List of Trade Magazines for Card and Gift Industry



*no longer published in print, but has historical online articles.
GREETINGS etc.
4 Middlebury Blvd.
Randolph, NJ 07869
www.greetingsmagazine.com




Gift Shop Magazine
195 Hanover Street
Hanover, MA 02339
Website: www.giftshopmag.com


Gifts and Decorative Accessories Web Page
Gifts & Decorative Accessories
360 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10010
Website: www.giftsanddec.com


Gifts & Tablewares
12 Concorde Place, #800
Toronto, ONT M3C 4J2
CANADA
www.gifts-and-tablewares.com


Giftware New
20 W. Kinzie Street, 12th Fl.
Chicago, IL 60610


Greetings Today
1 Churchgate, The Wilderness
Berkhamsted, Hertshire HP4 2UB
ENGLAND
www.lemapublishing.co.uk


Party & Paper Retailer
PO Box 128
Sparta, MI 49345


supplements
Progressive Greetings
United House, North Road
London N7 9DP
ENGLAND
http://www.progressivegreetings.co.uk


Click here to read samples from our June/July 2009 issue
Souvenirs, Gifts & Novelties Magazine
10 E. Athens Avenue, #208
Ardmore, PA 19003
Website: www.sgnmag.com

Winter 2009
Stationery Trends Magazine
PO Box 128
Sparta, MI 49345
Website: www.stationerytrendsmag.com










GiftBeat
72 Tappan Road
Harrington Park, NJ 07640
Website: www.giftbeat.com



Other Trade Publications

Balloons & Parties
65 Sussex Street
Hackensack, NJ 07601
Website: www.balloonsandparties.com

Christian Retailing
600 Rinehart Road
Lake Mary, FL 32746
Website: www.christianretailing.com

Communications Arts
110 Constitution Drive
Menlo Park, CA 94024
Website: www.commarts.com

Country Sampler’s Country Business
707 Kautz Road
St. Charles, IL 60174
Website: www.country-business.com

Graphic Arts Monthly
2000 Clearwater Drive
Oak Brook, IL 60523
Website: www.graphicartsmonthly.com

Graphic Design USA
79 Madison Avenue, #1202
New York, NY 10016
Website: www.gdusa.com

HOW Magazine
4700 E. Galbraith Road
Cincinnati, OH 45236
Website: www.howmagazine.com

License! Global Magazine
641 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Website: www.licensemag.com

Museums & More
PO Box 128
Sparta, MI 49345
Website: www.museumsandmore.com

Print Magazine
38 East 29th Street, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10016
Website: www.printmag.com





 More Resources


Online Greeting Card Class
I have collaborated with skillshare.com to create an online course on Getting into the Greeting Card Business.  The content is based on my experience of working in the industry for over 20 years, and from publishing over 1,000 cards. Class is self-paced with student/teacher feedback on your final project in the gallery.
 
Register here. 


Topics Covered:
  • The fundamentals of professional card design.
  • Transforming art into a greeting card.
  • Writing sentiments.
  • Making designs "market-ready" according to industry standards.
  • Top selling occasions.
  • How to turn one card into a larger "collection".
  • How to make a card out of any image.
  • Handmade cards.
  • Where and how to sell cards (including online).
  • Licensing art on cards.
  • Manufacturing and distributing nationally.


Ebooks by Kate Harper

You can support this blog by ordering Kate's e-Booklets starting at only .99 cents! They can be read on your kindle, ipad, ipod, cellphone, or your computer. Free samples and lending options available. You can also view the list of all recommended greeting card books by a variety of authors.

  


Get Your Greeting Cards into Stores explains how to sell cards nationwide. Included are detailed guidelines on: How to price cards for a profit, get professional feedback, find sales representatives and follow industry standards. Information is also applicable to gift items, magnets, journals, calendars, collectibles, etc.






20 Steps to Art Licensing is a book about how to license your art to companies that publish greeting cards, or manufacture coffee mugs, magnets, wall hangings, kitchen items, and dozens of other gift items. Learn how to prepare your art, what companies to contact, how to find agents, and what trade shows to attend. Includes extensive resources on social media, copyrights, licensing community groups, and lists of interviews with professional designers.





7 Mistakes Greeting Card Writers is a booklet that explains what to avoid when submitting greeting card verse to publishers. Learn how to create a trendy card that reflects the contemporary world we live in, and how to use your own personal experience to create card verse. Topics include: how to avoid limiting your market, when to use adjectives, not creating card for enemies, write like people talk and a list of why card sentiment submissions are often rejected. You can increase your odds of success by 60% just by doing a few simple things. Includes a list of card publishers and their guidelines, links to writer interviews, and writing exercises for how to create good verse.




Unusual Ways To Market Greeting Cards, and 22 places to get your designs featured is a booklet on how to get your cards noticed in non-traditional ways. Everything from why you should send cards to your dentist, to how to get a special feature in national publication. Great tips for designers who are starting out and want to get their cards into the hands of people beyond friends and family. Special Section: 22 Gift Industry Trade Publications who seek out new greeting card designs and feature artists for free.




How to Make an EBook Cover for Non-Designers is an illustrated book will show you how to make your own e-book cover, even if you are not a designer. It is intended to help the indie writer who is on a budget and wants to publish and sell their own book in online stores such Amazon.com and the Apple ibookstore. Selling your book in these stores will allow readers to purchase your book and read it on multiple devices such as the Kindle, iPad, iPhone and many other electronic devices.

Halloween Tombstones Based on Tech News

Halloween is my favorite holiday because it involves decorating...and I know that most artists love creating Halloween costumes and art.

This week I've been working on making humorous tombstones for my front yard. I'm looking at what is going on in the tech and science world. Since tech news changes faster than any other news, it's easy to find products that have "died" or are flops all the time.

Several things have happened this month: Customers are unhappy with certain tech companies (Netflix raised prices, HP is going through it's 8th CEO in a decade, and they dropped supporting their operating system WebOS) and physics is challenging Einstein's theory of the speed of light.




How to Write Greeting Card Sentiments




Here are some important resources on this blog on how to get started in writing card text, including interviews and how-to's.

 

 


~


~ Books on Writing Card Sentiments ~




You Can Write Greeting Cards This hands-on guide features practical instruction and exercises that teach beginners how to survey the market, find their niche, and write greetings cards that say just the right thing.




A Guide to Greeting Card Writing All forms are discussed in detail: conventional verse and prose, personal relationship cards, humor, juvenile, inspirational, etc. Detailed info on how to submit and sell your work to greeting card markets. All the nuts and bolts of both the creative art and the publishing market.



Write Greeting Cards Like a Pro Moore knows the ins and outs of the greeting card business. In this hands-on guide, she offers practical instruction, idea joggers, and exercises that will teach you how to survey the market, find your niche, and write greeting cards that say just the right thing. From humor to inspirational writing, Moore profiles the special needs of each greeting card category and also shows you how to spot new trends, so you can write the cards publishers are seeking today.



The Freelance Writing for Greeting Card Companies This book targets important areas a writer needs to know in regards to being self-employed, as well as, how to own a small greeting card business. It covers Internet to explore the technology which has opened the door for freelance writers and artists. You will find web sites that will offer a variety of freelance writers opportunities never before known or unreachable outside the Internet world such as: chat rooms, bulletin boards, or forums so writers can communicate with other writers. This type of networking is ideal for finding answers or obtaining valuable information about a company, organizations, writing groups, and available resources.


How to Write and Sell Greeting Cards, Bumper Stickers, T-Shirts and Other Fun Stuff A successful freelancer shares her years of experience and advice in writing for the "social expression market".




Thinking of You: A Card Greeting for Every Occasion This little books helps to jump start your thinking to make messages for cards.




Finding the Right Words: Perfect Phrases to Personalize Your Greeting Cards More than three dozen ways to say "Happy Birthday” for new family members...even pets. Includes thoughtful condolences for personalizing sympathy cards and congratulatory wishes for weddings and anniversaries. There are helpful hints to simplify card-sending and a monthly calendar for birthdays and anniversaries. This is a book of phrases for all occasions.






Ebook by Kate Harper

You can support this blog by ordering Kate's e-Booklets starting at only .99 cents! They can be read on your kindle, ipad, ipod, cellphone, or your computer. Free samples and lending options available. 



7 Mistakes Greeting Card Writers is a booklet that explains what to avoid when submitting greeting card verse to publishers. Learn how to create a trendy card that reflects the contemporary world we live in, and how to use your own personal experience to create card verse. Topics include: how to avoid limiting your market, when to use adjectives, not creating card for enemies, write like people talk and a list of why card sentiment submissions are often rejected. You can increase your odds of success by 60% just by doing a few simple things. Includes a list of card publishers and their guidelines, links to writer interviews, and writing exercises for how to create good verse.