RSVP greeting card submission guidelines

RSVP (part of Sellers Publishing Inc.) makes greeting cards, note cards, books, and other products. Full submission guidelines can be found on their FAQ page.

RSVP is open to freelance submissions by email (preferred) or mail. They publish greeting cards for the typical occasions, plus seasonal cards. They're looking for authentic contemporary voices. They generally steer clear of rhymed and/or religious submissions. No limit on the number of card ideas to submit at one time.

They may or may not reply to all subs; if you don't hear from them within four months, they say it's safe to assume your submission was rejected. For accepted verse, RSVP pays a flat fee (not specified) plus samples.

Oatmeal Studios: current greeting card needs

Oatmeal Studios is currently seeking specific birthday greeting card ideas (in addition to general submissions):

We are also looking for more birthday ideas that poke fun at getting older and birthday ideas that are political.  We would especially like some humor featuring Kamala Harris (for birthday if possible).

Viabella

 Viabella purchases art and verse for use on greeting cards. Their writers' and artists' guidelines are refreshingly straightforward.

Submissions must be made through their art or verse web forms. (Links are at the bottom of the guidelines page.) Don't submit more than once a month. Payment for accepted verse ranges from $50 to $100, with humor generally getting a higher payout.

One nice thing about Viabella is that they only use purchased material on greeting cards and stationery items, so writers and artists "are free to sell your accepted submission to others outside of this industry."

Check out Viabella's online store for an idea of the type of cards they sell.

Comstock Marketplace: current need

Comstock Marketplace sells greeting cards with "adult humor."  From their guidelines:

We are looking for artists/writers who can draw for the “gay” market.

Comstock pays $50 per accepted card idea.  Submissions can be made via mail or email (no attachments).

Viabella

Viabella wants greeting card ideas "... for all holidays and occasions including humor."  For everyday occasions or general humorous cards, they accept submissions year-round.  For seasonal or holiday cards, they have specific reading periods.  Currently they are reading for Christmas card submissions (through February).

Writers can submit card ideas by mail or email.  No payment is specified, and it may take a while to receive a response.  Humor/everyday submissions should be sent separately from seasonal ones.

Calypso Cards

Calypso Cards does not offer a lot of details for potential submitters, but they are open to submissions (copy or art).  No payment terms are specified, and their guidelines page says they'll only contact you if they decide to use your idea.  Submissions and inquiries should be made via email.

Calypso currently wants greeting card ideas for their Selfish Kitty line: "... a humor line which is edgy but not cruel or degrading."

Oatmeal Studios: current needs

Oatmeal Studios, purveyor of funny greeting cards, has a lot of good information for writers on their guidelines page.  In addition to the specifics provided there, here are some of the company's current needs:

- 65th birthday
- 90th birthday
- 100th birthday
- Belated birthday
- Relative birthday (a general relative; not a specific relation)
- Birthday cards that don't mention aging
- Birthday cards specifically about getting older
- Retirement
- Anniversary
- Get well
- Thank you

The company is also seeking single-panel humor, where the copy/cartoon/photo/etc. only appears on the outside, rather than broken up across the outside and inside of the card.  Single-panel humor is not category-specific.

Oatmeal Studios is currently for their fall review.  If you submit your ideas by September 26th, you should hear back by November.  Current payment for card ideas is $100.

Snafu Cards

[UPDATE 12/20/21: Snafu Cards is not currently accepting greeting card idea submissions. Their guidelines page doesn't state when they'll reopen.]

If you've never heard of Snafu Cards, they sell humorous greeting cards with a personal touch.  You can see the sort of card ideas they're looking for at SnafuCards.com.  Send up to 12 ideas at a time, by either mail or email.  They'll only respond if they want to buy something, but their guidelines state that if you don't hear anything within two months, you should consider your ideas rejected.  (Though they say it in a nicer way.)  Snafu pays on acceptance -- $100 for all rights.

Peaceable Kingdom: greeting card market

Peaceable Kingdom makes greeting cards, games, and other products marketed toward kids.  They have very detailed submission guidelines on their website, unlike many other greeting card companies.

Submissions can be emailed, and will be replied to within a month to a month and a half.  Payment is $50 and 12 sample cards (no writer's credit on the cards).  Submit six card ideas at a time.  See their guidelines for formatting instructions.

Greeting card market: GrammaBurp

UPDATE: GrammaBurp is not accepting freelance submissions at this time. Check the FAQ for updates.

Grammaburp sells "warped humor greeting cards."  You can browse their list of cards to see what type of humor they like, but generally they are looking for laugh-out-loud humor with an unexpected twist.  They pay $50 for all rights if they want to use your idea.  Email them at GrammaBurpWriter@aol.com to get placed onto their writers' mailing list.

Comstock Cards - New Website & Name

Comstock Cards is now called Comstock Marketplace, and they have a whole new website.  The guidelines page is new, and so is the submission email address, but the pay rate ($50.00 per accepted idea, plus sample copies) is still the same.  Submissions can be made via mail or email.

Kate Harper Designs closed to submissions for now

Kate Harper Designs is not currently accepting new submissions.  We'll post an update when they reopen.

Kalan wants jumbo birthday card submissions

Kalan LP is currently seeking copy for jumbo birthday cards (16" x 24").  They only want clean copy for these cards.  You can submit ideas and read their guidelines on the Kalan Idea Factory Facebook page.

Kate Harper Designs

Kate Harper Designs uses "edgy quotes with a twist of humor."  See the samples shown on their guidelines page for an idea of what they're looking for.  Rather than traditional cards with an outside and inside, they want quotes, 20 words or less, that can be used on the front of a card (or on other products).  Payment varies, but averages about $50 per accepted submission.

NOTE: They currently are only seeking technology humor quotes.

Warner Press

Warner Press is "the publishing house for the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana)." They publish a variety of religious material, including boxed greeting cards (no individual card lines). They want positive, inspiring copy about four lines long. Their submission deadline is listed as July 31st for everyday card verse (Oct 1st for Christmas cards) and they accept email submissions as well as mailed submissions. Payment was previously noted to be $35 on acceptance, but the guidelines now state that it varies.

(Thanks to Lynda Lee Schab for listing this market on her On the Write Track site.)

Avanti

Avanti is a greeting card publisher (check out their different lines under the "Seriously Funny Cards" link on their web site) that works with a roster of freelance writers.  They are currently not taking any new writers, but you can still send them some samples to be considered if an opening pops up.

Amber Lotus

Amber Lotus publishes greeting cards as well as other materials.  They don't accept card ideas or verse submissions, but they are open to graphical submissions (photography and artwork).  They only read from April to June, but you can submit any time.

The Great British Card Company

The Great British Card Company (which appears to have taken over Paper House) is a greeting card publisher that is accepting "illustrative, photographic, humour, and editorial submissions."  Their guidelines don't give much information -- including pay rate -- but they do say that they reply to all submissions within two months.

Kalan looking for copy for jumbo Valentine's Day cards

Kalan is already looking ahead to next year.  They've posted a call for submissions on their Facebook page for super jumbo Valentine's Day cards.  Unlike other Kalan cards, submissions for the jumbo cards should be clean.

Kalan seeks ideas for jumbo cards

Kalan is now actively soliciting ideas for their Super Jumbo Greeting Card line.  Card ideas should be clean.  Check out Kalan's Facebook page for more details and updates.

Also, tomorrow (December 13th) is the deadline for submitting Mother's Day verse ideas to Blue Mountain Arts.  If you have ideas that you haven't sent in yet, email them now before it's too late.