Greeting cards use a variety of photographs to enhance the meaningfulness and saleability of their birthday, sympathy, special occasion and everyday cards. These companies often buy stock pictures from freelance photographers and insert them into greeting card templates. These greeting cards feature a wide variety of photo types, including portraits of people and animals, still life photographs and location-specific images. You can build your independent photography career by selling your photos to greeting card companies and firms.

Set a price for your photographs.

Look up names and contact information of greeting card manufacturers. Find company listings on Internet-based card company catalogs. Write down the names, street addresses, telephone numbers and email contacts for these companies.

Send inquiry letters to several greeting card companies. Include a salutation, a background of your business, a few sample photographs, references and letters of recommendation (if any) and the price you set for your pictures. Send these queries via email or physical mail.

Speak with the editor to hammer out the details of the deal once a card company expresses interest. Include the number of photographs and final price. Make several phone calls or mail more information if necessary before you and the greeting card company finalize the deal.

Tip

Writer2Writer, a freelance photography and writing information site, recommended a price of $50 to $800 per image as of December 2010, based on the size and quality of the photographs, the size of the greeting card company to which you are selling and your existing reputation as a photographer.

In lieu of emailing or physically mailing a query letter, you can call the greeting card company on the telephone and introduce your business.

If you are newly entering the photography market, focus on smaller, lesser-known greeting card companies. Large companies prefer more experienced photographers.