Read an Excerpt
The greeting card industry as a whole has exploded with new sales and market categories in recent years because the industry changes as the culture changes. However, some cards first printed over twenty years ago still make their way to the card racks because they continue to sell well.
Major card publishers have reliable rating systems to show them that certain ideas sell well to every generation of card buyers. These ideas become classics and are used over and over again. For instance, one classic card shows a cute character on the front saying, "Know how much I love you?" The card opens to show the character with arms stretched wide, exclaiming, "This much!" This card has the kind of appeal that will make it sell consistently over time. Though the classics, both in art styles and in sentiment styles will continue to sell into the future, culturally current and innovative ideas are the hot topic of the day and that is why publishers are interested in you.
A Brief Look Back
Greeting card manufacturers once produced cards that were more complex and intricate in design and though these can’t be done as often, they still have appeal today. The cost of producing fancy cards with lace inserts and intricate die cuts (cutouts) and folds has become popular again because we like the feel of a “handmade” card.
In this high-tech, fast-paced world, consumers and publishers still wish to respect and preserve a feeling of heritage and the "specialness" of handmade items. Ideas and subjects that people can relate to from their own past always sell in greeting cards, so looks and sentiment ideas that celebrated past events are often published again.
Nostalgia is always trendy and should be considered when you're looking for series ideas. If you had a photograph of an old card shop from the 1950s, you might see an updated version in the card racks and displays.
So, hold on to your Netflix and your Hulu, because a new era in social expression has emerged. Gibson Greetings, which is now owned by American Greetings once claimed that it was in the entertainment business, not the greeting card business. Cards today sing to you, talk to you and move around. They strive to entertain you as well as be meaningful to you as a consumer.
Publishers strive to make consumer shopping experiences more fun. Card racks in grocery stores and discount stores are more like small shops within the bigger store environment. Writers will have to keep up with consumer trends in the marketplace in order to know what topics to submit to publishing houses. Your goal is to make it to the card rack, with perhaps your own line of cards.
