Hello
friends- 
For
those of you who visit greetingcardwriting.com often, you've probably
wondered: "Where's Sandra?" You haven't heard from me in
awhile in this column, although those of you who e-mail me personally,
know I'm still alive and kicking.
This website is run by two women-Melanie Heit Rivellese and Sandra
Miller-Louden. That's it. We both have families and let's
face it, "life intrudes." The downside (if there truly
is one), is that the site doesn't get updated quite as often as we'd
like. That's a really small price to pay, however, for the
commitment we have in providing a warm, homey place where you can visit
anytime. We've received many e-mails complimenting the site as a
haven where people can go to renew and reaffirm their interest in, and
love for, the written word as it is expressed in greeting cards.
So, the minor glitches, we'll live with. Most people are happy
when they find out this is a very personal site...not one run by
nameless people in suits, vying for the corner office with a view.
Not that I don't have a wonderful view, sitting here in front of my
computer in the converted room that was once an open porch.
Cardinals, chickadees, blue jays and of course, the persistent squirrels
are just a glance away...eating the cracked corn and birdseed scattered
on my patio. Taz, my tiger strip cat, is sprawled over the top of
my computer, soaking up the warmth. The heater's on; I'm sipping a
cup of hot tea, listening to my favorite station on live365.com.
So, how much better can it possibly get?
Yesterday, I received a greeting card in the mail, written by a former
Community College student of mine. It's "her"
card...by-line on the back, cute drawing on the front. In part,
she writes: "I wanted you to have one of the first of these
cards hot off the presses! Again, all I can say is...thank you,
thank you, thank you! It is wonderful to be getting paid for
having fun."
Ah, people. That's kind of it in a nutshell. When you write
greeting cards and when you approach it, first and foremost, as having
fun, you will sell. As I say in my books and in the classes I
teach, having fun isn't the flaky criterion is seems. It is a
vital aspect in the success-or lack thereof-in selling one's writing.
There's a basic, intangible quality that shines through in words that
come from the author's heart. In greeting card writing, with its
emphasis on the short, the pithy, the succinct, there's simply no room
to hide, no place to fudge. You'd better enjoy what you're writing
and feel that with your words, you are truly helping others say what
they are unwilling-and often, unable-to say for themselves.
Embedded in each word had better be a certain sparkle, a definite flair
for fun to have those words soar above and beyond the competition.
Enjoy the site and discover the new pages we have in store for you.
Be patient, more will come and the updates will be closer together.
Melanie and I are absolutely committed to having a colorful, happy site
where you're welcome anytime.
Sandra
