Occasionally an editor or writer I speak with is so helpful that they practically write an entire post for me. I spoke with a long-time freelance writer who wrote reeting cards for about 5 years about the card-writing industry and how to get in it. This is what she said:

I used to write greeting cards fairly regularly for a Colorado based company. It was a fun diversion from other types of writing and it was a treat to see and use the cards when they were printed. I don't know their current rate, but when I wrote for the company a few years ago they paid $25 plus a box of the printed cards for each verse they used, $10 plus another box for reuse. Periodically they sent out packets of covers (artists created the fronts of their greeting cards first), each of which had a reference number. Writers were to create verses or witty lines that went with the image. They may have a more efficient e-system now, but the last time I submitted verses, they had to be typed on 3x5 cards with the card cover ref. number noted at top left, writer's info on the back.

Your best bet - get the book How to Write and Sell Greeting Cards, Bumper Stickers, T-Shirts and Other Fun Stuff by Molly Wigand, check other books on greeting card writing, compile a list of target markets from Writer's Market or similar sources, start requesting guidelines, and follow what the companies tell you to do.

Here are some additional tips on breaking into that market:

1. The most important first step is -- no surprise here because it's the same advice that's always Rule Number One for any type of writing, magazine, newspaper, book, whatever -- read the products you want to write. If you have a sense of humor and think you would enjoy writing humorous greeting cards, spend some serious time at the greeting card racks reading humorous cards. Make a note of the company/maker and name of the card line (example: Shoebox) whenever you find one you especially like or that's similar to something you already have written or that you think you could've written equally well. Go to several card retailers (i.e., stores that sell cards, not just specialty stores like Hallmark) to see a variety of card lines. Some stores contract to feature only one or two card companies so if you look no further than those stores, you'll miss all the other companies. Also, browse the card samples you can view online.

2. Next, write some samples. This step is partly a practice run to see if you're on the right track, and partly to prepare in case a company asks to see samples of your ideas.

Don't worry about trying to draw the cover images. That's the artist's job. Your job is words. DO think about cover art and suggest cover art, but do not worry about actually drawing samples -- unless you are an artist, in which case you may want to offer your art services or combined art-and-text services. But that's extremely rare. Most of the time, artists create the artwork; writers create the words.

Here's an example to show how you might suggest cover art to accompany the text you write:

(NOTE: This is just a preliminary suggestion. When you get a card company's writers guidelines, they may ask you to follow a different format. Follow their instructions.)

Cover: frazzled-looking woman bending over flowerbed, picking daisies
Inside:

The cover art suggestion should not give away the entire content of the card, but it should be related to the content and it should generate enough interest to cause the prospective card buyer in so she (most card buyers are women) to pick up that card, read the message and -- you hope -- buy the card.

If your cover art idea needs text, you can suggest it this way.
Cover: frazzled-looking woman bending over flowerbed, picking daisies
Cover TEXT: "Just wanted to send you a bunch..."
Inside: "of best wishes for a Happy Birthday"

(Caution: these examples are only that -- examples to show you the form and format. They are not clever or creative and are not intended as examples of cards that would sell or have sold.)

3. Then contact the card makers whose lines your research showed were the best fit for your interests, style and skill. Check market guides such as Writer's Market 2005, Writer's Digest Magazine's most recent feature on greeting card writing, The Writer magazine, etc., for tips on what each company wants from new writers. Some may want to see those samples you drafted; others may prefer to send you writers' guidelines and/or a sample packet first. If you don't know what a company prefers and can't find out from one of the leading references or from other writers who have worked *RECENTLY* for that company, then just email or write to ask the company how to proceed. If you're telephone-friendly, call the main switchboard and ask to be transferred to the card line editor, introduce yourself, say you've enjoyed their XYZ-line cards and would like to become one of their writers and ask the editor if you may send some samples of your work. Listen carefully and follow whatever instructions the editor gives you. Following directions is *extremely* important, especially at this early stage as you're breaking in to a new market.