Article: For the most part, greeting card companies stockpile their verses and messages through a steady influx of submissions from freelance writers. Do a little investigating to find out which companies accept freelance contributions and send in a few of your most polished samples. If they like what they see, they'll agree to print it and you'll receive compensation. Card publishers tend to be particular about the way they want things done, so be sure to look up the editorial and submission guidelines for the company you're submitting your work to. The pay rate of freelance submissions will vary from $10 a message with small publishers to as much as a couple hundred dollars per card with more prestigious companies. If you're trying to make a living as a greeting card writer, it will pay to know what kind of compensation you can expect before you send in your work. Though it's become increasingly rare for greeting card companies to keep dedicated staffs of writers, these openings are still out there. If you think your writing is fresh, innovative and memorable enough, submit your resume and portfolio to the hiring department of one of the big names like Hallmark. If hired, you can look forward to a fast-paced and challenging career of drafting messages for a multitude of occasions, along with some sizable paychecks. Be ready for rejection. Big companies receive thousands of submissions every year, and yours may not always be just what they're looking for at the moment. Salaries for professional greeting card writers average somewhere between $50,000$70,000 a year. Of course, there's no rule that says you have to rely on the auspices of big commercial greeting card companies at all. Writers with a penchant for crafting have the option of composing and handmaking their own greeting cards and selling them through online stores like Etsy, ArtFire or Big Cartel. As an independent producer, you'll only get paid if you make sales, but you'll enjoy the freedom of carrying out every step of the process your own way and creating the kinds of cards you've always dreamed of seeing on shelves. More work will go into making greeting cards independently, as you'll have to compose, design, fabricate and sell everything on your own. The upside of this is that all of the profit will go directly to you. Pay particular attention to visual elements. This is a chance for you to incorporate your own unique touches into your homemade cards. If you want to focus on the writing aspect, consider partnering with a graphic designer or illustrator to handle the images needed to complete your cards.

What is a summary?
Write on a freelance basis. Apply for a job with a greeting card company. Start your own greeting card business.