Did you know that you can make money writing greeting cards? So if you think you possess the skills to come up with great greetings or memorable messages, here’s the perfect opportunity for you. Or if you’ve ever been given a greeting card with a message that was just plain, bland, and boring, and you thought you could write something better, here’s your chance to prove it. Either way, here is a list of companies that are willing to pay you to write greeting cards, or even send photos or artworks or complete greeting card concepts (copy and image). Browse through the list below and find out if you have what it takes to earn up to $700 just by writing greeting cards.
1. Blue Mountain Arts
Blue Mountain Arts is a Colorado-based company that publishes greeting cards, as well as poetry anthologies, calendars and planners, framed wall prints, inspirational books, keepsake gifts, and more. It was founded in 1971 by couple Susan Polis Schutz and Stephen Schutz, who started by travelling the country selling silk-screened posters of Susan’s poems paired with Stephen’s paintings from their pickup-truck camper.
Today, Blue Mountain Arts is a publisher of international renown with a loyal global following; its products have been translated into many languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, French, Dutch, Hebrew, and more. The company prides itself in crafting ‘the perfect words… to celebrate the moments, encourage dreams, and connect hearts’.
Blue Mountain Arts is open to submissions for greeting card writings from anyone in the United States and across the world, so long as the contributions are written in English. They are looking for ‘contemporary prose or poetry written from personal experience that reflects the thoughts and feelings people today want to communicate to one another, but don’t always know how to put into words’. They suggest ‘works written to capture genuine emotions on topics such as love, friendship, family, missing you, and other real-life subjects’. They do not accept rhymed poetry, religious verse, or one-liners.
If you’re interested, you can submit your writings through the submission form on their website, or mail it to their company address. Submissions selected for further review will receive a response within 8 weeks. The pay is currently undisclosed, but information on the Internet reveals that the company will usually pay $300 for your first accepted submission, and even more – up to a maximum of $700 – for subsequent accepted work.
2. Oatmeal Studios
Oatmeal Studios traces its humble beginnings to 1978, in Vermont, when artist Helene Lehrer began creating simple silkscreen cards featuring her pet rabbit Oatmeal. It has since then grown into one of the world’s top humorous greeting card companies. It was acquired by Seattle-based Biely & Shoaf Co., and now has offices in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Washington.
Today, Oatmeal Studios continues to delight its worldwide clientele with unique cards that feature vibrant, colorful artwork and fantastic humor. Their products are perfect for every occasion, whether you want to wish someone a Happy Birthday or Happy Anniversary, or send someone a Get Well Soon card, or simply show your thanks to a person you really appreciate.
Oatmeal Studios is currently accepting submissions from interested contributors. They are looking for humorous greeting card ideas that appeal to a range of ages and interests, written in the way that people really talk, as if speaking to a family member or friend. They especially like funny and creative ideas that can be appreciated by most people in general. You can write ideas for Birthday, Get Well, Anniversary, Retirement, and Thank You cards. Note that they reject ‘puns, gross ideas, mean ideas, lengthy poetry or prose, or narrowly focused ideas (i.e., new baby for quintuplets, etc.)’.
If you have an idea or two to propose, you can send your submissions to their company email, or send it via snail mail to their company address. Their rate for writer copy is $100 per purchased idea.
3. NobleWorks Cards
NobleWorks Cards is a greeting card publisher with a specialty in funny greeting cards. What started in 1980 as a joint venture between good friends Ron Kafi, Christopher Noble, and Jay Purvis in a crowded district of New York City, using DIY materials to craft their products, has now grown into an international brand. Today, you can find NobleWorks greetings cards in Michigan, Montana, and Malaysia.
Nicknamed ‘The Humor Company’, NobleWorks sells funny cards wholesale. Their online store is stocked with thousands of amusing cards, images, and comics that range from family-friendly to slightly silly to full-on risqué; and touch on religion, politics, and current events and use the F-word whenever possible.
NobleWorks Cards is calling for submissions, especially for funny, unique, risqué works. If you’re unsure what to send, here’s what the company has to say: ‘Remember that we stock our shelves with naked grandmas, cards that use the F-word, and generally off-beat sentiments. We don’t offer cards featuring religious leaders smoking a bong for nothing, and if you find that especially hilarious, we might be the retail outlet for you and your work’.
If that doesn’t help at all, then go to NobleWorks’ online artist enquiry page and fill in a form, and they’ll send you the full guidelines to let you know what exact material they’re after. If you meet the guidelines, they’ll arrange to see your portfolio, and you will then receive a response from the company whether your work fits their needs.
NobleWorks pays a one-time flat fee for each concept selected to be published, usually $150 for a single submitted verse or concept. And if your writing style is what they’re looking for in particular, they might choose to add you to their writers’ email list as well, as they periodically email images to writers and ask for copy to be written, giving you the potential for a long-term working relationship.
4. Viabella
Viabella (Viabella Holdings, LLC), doing business as Marian Heath Greeting Cards, LLC, is an American company that publishes cards for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, friendships, and other ceremonies. It also sells journals and stationery. Headquartered in Massachusetts, the company prides itself in its long history, having been in the greeting card and stationery business and serving American customers since 1941.
Viabella is currently accepting – and paying for – greeting card writing concepts from interested contributors. You can send your verse submissions on the company’s website by filling in the submission form provided. You can submit verse no more than once every 30 days. You should know that they aren’t looking for religious or secular submissions. The pay is $50 to $100 per verse. In addition, you can also submit art or photography: the pay is $150 to $250 per image.
If they find your submission interesting, they’ll send you an offer or agreement letter for your signature. Upon receipt of the signed letter, you’ll be sent a check for the agreed upon amount. Once purchased, the submission is the property of Viabella. However, since they only use your accepted submission for greeting cards and stationery, you are free to sell your accepted submission to others outside of the industry.
Note that submitting your work to Viabella seems to require you to have a US address, which all too likely means only US-based contributors can participate. Also note that Viabella no longer accepts any submissions via traditional mail. All submissions must go through their website. And they do not respond to submissions unless they decide to purchase your art or verse.
5. RSVP by Sellers Publishing
RSVP (Reach Someone Very Personally) is the retail website of Sellers Publishing, an independent, Maine-based publisher that ‘focuses on all of the joys of life’s milestones and moments’. It sells greeting cards as well as books, calendars, planners, and sundry stationery. Since its founding in 1993 by Ronnie Sellers, the company’s aim has been to ‘create products that are in tune with your lifestyle, help express your personal history, and celebrate a life well lived’. Its line of RSVP® Greeting Cards alone has over 2,500 everyday, humor, and seasonal designs that are sold in large and small retail stores across North America.
Sellers Publishing is looking for great concepts, creative writing, and unique verses or messages for their greeting cards. Their greeting card line covers all the major everyday card sending occasions, as well as seasonal occasions including cards for Fall, Christmas, Valentine, and Spring seasonal holidays. If you have some professional quality work that you would like to send for their consideration, they would be happy to review your submission. Before submitting your work, they suggest that you review the cards on their website to see the types of cards they publish, keeping in mind that they’re looking for new or innovative messages and ways of expressing sentiments.
The types of verses they are most interested in are ones that are written in a contemporary style, with wording that is not too formal or over-used. They prefer messages that sound authentic and original, sincere but not overly sentimental. The verses do not necessarily have to be long, and they don’t tend to use rhymed poetry or religious verses, unless they make a specific request for that type of material. Note that you can also submit not just greeting card writings, but entire greeting card concepts, complete with copy and image (illustration or photo).
E-mail submissions are preferred, and you can send as many verses or samples of your writing in one email as you wish. You can type or paste the text or samples into the body of the email or alternately attach a word document with your name at the head of every page. Be sure to include information on the best way to contact you.
Terms and fees vary depending on the project and will be discussed upon acceptance of verse copy for a project. They usually pay a flat fee per verse used, include a verse credit on the printed card, and provide complimentary card samples.
6. A Smyth Co
A Smyth Co is a Virginia-based company that publishes, designs, writes, and distributes greeting cards to independent and specialty retailers in the US and Canada. It is owned by siblings Amy Smyth and John Smyth. The company believes that ‘the best way to connect with people is with humor and honesty’ and their aim is to ‘help you connect with the people you love the most’.
A Smyth Co believes that ‘cards are a tangible form of communication that express a thoughtful, meaningful, and lasting gesture of love and gratitude.’ In this regard, they emphasize that it’s ‘important that your gratitude and love is seen and heard in a world bombarded with communication options. Having a funny card, a sweet card, or a supportive card to express love or gratitude, in a meaningful way, makes you feel connected to the people you love the most’.
A Smyth Co is open to all types of collaborations but are focused on points of view outside of their own. You do not have to be a professional artist or a writer to collaborate. Previous experience in the greeting card industry is not necessary. The only requirements are that you represent your point of view, your story, your experience, and you are interested in helping to connect two people with a card. They are focused on relationships and connection, not on occasions such as Mother’s Day, birthdays, and graduation. If you’re interested in collaborating, you first need to contact them through their website.
7. Calypso Cards
Calypso Cards publishes and distributes several lines of sophisticated, contemporary, and innovative greeting cards that are sold by specialist retailers in the US and Canada. Currently, they are not looking for greeting card writing or copy contributions. Instead, they are inviting submissions of artwork for Birthday, Thank You, Anniversary, Wedding, Baby, Sympathy, Get Well, Friendship, New Home, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Graduation, Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year, Halloween, etc. cards. Before submitting, please visit their website to make sure that your work fits with their style.
8. Avanti
Avanti is an American publisher of greeting cards that ‘gives you a humorous way to keep connected with the ones you love through the universal language of laughter’. Their cards feature bold graphics, vivid colors, and fresh, sassy verses. At this time, they are not accepting greeting card writings. Instead, they are looking for photographs. If you would like to see your photography depicted on an Avanti card, you can submit via the company’s website. If the company is interested in your submission, they will then call to discuss licensing and licensing fee options. Once the license is signed and usage is paid, the process is complete.
9. Amber Lotus
Amber Lotus Publishing creates weekly planners, calendars, greeting cards, and stationery items that ‘illuminate the sacred dimensions of everyday life — mindfulness, healthy living, creativity, and earth awareness’. The company is passionate about ‘sharing the diversity of world cultures and sacred traditions as well as the inspiration and beauty of the natural world’. Unfortunately, they are not accepting writing submissions, including poetry and greeting card sentiments at this time. They are, however, looking for photography and artwork submissions. If you have an image series (photos, illustrations, or other works of art) that will be thematically compatible with their product lines, you can send them via the company’s website. Submissions are welcome from April through July.
10. Shade Tree Greetings
Shade Tree Greetings is a New-York based greeting card publisher that was founded in 1992. During that time, the company only featured 60 greeting cards. Now, it boasts of well over 600 designs and concepts. While they are currently not accepting greeting card writing submissions, they are, however, open to photo contributions. If you have old family photos that are unusual or funny, you can send them over for a chance to be a featured in one of their greeting cards.
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