Card Industry

The UK population spends £1.5 billion a year on greeting cards - more than it spends on tea and coffee - yet finding a route into this fiercely competitive industry is not always easy. There are estimated to be around 800 greeting card publishers in the UK, ranging in size from 'one man bands' to multi-national corporations. Not all publishers accept freelance artwork, but a great many do.
List of card companies looking for freelancers: http://www.greetingcardassociation.org.uk/members/GCA-members-search/search-results?freelancers=a&p=1
Iv had a look at the websites on this massive long list to see if my work might be relevant to any of them, most arent, but I found a few that could be:

http://www.bugart.co.uk/greetingcards/cards.php?id=3
http://www.hotchpotchcards.com/our-cards/general (Tigerlily range)
http://www.paperrose.co.uk/artists.html (advertising for freelancers)
http://www.pq2.biz/pq2_store/index.php
http://www.realandexcitingdesigns.co.uk/home.html (advertising for freelancers)
http://www.soultraderuk.com/index.htm (huge range of different styles)

• Browse the greeting card displays in card shops, varietal stores (WH Smith, Boots), department stores and gift shops. This will not only give you an insight as to what is already out in the market but also which publishers may be interested in your work. Most publishers include their contact details on the backs of the cards.
• There are a number of trade exhibitions held during the year at which publishers exhibit their greeting card ranges to retailers and overseas distributors. By visiting these exhibitions, artists will not only be able to gain a broad overview of the design trends in the industry, but the current ranges of individual publishers.
• Some publishers are willing to meet artists and look through artists' portfolios on the stand, others are not. Do not be put off by the latter. If you believe your work could be relevant for them, ask for a contact name and follow it up afterwards. Some larger companies may suggest you contact their art director or design manager, while for smaller businesses it may be the managing director of the company who deals with the design aspect.
• It is a good idea to have a supply of business cards handy, perhaps illustrated with some of your work, to leave with the publisher.
• Progressive Greetings Worldwide is the market leading magazine for the greeting card industry and the official magazine of the Greeting Card Association. The editorial and advertisements will provide immediate insight into publishers, new products, industry issues and news of the day. It often carries advertisements of publishers looking for freelance designs and verses. A list of publishers appears each month at the back of the magazine. It is published 12 times a year and is available through an annual subscription (£40 a year) and also includes special supplements such as an annual Focus on Art Cards and Focus on Humorous Cards.
• The first step is to establish whether the publisher accepts work from freelance artists and their requirements for an artist's submission. It is always better to send several examples of your work to show the breadth of your artistic skills. Some publishers prefer to see finished designs while others are happy with well-presented sketches. The publisher is usually looking for a distinctive style, creative thinking, market awareness and professionalism. If he likes your style he may bear you in mind when commissioning new ranges.
• Remember that publishers work a long way in advance. Christmas ranges for example are launched to the retailers in January; Spring Seasons ranges (Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Easter and Father's Day) are generally launched in June/July. Development of a range may take up to six months prior to launching.
• Some publishers respond to post from artists straight away while others prefer to deal with a pile of artists' submissions on a monthly basis. Do not be disheartened if you hear nothing for a few weeks. A publisher interested in buying your artwork will then issue you with a contract. This may cover aspects such as: the terms of payment; rights of usage of the design (eg. is it just for greeting cards or will it include gift wrap, stationery?); territory of usage (most publishers these days will want worldwide rights), ownership of copyright or license period.
  

There is no set industry standard rate of pay for greeting card artists. There are a number of different ways an artist can be paid by publishers. It can either be made on a per design or range basis. These include:

• Flat Fee - the publisher makes a one off payment to the artist for ownership of a design for an unlimited period. The fee can be anything from £150-£250 for one design, with a sliding scale coming into play for more than one design.
• Licensing Fee - this grants the publisher the right to use artwork for specified types of products and for a specified number of years, after which the full rights revert to the artist. Artists are paid in the region of £150 + per design for this.
• Licensing Fee + Royalty - similar to above, but also with a royalty payment on each card sold. Artists would generally receive £100+ licensing fee plus 3% of trade price of each card sold.
• Advance Royalty Deal - the artist is paid a goodwill advance on royalties. In the case of a range, the artist would receive a goodwill advance of say £500-£1,000 and 5% additional royalty payment once the threshold is reached.
• Royalty Only - the artist will receive regular royalty payments based on the number of cards sold. Royalties are generally paid quarterly. Artists should expect a sales report and royalty statement.

Dos

• Do your homework. A little time spent researching the market will save you a lot of time, money and frustration in the long run.
• Do ring up the company prior to sending copies of your designs to check whether they accept freelance work and to find out to whom they should be addressed.
• Do remember that few greeting card display racks show each card in its entirety. Remember to ensure that some of the design 'action' appears in the top half.
• Do remember that most wholesale designs will need to include a caption - or space for one
• Do present your work well and meet your deadline. Remember, news travels fast in the industry.
• Do put your name and address on the back of every design.
• Do enclose an SAE if you want your work returned. Please make sure this is large enough and has enough postage on it to take your samples.
• Do agree how you will be paid.

Don'ts

• Don't ever send originals.
• Don't waste your time sending a long letter of introduction. It invariably will not be read.
• Don't sell two publishers similar designs. A bad reputation will follow you around.
• Don't take rejection personally.