Do you ever pick up a greeting card in the store and think ‘I could write better than that‘?
Well, did you know that you can actually get paid to write poetry for greeting cards!
If you’re a talented writer with a knack for putting feelings into words, writing poetry for greeting cards can be a neat side hustle you can fit around your day job. Or it can be another string to your bow as a freelance writer.
The great thing about greeting card writing jobs is there is no barrier to entry! You don’t need any formal qualifications or experience. All you need is a way with words and some creative ideas.
In most cases, all it takes to become a greeting card writer is to send your submission to a greeting card company. If they like it, they’ll publish it – and pay you for it!
These are all freelance positions where you just send in your submissions as and when you come up with them. You can send as many or as few submissions as you want. Of course, there are no fixed hours. So this role is a great way to earn some extra income in your spare time, while expressing your creative side.
General tips on how to make money as a greeting card writer
If you think you’ve got what it takes to make money writing poems and prose, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Most established greeting card companies pay a flat fee per accepted submission, and this would typically give them exclusive rights. If you want to retain the rights to your work yourself – and maybe even keep earning over time – you can go the self-published route.
- Most greetings card companies have a submissions schedule, meaning they will only consider submissions for holiday cards at particular times of the year. For example, cards for spring holidays such as St. Patrick’s Day and Mother’s Day may be due the previous fall.You will find this information on their submissions page. Make sure you don’t ignore it, because your careful work might end up in the trash pile if you send it at the wrong time of year.
- Each company prides themselves on their own unique voice and style. Some favor family-friendly humor, some are naughty or risque, some specialise in religious verse, and so on. Spend some time studying each publisher’s catalogue on their website before you send in your best work to make sure your submissions are the right fit.
Here’s a list of companies that will pay you to write poetry for greeting cards:
Blue Mountain Arts
Blue Mountain Arts are a lovely little company that publish greeting cards, calendars, gift books and other unique and personal gifts. They are actively seeking writers to contribute both contemporary prose and poetry for their greeting card line. They are looking for unique and creative wording that is different from all the other cards out there. Poetry submissions can be anywhere from 50 to 300 words.
This company is located in the United States, but they accept submissions from anywhere in the world (so long as they are written in English!)
Check out their full submission guidelines here. If you’re ready to move ahead, there’s a submission form at the same link.
If your writing interests go beyond greeting card messages and poems, note that they are also seeking submissions for books in genres such as self help and personal development.
Pay: Blue Mountain cards pay $300 per poem to publish it on a greeting card, and $50 per poem to publish in a book. This is the highest paying company that I found in my research, so I recommend prioritizing them!
Oatmeal Studios
Oatmeal Studios’ niche is ‘Unique, fun cards, that make people happy!’ They make cards for special occasions including birthdays, anniversaries, and retirement, and well as thank you and get well cards.
They are not looking for lengthy poetry; rather, they are asking for funny submissions and they suggest that you write the way people talk.
You can see their full writers’ guidelines and information on the submission process here.
Pay: $100 per accepted idea.
NobleWorks Cards
Noble Works claim to be one of the leading publishers of humor cards! They pride themselves on being risqué and off-beat.
So if you have a knack for penning naughty poems and prose, this is one to consider.
You can submit your details on this page to get a copy of their full writer guidelines. They are also hiring artists and illustrators. If you meet the guidelines, you will be invited to share your portfolio.
NobleWorks don’t share details on how much they pay on their site, but I recommend applying for their writer guideline pack to find out more.
RSVP
RSVP is a Maine-based company that publishes eclectic and playful greetings cards. They hire independent writers and artists from all over the world. They have a page on their site aimed at writers, providing guidelines of what they are looking for in card messages (hint: fresh, non-formulaic and innovative messages).
They don’t share any information about how much they pay, but there is a phone number on the site you can contact for more information. Note the submission schedule on this page.
Can you draw too?
I have seen the following companies discussed on writers’ forums and websites as companies that hire greeting card writers. However, at the time of researching this article, they were currently accepting new submissions from artists and illustrators only (not writers).
So, if you can offer the full greeting card design package, check them out! You might also consider partnering with an artist to put images to your words. Try the freelance marketplaces such as Upwork or Fiverr if you’re not already connected.
More honorable mentions:
Avanti Press – they do usually accept writing submissions but are full at the time of writing – check back soon!
The Greeting Card Association – yes, the greeting card industry has its own industry body! They have a member directory which is a great place to find new greeting card companies to contact about potential work.
And just a note: when we think ‘greeting cards’, most of us think straightaway of Hallmark Cards. Well, they don’t accept outside submissions. So don’t waste your time – send your previous
Etsy
Now, the various companies mentioned above usually pay a flat fee for the rights to your poem or message. If you want to retain control of your work, one way to do that is to create your own cards and publish them through everyone’s favorite craft marketplace, Etsy!
If you go down this route, you have two options: produce physical cards to sell (you would have to find a printer and arrange the logistics of inventory and shipping your cards too). Or, my personal favorite side hustle idea – sell your cards as digital downloads a.k.a. printables.
Etsy is set up to easily faciliate this ‘printable’ model. You simply upload your digital file, and it will be automatically delivered to your customer after they pay.
What I love about the printables model is that it is totally hands-off, once you’ve done the initial work of creating and listing your card.
And what’s more, you can sell the same card over and over and over. This eventually turns into a healthy stream of passive income. Imagine having dozens or even hundreds of cards in your store, making sales every day, and you don’t even have to ship them out to the customer!
I have recently taken this awesome course on how to set up an Etsy printables business for extra money and I highly recommend this free workshop to learn more about it:
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Redbubble
Redbubble is another way you can make money from your own poetry and designs, while keeping full control. It’s a ‘print on demand’ company, which means you upload your designs, and the company will print (and ship!) them for you once an order is placed.
What’s more, you can easily apply your designs to a whole heap of products! So as well as greeting cards, you can offer prints of your poems, coffee mugs, stickers, magnets, pretty much anything else you can think of – all with a click of a button!
More ways to get paid for writing poetry
Literary journals
Many literary journals and magazines accept poetry submissions, and pay for any they publish. Here are a few to consider:
Poetry contests
There is always a poetry contest going on somewhere in the world, and they often pay upwards of $1000 cash prize for a winning work. This site has a great list.
Poetry books
You can submit poetry for inclusion in an anthology. Or, if you’re really productive, publish your own! Yes, anyone can publish a book these days with self-publishing options such as KDP.
Poetry prints
If you have some poems ready to go, it’s simple to create a piece of wall art featuring your work. You can use a template on a free design program such as Canva to make it look attractive. Then, you can sell it as a digital product on Etsy, or one of the many print-on-demand companies out there (see above).
Get paid to write poetry for greeting cards: in summary
So there we have it! There are several greeting card companies that will pay you for your poetry and prose. Or, you can always self-publish your cards on a creative marketplace such as Etsy.
Who says poetry writing doesn’t pay?
Writing copy for greeting cards can be a great way to make some extra money for writers, or anyone who is looking for a creative side hustle idea.
If you’re interested in making money writing, you should also check out these related posts:
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