between two other people, meaning the card sender and the card recipient. She is saying for others what they may be unwilling or unable to say for themselves.”

“Her words are there for all life’s basic happenings — a birth, a graduation, an illness, an engagement, wedding, retirement, funeral; not to mention those yearly occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries and seasonal occasions. Throw in those ‘just because’ friendship (thinking of you, miss you, love you, let’s get together, sorry I haven’t written, etc.), and then add all those “occasions” we didn’t even have 15-20 years ago (coping, death of a pet, glad to hear you’ve quit smoking, Boss’s Day, Secretary’s Day, Nurse’s Day)…well, you can see where the ‘voice’ is vital.”

On advising newbies on how to begin:
“Depending upon one’s creative output, it is definitely easier than any other genre I can think of. Many of my students and readers have sold their greeting card work in a remarkably short time. I can honestly say that when I developed the course and subsequently wrote my book, I was determined to save people those first four years of my writing, when basically I was learning the ropes and making every mistake I could think of.”

“Most beginners think ‘Hallmark’ or ‘American Greetings.’ If that’s where one starts submitting work, then yes, the odds become less favorable. I don’t direct my students there. They get their valuable experience dealing with editors, assignments, deadlines with mid-size companies; many have accumulated quite an impressive portfolio of sales in only a year or two.”

On discussing the monetary benefits:
“The range of pay is anywhere from $3/line of poetry, which is considered low, to $150 per verse for a humorous caption. Humor pays generally more. In my own career, I’ve been paid as low as $15 a verse to as high as $150/verse. When you break this down to a ‘per word’ dollar amount, it’s often unbelievable. I’ve made as high as $50/word.”

“As I think I mentioned before, a writer can really get spoiled in this genre, because not only is it ‘fun, immediate’ writing, it also pays quite well.”

On loving the greeting card world:
“I love the greeting card industry. It is exciting, it moves with trends and it provides me the opportunity to use a cliche and that is, it is truly a living, breathing industry. If there is something on the news, whether it be faxes and computers (in the early ’90s) or Rogaine and Viagra (in the late ’90s)…if you hear about it on the news, you’ll soon be seeing a reference to it in greeting cards.

Parting wise words:
“Study the racks, not as a consumer, but as a writer. Don’t just look at the writing, look at the artwork as well. See the greeting card as a whole entity… study how artwork and text combine to form this perfect whole we call ‘greeting card.’”

“Find as many mid-size and smaller companies as you can. Visit stores like Target, pet shops, florists, gift boutiques, sporting good stores, etc. Most stores have at least a spinner with cards. After the telephone, greeting cards are still the #1 form of communication.

“Also, read the books out there on card writing. Besides mine, Karen Ann Moore and Molly Wigand have books on the subject. They were former editors of card companies, so their focus is a bit different than mine, which comes from my ‘in the trenches experience’ as a stay-at-home Mom with no former contacts. If you’re so inclined, take a greeting card writing course.

“And of course, submit your work. You can’t sell what you don’t send in…I can’t stress that enough. I have taught many talented people, yet only a fraction follow through and actually send in their work to editors.”

“Pick up your pen or put your fingers on the keyboard and begin writing your way to the greeting card genre success with your verses!”

Introducing the Greeting Card Experts, part1

Still on the greeting card writing career, there’s no better way to learn about the industry than to read up on it from the experts themselves. Here are some wise words and inspiring stories I’ve gathered along the way:

Dan Reynolds

On starting out:
“First, I collected a lot of my best material. Then, I mailed card companies and asked for their submission requirements. I received back two responses: one from Oatmeal Studios and the other from Recycled Paper Greetings. Oatmeal was not interested. Too bad for them as RPG responded favorably and out of my first submission to them they had one of my cards finish number one in the country in their test market research. From there I was given a royalty contract and I’ve been with them ever since 1992.

Parting wise words:
“Know your market. Make sure you query with a company. If you’re doing funny stuff like I do, be better than the next guy. If you’re doing sentimental material, make sure your sap runneth over.”

“Write and draw everyday. I compare card people wannabes to those folks who say, ‘I want to learn how to play the guitar.’ Yeah, today, they want to learn the guitar but when they find out the hard work involved, they fall quickly to the wayside. The only people who will eventually become a greeting card person is the person who REALLY wants to do it and who takes the many rejections they will get as not defeats but a challenge. I get rejection all the time and I just think to myself, ‘They’re the ones that are losing out.’”

Mary Emma Allen

On discovering the industry:
Along with my writing, I was doing crafts and artwork. This included painting in oils and watercolors. How could I combine my writing and painting? Why not produce greeting cards and note paper for some of the outlets that took my quilts, toys, crafts. My mother operated a country general store and was always on the lookout for new items to sell. She encouraged me to produce cards for her customers.”

On discussing originality and inspiration:
“Keep a notepad with you so you can write down bits of poetry, meaningful inspirational phrases, humorous incidents as they come to you. Then you can draw upon these when writing verses for your own cards or creating verses to send to greeting card companies.”

Parting wise words:
“Study the various cards on the market. Determine what type of market you like to write for — inspirational, sentimental, humorous. Try writing the type of verse you like to read and receive.”

“Since I’ve not written for a greeting card company, only designed and produced my original cards, I can’t say for sure what leads to success there. However, as with any type of writing, check out the guidelines the greeting card companies put out. Learn what they’re looking for, study the cards they have on the market, and check out how they want you to submit your verses.

“There are also books on writing for the greeting card market. If you want to produce your own cards, begin practicing. Use your note pad to sketch ideas for pictures as well as greetings on the cards. Then notice original cards in various shops…how are they produced and packaged? How are they priced? Don’t copy them, but get ideas on the techniques and then try your original variations.”

Greeting Card Writers Connect People

Do you want to be a writer that brings people closer together? Well then, the greeting card industry can just produce such results for you. As a greeting card writer, you become part of innumerable birthdays, anniversaries, special occasions, and meaningful hellos. You become the voice that accurately delivers what some cannot articulately express, thereby forming and strengthening relationships in the process.

But how can you really be effective in this profession? To find the right words in your cards, you must keep a close eye on current societal themes and trends. This means thoroughly soaking yourself on society; it can be through reading up on everyday issues or just simply watching normal events unfold. Indeed, you must have a complete understanding of people’s emotions, as well as a quick grasp of the language that people are using nowadays.

Remember: the goal is to make every greeting card feel very personal to scores of card shoppers. Accomplish that and you got yourself an affecting greeting card (not to mention a rewarding writing career ahead of you).