Do you know you may earn cash by discovering greeting card writing jobs? Listed below are 7 corporations that pay freelancers.
Greeting playing cards, by their nature, are supposed to be displayed. A few of them function artwork so attractive, you possibly can put them in a body and hold 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 listening to what he’s doing,” then it might not even have occurred to you that there’s a spot on your skills within the greeting card business.
That’s the place you’d be incorrect.
Even for those who suppose Adobe is a spice you purchase at Entire Meals, there are a number of greeting card corporations that settle for work from freelance writers—no creative skills wanted.
Our information under covers all the pieces you want to find out about freelance greeting card writing jobs, together with how a lot you may make, which corporations are searching for writers, how one can land the gigs, and extra.
How a lot do greeting card writing jobs pay?
Whereas the checklist of corporations actively soliciting copy-only submissions is brief, the stack of greenback payments you might have the potential to earn with these corporations is pretty tall.
Among the many corporations listed right here, pay may be $100 or extra for every accepted verse. So overlook concerning 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 function 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? Most likely not, however it may be a enjoyable supplemental approach to earn a living writing.
How do you turn out to be a greeting card author?
The most effective issues about greeting card writing jobs is that the majority 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 start out 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 wish to ship jokes so filthy they’d make your grandma faint to an organization that publishes inspirational poems concerning the nature of friendship. (Perhaps 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 a corporation’s type 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 lots of traces to get to some good traces.”
Remember to rigorously observe the submission pointers, which range 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 at all times, we additionally extremely advocate visiting the Freelance Writers Den, a wonderful useful resource for freelance writers who’re looking for methods to make more cash. The Den has over 300 hours of useful programs and coaching supplies that present you how one can run successful writing enterprise.
Greeting card writing jobs you may 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: In accordance with their submission pointers, the corporate is searching for 50-300-word works of “modern prose or poetry…that displays the ideas and emotions folks at present wish to talk to at least one one other, however don’t at all times know how one can put into phrases.”
Even relating to oft-used themes resembling parent-child relationships, verses ought to be “refreshing and distinctive or…categorical age-old sentiments in new and alternative ways.” The corporate’s don’ts embody rhymed poetry, spiritual verse and one-liners.
In case your work is chosen for additional assessment, you’ll hear from them inside eight weeks. As soon as a chunk is chosen, it might be as much as two years earlier than you get closing phrase in your submission. In different phrases, don’t depend in your earnings from this firm to pay subsequent month’s lease.
In accordance with Ingrid Heffner from Blue Mountain Arts’ editorial division, they often look by means of writings below market assessment for his or her greeting playing cards to search out materials that might work for an anthology venture resembling a calendar or e-book. In that case, they’d purchase one-time rights for the piece.
Full submission pointers may be discovered right here.
Charges: In case your work is accepted for his or her greeting playing cards, you get $300 on 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 venture.
2. Oatmeal Studios
In case you lean extra towards the sarcastic than the sentimental, this firm is perhaps extra your velocity.
What they’re searching for: Oatmeal Studios is searching for “humorous greeting card concepts that enchantment to a spread of ages and pursuits.” When you don’t have to be an artist to undergo this firm, their pointers ask that you just describe the paintings you envision going together with your verse.
Their card classes are Birthday, Get Effectively, 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 contemplate political concepts that can be utilized for these events, particularly birthday,” she says, including, “we’re at all times wanting essentially the most for birthday concepts, particularly ones that poke enjoyable at getting older.”
Oatmeal Studios’ author’s pointers may be discovered right here.
Charges: $100 per accepted verse.
3. Calypso Playing cards, Inc.
What they’re searching for: In accordance with their submission pointers, Calypso’s greeting playing cards are “refined, modern and progressive.” They need, “contemporary, authentic paintings that approaches the greeting card from a special approach.”
Their submission pointers may 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 most likely gained’t be providing you with subsequent week’s grocery cash. “We assessment a number of instances a yr, however a number of months can go by between critiques,” their web site states.
4. NobleWorks Playing cards
In case you make “that’s what she mentioned jokes” so usually 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 folks in your checklist,” 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: In accordance with their author’s pointers, which you may get by filling out a kind on their web site (your title and e-mail handle are all that’s required), the corporate appears for “contemporary textual content and humorous, intelligent writing. We choose 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: In accordance with senior editor Kathy Krassner, “If we do choose and publish a card with a verse submitted from an outdoor author, we pay a flat price of $150 for that verse/idea.” There’s additionally the potential for a longer-term working relationship: “In case your writing type suits with ours, we could select so as to add you to our writers’ e-mail checklist,” their submission pointers state. “We periodically e-mail photos to writers and ask for copy to be written.”
5. Papyrus
What they’re searching for: With a slogan of “Categorical Superbly” and a web site that advertises that “you’ll at all times have refined sentiments to share with those who carry pleasure to your life,” you would possibly wish to save that soiled one-liner on your partner’s boss. (Nope. Nope. Don’t do this, both.)
Info on the submissions course of may be discovered inside the firm’s FAQ part. Papyrus accepts portfolios for assessment by way of 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 Assessment
240 Gateway Rd
West Napa, CA
94558
They ask that you just enable a minimal of eight weeks for a response.
Charges: Their web site doesn’t checklist cost 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 charge.
6. Avanti
To be thought-about by Avanti, snail-mail samples of your writing to their editorial division.
7. Greeting Card Affiliation
If you’re up for some cold-contacting, the Greeting Card Affiliation is the place to be for card makers—company behemoths and unbiased, 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 by way of 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 may feed your loved ones solely by writing greeting card verses. Simply as with poetry writing jobs, consider it as one approach to earn a living as a author, however not your solely manner.
However we expect it’s nonetheless value it to provide it a shot.
Why?
For brand spanking new freelancers, it’s an effective way to follow making contact with potential houses on your writing in an setting that might show rather less nerve-wracking than the standard pitching course of (with a lot of the corporations listed above, you’ve already been invited to submit your closing product—no want to fret about whether or not your pitch shall be accepted).
For established freelancers, greeting playing cards generally is a change of surroundings…a approach to follow tightening your writing (if you solely have a 5×7 area, each phrase has to depend)…and a attainable residence for that joke that might have slayed at your buddy’s birthday celebration final week—for those who’d have considered it, you understand, in the course of the social gathering as an alternative of on the best way residence.
By the best way, In case you’re a multi-talented artistic sort who’s assured in your visible paintings (think about Napoleon Dynamite’s voice saying, “Fortunate!”), a lot 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 means of 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 youngsters.