Then there are the sentimental cards (you know, those syrupy-sweet things your grandmother sends on your birthday). Frankly, I don’t care how my ideas are classified as long as the checks keep rolling in. (Note: There’s also a cute card, which is softer and more feminine in its approach than either the studio or the humorous.) Sometimes, an editor at a large company may decide that your studio idea would be better as a humorous, in which case you’ll probably be paid less. Really big outfits–like Hallmark?can afford to (and do) fork over $50 or more, while smaller companies pay as low as $10.Īnother type of greeting - similar to the studio, but a bit smaller in size and more overt in its humor - is the humorous card. You can write to the various companies to learn their requirements.Īlthough most card firms pay around $25 for a studio idea, the rate of remuneration varies. Some publishers read seasonal (holiday) ideas year round … others have a definite schedule. There are studio cards for all occasions: birthdays, friendship (almost anything goes here), get well, anniversary, holiday greetings, etc. Nowadays, only a few companies actually solicit bawdy gags … the rest - if they use such material at all - want it to be subtle and “in good taste.” Originally, the studios were aimed at a somewhat sophisticated audience, meaning that quite often the greetings were rather risque. The best money is in studios (those long, slim cards that pack a humorous hello). (The money’s not that good.) Still, the constant flurry of $10, $15, and $25 checks you’re likely to receive as a part-time card poet can pay the rent (and then some), if you’re able to churn out fresh ideas regularly. I don’t know anyone who’s become rich - or even comfortably well-to-do - as a freelance greeting card writer. Please let me qualify that statement about the “good pay” just a bit.