It's all in the cards! Learn how the greeting card industry can employ your writing talents.

The start of a new year means upcoming holidays, such as Easter, Mother's Day and the Fourth of July, not to mention anniversaries, birthdays and weddings, All of these are huge occasions in the greeting card industry. And there's no reason why you cannot become a part of it. By using the following Web sites to familiarize yourself with the business, you can get useful writing tips and learn how to submit your thoughts and wishes as creative copy. Your creative talents could earn you some extra cash.

The Greeting Card Association (GCA) Web site, www.greetingcard.org, provides a plethora of information on the industry. There, you'll find all sorts of interesting tidbits like the history behind major holidays, when the first greeting cards for various holidays were penned, general facts and trends about the business, as well as discussion on the future of greeting cards. The GCA also recognizes the creative excellence of writers and publishers with the LOUIE Awards, an Annual International Greeting Card Awards said to be named after the German lithographer Louis Prang, credited with introducing color lithography to the U.S. card industry in 1861.

The Fiction Factor (www.fictionfactor .com/guests/greetingcard.html), an online magazine for fiction writers, offers useful advice from an experienced freelance greeting card writer. Sandra Louden offers tips on getting started in the business, describes the different types of greeting cards (i.e., traditional versus studio or humorous), as well as lists publishing company information.

HowtoAdvice.com (www.howtoadvice. com/GreetingCards) is a Web site that allows folks to share advice permanently on the Internet: what greeting card companies are looking for, information on general writing submission guidelines including a sample submission, potential earnings as well other useful information.

The Web site www.writerswrite.com/ greetingcards/publish.htm links to various greeting card publishers.

Making the Best of Writing Opportunities

For writers wanting to connect to the ultimate card company, take note: Hallmark doesn't accept unsolicited freelance submissions. But if you live in the Kansas City area or are willing to relocate, they offer full-time employment. Through a series of creative writing exercises, the company will test your moxie in greeting card writing. Visit the "About Hallmark" section of www.hallmark.com for further details.

Blue Mountain Arts will review poetry for greeting cards publications. To request a copy of their writer's guidelines, e-mail them at [e-mail] or write to: SPS Studios, Inc. Editorial Department Post Office Box 1007 Boulder, CO 80306

If you're willing to pay to recieve an extensive list of greeting card companies seeking freelancers, try WritersMarket.com, www.writersmarket.com, an online resource for writers with a database of writing markets updated daily. The subscription cost is $29.99 for a year or $2.99 on a monthly basis. You can also sign up for their free newsletter "Market Updates From Writer's Market," which offers insider tips and information.