Reader Mail

Subject: Greeting Cards

I was wondering if you could tell me what the going rate for material for greeting cards is. I have been contacted by people interested in my work. Some have asked me for a price I will accept. But I'm not a pro, I just have a gift for poetry. What do the pro's in this industry get?

Bob Taylor
mrshoe@erols.com
Rockville, Maryland, USA

Dear Bob,

Rates for freelancers in the greeting card markets vary among the different greeting card publishers. Some may pay only $10 per card idea while some may pay $100 or more for your greeting card verse. Those who take full-time positions as greeting card verse writers make the most in the industry. For more information on the greeting card markets check out the 1999 Writer's Market or the following article from The IWJ, "Using the Internet to Crack the Greeting Card Market". Good Luck!

The Editors

Subject: Research Resources for Writers

Thank you for your research resources for writers. I finally found exactly what I was looking for under the www.refdesk.com (virtual reference desk), and then on to a key word search that yielded:

My Virtual Reference Desk - My Facts Page - US Government Information Resources Please visit our sponsors. Click Here to Visit our Sponsor MY FACTS PAGE US GOVERNMENT RESOURCES New MVRD SEARCH ENGINE Fast Facts 1998 · Atlas & Maps · Beginner's ... http://www.refdesk.com/factgov.html

What I needed was statistics on child abuse and incidence (% of population affected, etc.), and I was having trouble locating a web source where I could read the actual article or report rather than just get a reference for a library catalog listing.

This address is great for all kinds of research listings, has a wide variety of subjects and sources and leads to actual documents.

I also appreciate your Writers Chat and all your other categories. This is a great site. I have visited it every day since discovering it.

M. E. Rothman
Berkeley, California, USA

Return to the December 1998 issue of The IWJ.