These 7 Companies Will Pay You to Write Greeting Cards and Submit Art

I love greeting cards.

I didn’t know, however, that you can make money by submitting phrases, poems, art and photography to greeting card companies.

Some card companies even want old photos, so have some fun rummaging through your photo albums and memory boxes.

Here’s how to get in on the gig.

Get Paid to Write Greeting Cards for These 7 Companies

I found greeting card companies that’ll pay to use your words, art or photos.

Before swamping these companies with your submissions, though, be sure to familiarize yourself with the type of content they want.

1. Blue Mountain Arts

Poet-artist duo Susan Polis Schutz and Stephen Schutz founded Blue Mountain Arts 50 years ago. Their goal? Help people express their thoughts in, well, thoughtful ways.

Get familiar with the content by checking out the company’s Facebook page. You can find the writing guidelines on their website. Pay is not mentioned.

2. Calypso Cards

You might have seen some of Calypso’s products in specialty stores in the U.S. or Canada. The company encompasses several brands, including Selfish Kitty.

It produces some pretty sassy material, including a personal favorite: “We’re going to celebrate your birthday in style this year. I’ve already got a box of wine chilling in the fridge.”

If you have a cheeky, dry humorous voice, Selfish Kitty is accepting submissions for all occasions. Calypso also has an ongoing need for artwork related to occasions and holidays.

Pay is not specified.

3. Noble Works

Need a greeting card featuring Santa getting a back tat? Yeah, NobleWorks Cards has got you covered.

Even more funny? The slogan on the site reads, “Make American Greet Again.” (OK, I laughed.)

Anyway, these cards are funny, unique and risqué. You can join in and submit art, cartoons or writing.

Start by entering your information on Noble Works’ submission page. Expect to get an email outlining all of the criteria after. Pay varies, so be sure to ask.

4. Oatmeal Studios

You’ve probably seen Oatmeal Studios’ cards on the shelves of popular retailers. They feature colorful cartoons paired with a silly saying.

Take, for example, a birthday card with a cartoon of a horse reading “50 Shades of Hay.” On the inside? “It’s your birthday — Horse around!” A horse with a toothy grin holds a whip.

Think you’ve got the right amount of sass? A bunch of submissions details are outlined on the site, although pay isn’t mentioned.

Rejected card ideas include puns, gross or mean ideas, lengthy poetry or prose and ideas that are too narrowly focused (i.e., congrats on your quintuplets).

5. RSVP

This line of greeting cards, a division of Sellers Publishing, is self-described as “fresh, funny, sweet, and sugary mixed with a bit of sass & edge.”

RSVP has a card for any occasion. It might be pretty, or it might be silly. Either way, RSVP seems to really value its contributors: “We work with artists and writers all over the globe, which keeps our content fresh, varied and relevant. They are the core to the success of our card line.”

If you’re an artist, find all the information you need on this page. If you’re a writer, there’s a page for you, too.

As far as pay, it’s not specified. A representative said it varies by “industry standard.”

6. Shade Tree Greetings

This greeting card company has a line of cards called “Actual Pictures.”

You guessed it: These cards feature actual pictures, submitted by you. And you don’t even have to be good at photography. The company wants your old photos — ones from the ‘40s, ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s or ‘80s. Photos can be black and white or color.

They’ll probably be turned into something funny, so don’t submit anything you’re super sentimentally attached to.

If your photo is accepted, you’ll receive a $100 gift card to Cool Funny Gifts along with 12 cards with your photo. (If you’re not interested in a cool or funny gift, you could always try selling the gift card.)

Find all the details to submit online.

7. Viabella

These pretty cards are less crude and more sweet. They do, however, feature some of my favorite phrases, like “Shut the front door!” and “Holy Macaroni!”

Viabella accepts art, photography and writing. Pay is $150 to $250 per image and $50 to $100 per verse. The company says it pays more for humorous submissions. Viabella is not currently seeking religious or secular submissions.

You can find all the details in the submission guidelines.

Bonus: Card Gnome

Card Gnome is kind of like an Etsy for cardmakers.

You simply apply for a shop. Card Gnome handles the customization, printing and order fulfillment. Card designs and wording are up to you.

In return, you get 10% of the price of the card (that’s a 10-cent minimum). Once you’ve accumulated $10, you’ll get a check.

Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a former staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.