Who writes greeting cards?

[UncleFred]

That about says it. Does Hallmark have a staff, maybe with different subdivisions for Birthdays, Holidays, Weddings, Get-Well, etc.? Are there free-lancers? Any "super stars" in the industry? Is it possible to make your living writing greeting cards? Do they ever recyle the text/material from years ago?

I'd go crazy having to do this for a living, or even a part-time, but presumably there are people who do this type of thing. Who are they?

[anson2995]

The two biggest greeting card companies (Hallmark and American Greetings) produce everything in-house. Here's some info on the writers for Hallmark, and an article about AG's writers.

[zombywoof]

An NPR interview with one

[SpoilerVirgin]

I was just thinking about this yesterday. Years ago, someone posted a Dope thread about how the card they wrote had been shown on T.V. (I want to say that it was a Christmas card given by one of the characters on Friends, but I wouldn't swear to it.) The upshot was that after some coy references, it became apparent that a number of dopers worked for Hallmark, and some of them were card writers. I just spent a fruitless half hour searching for the thread and being mightily distracted by various old threads containing the words "friends", "card" and "Christmas", but I wasn't able to locate it. Anyway, my point is that at least in the past you could find several greeting card writers here on the Dope.

[RealityChuck]

For many years, cyberpunk SF author Pat Cadigan wrote for Hallmark. I once amused her by pointing out I saw her name on a poem the box of a Hallmark jigsaw puzzle.

[Sigene]

She said their cubicles were often decorated with extremely whimsical and often outlandish things.

Some of the more 'creative' types were asked to work from home.

[Rhythmdvl]

Mork's downstairs neighbor, Mr. Bickley.

[SciFiSam]

Originally Posted by SpoilerVirgin

I was just thinking about this yesterday. Years ago, someone posted a Dope thread about how the card they wrote had been shown on T.V. (I want to say that it was a Christmas card given by one of the characters on Friends, but I wouldn't swear to it.) The upshot was that after some coy references, it became apparent that a number of dopers worked for Hallmark, and some of them were card writers. I just spent a fruitless half hour searching for the thread and being mightily distracted by various old threads containing the words "friends", "card" and "Christmas", but I wasn't able to locate it. Anyway, my point is that at least in the past you could find several greeting card writers here on the Dope.

I just wanted to chime in that I remember that too, but it was several years ago. From what I recall, it was mostly freelance work.

[garygnu]

Bob Newhart, briefly.

[Sigmagirl]

American Greetings is headquartered near Cleveland, and they run employment ads so often I think there must be enormous turnover. I wonder if they are just hypercritical: You have to come up with a certain number of brilliant, profitable ideas every quarter or you're out, or maybe they just don't pay anything. It sounds like a fun job, but maybe it sucks.

[Marconi N. Cheese]

I don't know what it pays, but someone is making a lot of money. $4.95/ea. seems to be the going price and many cost even more than that. That seems like a steep price for what you get.

[Johnny L.A.]

Maxwell Smart, for the Potomac Greeting Card Company.

[UncleFred]

Originally Posted by anson2995

The two biggest greeting card companies (Hallmark and American Greetings) produce everything in-house. Here's some info on the writers for Hallmark, and an article about AG's writers.

As the OP, first I'm impressed to get a question answered so perfectly and quickly.

Based on some of the responses here about turnover, it would be interesting to go back to the link in a couple months and see if the same staff is there.