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Coining a Phrase
By Nadia Ali
The greeting card market pays top dollars per-word than most
markets. For a two sentence phrase – one for the outside of
the card and one for the inside you can make anywhere from
$50-$200.
So, how do you do it? Well, as easy as it sounds it is only
until you really decide to sit down and write it, that it
suddenly gets hard. What age group are you going to write
for? What gender? What occasion? What slant - serious or
humorous and the list goes on.
Fortunately, it is a fact that a majority of greeting card
companies want humorous sentiments. All you have to learn
to do is to coin a phrase or pack a punch. Look at how a
comedian delivers his jokes to an audience; you have to
learn to do the same thing. Unlike a comedian, you only
have to impress one person – the creative editor and unless
you deliver the right words, you’ll find your attempts will
get thrown out.
Here’s an example of the email format used:
OUTSIDE: Lots of people are excited about your birthday...
INSIDE: ...historians, archaeologists!
Reference number: NA-1001
The greeting begins by stating a fact, but the inside line
gives an unexpected twist adding an element of humor and
poking fun at the recipient's age.
There are various ways that writers can compose a greeting.
Some include double meanings, twisted meanings, intentional
misinterpretation, and an unlikely turn of events, play on
words or the use of an old cliché. Your humor must reflect
something positive and have general appeal to a broad
audience. This means your words must be able to speak to
any gender, age and race.
Here is an example of a greeting that I sold with broad
audience appeal with an intentional misinterpretation:
OUTSIDE; Gosh! You look so young on your birthday
INSIDE: Pity about the rest of the year
Reference number: NA-1002
The best way to learn how this is done successfully is by
either going online to ecard websites or by visiting a
greeting card shop. You’ll be amazed to see all the various
ways that writers get their point across in just two lines!
With lots of card companies now opening their doors to
email submissions instead of purely snail mail, some like
Kalan LP and Oatmeal Studios allow writers to sign up on
their websites to be part of their mailing list so you hear
directly when there is a call for submission.
Kalan LP is a slogan market which looks for writers who
know how to write short and to the point, the humor can
be a little edgy or risqué, where I earned $50 per word
with a two word slogan for cigarette lighters:
SLOGAN: Nicotine Challenged
Reference number: NA- 1003
The most challenging factor is to learn to get your point
across in the least number of words. Most companies are not
looking for a funny slogan or greeting where they want to
read more than a sentence or two on the front, unless
specified.
The good thing about writing greeting cards is that it’s
a great way to fill time in between writing assignments
when you just want something that is quicker and shorter
than fillers. Think of a play on words; put a unique spin
on a line and most of all bear two questions in mind? Who
would buy this? Who would think this is funny?
The turnaround is fast, and publication is forever in the
form of a greeting card. You can submit as many times as
you want. Before you know it, ka-ching, you have finally
coined a phrase!
Market information
Oatmeal Studios:
www.oatmealstudios.com
Everyday cards, definitely funny greetings with a somewhat
edgy appeal.
Andrews McMeel Publishing
www.andrewsmcmeel.com/cards/index.html
Everyday greetings
Smart Alex
www.smartalex.com
Put an edge on your sentiments. Think outside the box. These
aren’t cards you give to your aunts or uncles. They are geared
towards people with a risqué sense of humor
Slogan Markets
Kalan LP
www.kalanlp.com
www.kalanlp.com/freelancers/freelancers.php
Submissions to editorial@kalanlp.com
An alternative greeting card company that also produced
novelty gifts such as key chains, lighters
Ephemera, Inc.
www.ephemera-inc.com
www.ephemera-inc.com/guidelines.html (online submission form)
Risqué market for badges, magnets
High Cotton
www.highcotton.com
www.highcotton.com/contact.aspx
The slogan market is open to all sorts of stuff from doormats
to aprons. Likes edgier risqué sentiments.
BIO
Nadia Ali
(nadiafreelancewriter@yahoo.com ) is a freelance
greeting card writer who has had numerous successes in this
genre with published printed cards, ecards and slogans. Her
work has been published by Oatmeal Studios, Smart Alex, High
Cotton, Got Free Cards and Kalan LP.
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