Gifts and Cards - Freelancing for Companies like Hallmark Cards

Have you ever received or sent a Hallmark card and said to yourself, “I could have thought of that?” Well, you may be able to make decent money providing comedal anectdotes or meaningful verses for others. Writing for greeting card companies like Hallmark can be lucrative if you get your foot in the door and continue to provide top quality work.

Here are some tips to help.

Step 1: Set aside some time when you can sit down and actually compose all the funny, emotional, sympathetic or other types of greeting card thoughts. Don’t let them just float round in your head. They may seem great in your mind but putting them down on paper is the actual acid test. Write down as many of the ideas you have before going on to step 2.

Step 2: Look at the kinds of cards that have made the grade and are selling in Hallmark card stores. Look in the areas that interest you the most. Are you a birthday-humor kind of person or do you prefer inspirational, motivating quotes? Research the options and honestly ask yourself if your material is unique and as good as the competition. It may be that you have thought of a great ‘turning 40’ joke, but other people beat you to it. The reason why this isn’t the first step is that if you see dozens of Hallmark cards in a day they might fog your own thoughts and you might end up churning very similar punch lines.

Step 3: Most card companies like Hallmark have writers and artists guidelines on their website. Read them carefully and see if your work (step 1) needs any fine tuning. Many companies do NOT like rhyming poetry so in case that’s where the bulk of your work is concentrated in change your focus or change the company.

If you are an artist and aspire to have your cartoons or landscapes on Hallmark cards, read the guidelines for instructions about what art medium you can use and whether you can submit it electronically or do you need to snail mail it. Find out if and how the work will be returned in case it isn’t chosen.

Make a note of when to expect a response. After that date you can send a polite follow-up letter to see if the company has made its decision.

Very few submissions are selected because of the sheer volume the companies receive. Nevertheless, if you stay motivated and keep on trying you never know which punch line or picture wins over an editor. Good Luck!

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