38 Occupational Outlook Quarterly ● Fall 2001

rips to the mailbox are happier

because of Nicole Fraser’s work.

As a greeting card writer at

American Greetings in Cleveland,

Ohio, Nicole has been a part of

millions of birthdays, special

occasions, and everyday hellos. “I

use my creativity to bring people

closer together,” she says.

“That’s a great feeling.”

Greeting card writers help

people express thoughts and

sentiments. “Greeting cards

have to feel very personal, as if

the words apply to you

specifically,” says Nicole. “But

they also have to feel very

personal to thousands of

other card shoppers.” To

accomplish this feat, writers

look for emotions many

people share, such as the

feeling of freedom after

graduating from school.

Card writers like Nicole

usually write to fill a specific

request. Their editors tell them the

types of cards the company needs,

such as cards for a birthday or a

Mother’s Day line. Editors give writers

information about the card’s sender

and receiver, including details about

their ages, genders, and relationship to

each other.

To find common themes to write

about, Nicole follows the latest

cultural trends. She reads modern

poetry, looks through magazines and

comic strips, and

skims popular novels, including

Oprah’s Book Club selections—all of

which are in her company’s library.

Other card writers in her office read

sociology and psychology books and

watch television shows. “We have to

know the language people are using

today,” she says.

Nicole often writes short, pithy

phrases or other pieces of prose, but

her favorite style is greeting card

poetry. “I love writing long verse,” she

says. “I like the challenge of finding just

the right word to match the rhyme

and meter. It’s like a

puzzle.” What makes the

challenge even greater is

that the poetry has to

sound conversational and

modern. “We don’t want

anything stilted or singsongy,” says Nicole.

Greeting card writers

choose their prose to fit

the sender, whose style of

speech is often different

from their own. “One of

the hardest things for me

to learn was how to write

for male card senders,”

Nicole says. “There are some

words that men typically

don’t use in conversation,

like ‘treasure,’ ‘joy,’ or

‘precious.’” For teenagers,

Nicole might use slang; for

younger people, she uses

short, simple words. All

writers learn the speaking

styles of different types of

people in different situations.

As she writes, Nicole identifies the

feelings the sender will want to

express. “You have to understand and

care about people and make sure that

comes through in your writing,” she

says.

Nicole usually spends between a

day and a week working on each card,

but she develops some card concepts

over months. And in a pinch, she can

finish a card in an hour.

Even after working to find the

perfect words, however, card writers

might never see their original text in

Olivia Crosby is a contributing editor to the OOQ,

(202) 691-5716.

by Olivia Crosby

You’re a

what?

T
Occupational Outlook Quarterly ● Fall 2001 39

print. They submit

their work to editors

who make or recommend changes. Being

open to these changes

is part of the job. “This

isn’t a career for writers

who are too protective

of their writing,” says

Nicole. “Lots of people

will make suggestions and

change your work.”

Sometimes, suggestions

from others make finishing

a card easier and more fun.

In Nicole’s company, as in

most large card companies,

writers brainstorm for inspiration. Humor card writers

spend much of their time

building on each other’s ideas

and jokes. To make collaboration easier, writers work in cubicles arranged in a bullpen configuration or migrate to common

sitting areas. But writers can also

retreat to quieter areas while

composing.

When they’re not working on

a particular card, writers are experimenting with new styles or

different types of card senders. They

work with marketers, editors, and

graphic artists to create additional

card lines.

Some innovations require an

entirely different kind of writing.

Computerized cards, for example, are

meant to be adjusted and personalized

by the sender. Writers give senders

options by composing flexible verses.

Other writers create electronic cards,

which are short and often are paired

with animation, for sending over the

Internet.

According to the Bureau of Labor

Statistics, at least 210 salaried employees wrote and designed for greeting

card companies in 1999; they earned

an average of $36,620. Many more

greeting card writers worked as

freelancers, self-employed workers

who sold their work to greeting card

publishers for a fee. The Bureau does

not have data on these writers. But

according to industry sources, most

work part time and earn an average

of about $60 a card. Larger companies pay between $100 and $150 a

card.

Many card writers begin as

freelancers. Nicole is one example. After studying English in

college, she worked in another

field and wrote cards in her

spare time. Freelancers call

greeting card publishers to find

out what types of cards they

need and then send appropriate drafts. Nicole got her

current job by sending

American Greetings a writing

portfolio that included copies

of her freelance work. Other

greeting card writers begin

their careers as proofreaders or interns at card

companies.

People who want to

become greeting card

writers can have any college major,

according to Nicole. Her fellow

writers have degrees in subjects

ranging from advertising to theater.

But, she says, every aspiring writer

should attend creative-writing seminars and classes and watch for modern trends. “Don’t copy what’s already

been done,” she says. “Think about

what you and your friends want to say

to each other right now. Your ideas

are the future of the industry.”

Greeting card images courtesy of Nicole Fraser and American Greetings