| You have to think outside the box if you want your | | | | company would send them back. I never saw those |
| greeting card designer skills to get noticed and bought | | | | drawings again of course. It was a long time ago and I |
| by consumers. Most greeting card companies have in | | | | don't remember the company name. Always submit |
| house greeting card designers that pump out designs | | | | copies of your art work and never your originals. |
| for them all day long. They don't really need to see | | | | I never heard back from them and how could I prove I |
| your designs. | | | | sent the drawings in to begin with? The envelope |
| Don't ever take it personally. It's easier for a company | | | | could have gotten lost in the mail but that is no excuse |
| to hire a greeting card designer and pay them a salary | | | | for sending in original drawings and believing I would get |
| than to take chances on freelancers. A company that | | | | them back. The point is to protect your drawings. I |
| prefers to hire can also claim your designs as their | | | | never saw any indication that my ideas were stolen |
| own once you become their employee. You design | | | | and put on the market but any idea you have can be |
| the way they want you to. Basically, you do the grunt | | | | stolen and used by making a few alterations. |
| work, they take the credit. | | | | How can you think outside the box and get your ideas |
| Another reason could be legal. A freelance graphic | | | | noticed when all other avenues have been |
| artist could claim their designs were stolen by the | | | | exhausted? |
| company and that spells trouble for the legal | | | | Discover 5 Strategies to Get Your Designs Noticed |
| department. That can also cause a company to not | | | | 1. Use YouTube for exposure. |
| look at your greeting card designs. | | | | Set up a YouTube account and create video |
| So where can you get help? I would suggest trying | | | | presentations of your greeting card designs. Make |
| proper channels. Get an agent to represent you and | | | | sure your work is copy written. |
| have the agent submit your designs. Having the help of | | | | 2. Use an agent to submit your designs. |
| an agent will give you credibility as an artist and can | | | | Do a search online for Artist Agents and you'll find |
| help take care of possible legal problems. | | | | websites that list their clients. Scroll to the bottom of |
| Get a list of companies you want your designs to go | | | | the page and find the contact us link. |
| to and have your agent submit away. Another option | | | | 3. Use cold calling techniques and make sure to never |
| would be to get a job with a company you're targeting | | | | send in original art work. |
| if you don't mind not having control over your designs. | | | | Try calling a few companies and see if they don't give |
| Getting hired means not being able to work from | | | | you the run around. It will be worth the exercise to see |
| home and losing control of your designs. | | | | what happens. You might experience some success. |
| Doing freelance work is better in the long run because | | | | 4. Use word of mouth as a strategy thorough family |
| you will have more freedom to design in your own | | | | and friends. |
| creative environment without restrictions. | | | | Be sure to let family and friends know you are a |
| I remember trying to solicit some designs to a greeting | | | | greeting card designer. Word of mouth can be a very |
| card company years ago. I thought it would be easy to | | | | powerful tool. |
| do. I like biblical stories and thought it would be easy to | | | | 5. Use the internet as a strategy to distribute your |
| design greeting cards around them. All I would need to | | | | greeting card designs. |
| do is draw, paint and submit my art work. | | | | Build a website that showcases your art work and try |
| I was really green at the time and didn't have a clue of | | | | to sell them from there. That requires a lot more work |
| how the greeting card design industry worked. In fact, I | | | | but you can always outsource website building. |
| was so green I sent my original drawings in thinking the | | | | |