Get Your Oracle Cards Published

These are the key points of the Get Your Oracle Cards Published workshop :-

Sending your proposal to a publisher:  

If you have a name, a pen name, a website name, a Facebook name, an unregistered business name, etc. etc., I suggest you use one professional name only, and the best name is your real name as this is the only one you want on your royalty cheques. Put all your eggs in one basket under your real name where publishers and others can quickly find you! Publishers invest in their clients, and will research you! I heard of one case where a very good deck was turned down because the person had been working as a telephone line card reader at the same time as working the sex lines! 

Every publisher specialises in some aspect of card manufacture. Find out which publisher is the best fit for your theme and style, and apply to them first. Consider also which publishers are based in your own country of residence because royalties are subject to fluctuating exchange rates and hefty exchange fees that reduce end royalties. They have a preference for creatives to apply to one publisher at a time, but if you decide to send a multiple submissions, let them know you are doing this. View their submission guidelines on their website before making your application. Don’t forget to 'like' your favourite publishers’ Facebook pages, and subscribe to their newsletters, etc. This will notify you if they have a similar card deck in circulation because they would not want another to compete with their established list.

If you are a writer/creator who is designing a deck of cards, you might like to create the images yourself, or else closely collaborate with an illustrator. You will need to have a very clear philosophical concept, and one that is not already on the market under another name. The card meanings need to work as a whole system. The cards and images need consistency of design and approach. Title, subtitle, a quote or affirmation, keywords, maybe 400 words plus for each meaning so the card reader can gain a clear idea of what each card represents in a reading, and the reversed meaning if applicable. Can Beginners intuit a cogent reading from each image or is your deck exclusively for experienced readers? Many decks are 'concept' packages. Is the concept clear and concise andin what ways is this concept helpful? Are the spreads suitably named and do they fit the deck title?  

I suggest you mock up all the titles on individual cards and write notes for the meanings and work with them for a while to see what values might be duplicated or missed out from your concept. The cards need to provide balanced readings, if not erring on the side of positivity. Included in your text could be information on how to bless, store, prepare for, and perform a reading; maybe 4 potential spreads and sample readings, such as a 1 Card, a 3 card, Celtic Cross or other spreads.

 

Include your biography and what qualifies you to design a card deck, and the artist’s bio and what media they use, such as computer graphics, photos, oil on canvas, etc. 

 

If the card readings are all upright, the card backs do not need to be a mirror image. If the cards can be read upright and reversed, when the cards are laid face down, there should be no indication at that point which way they will be read when turned over. 

 

Your proposal should have a cover letter with 10 card samples but check each publishers’ submission guidelines. They prefer single submissions and they might take weeks to reply! If you want to send multiple submissions, let them know you are doing this. How many cards are completed, how many to do, is this for the text or illustration only or both?

Proposal: Include how many cards completed, illustration and text or just one of these, plus your website and contact details, your training, qualifications and related interests, your CV, credentials, and relevant background, organisations you belong to, any previous media work, your contacts and collaborations past and present, languages and travel possibilities, the aim, concept, philosophy and structure of the deck, number of cards completed, number outstanding, your marketing strategy, eg., interviews, talks, courses, blog, newsletter, radio work, YouTube channel, podcasts, PowerPoint presentations, etc., your social media profile, Facebook 'like' page, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, etc. who will be the deck’s purchasers, the competition for your particular market, your USP, how your cards compare with theirs, your plans for the future, eg., exhibitions, commissions, fairs, a book, to use the deck for public readings, another deck, include your photo by JPEG. 

Your agent/publisher will expect a good working knowledge of the cards in your specialist category, so please do your research and know the competition, what cards each publisher has published and what their preferences are. Some useful reviews on my blog:

What are your credentials? How does this contribute to what is already on the market (USP) Who will buy your deck? What is your marketing muscle? How many are completed, when will the deck be finished, have you text plus illustration or just one of these? Etc., Etc. Get updates from their Facebook page and subscribe to their newsletters.

Your publicity machine should feature social media - a Facebook 'like' page, LinkedIn, twitter, Instagram, a YouTube Channel, radio show appearance link, a website with a media page, share all your links for interviews, etc, etc., etc. If this is difficult, consider a collaboration with someone with marketing skills. If you have a book, an online course, another card deck, make sure your agent and publisher know this in your proposal. 

Which card deck publishers are the best? Will you submit to only those in the UK or will you also try those abroad? Is a single submission to traditional publishers better than a multiple submission? What name will you publish under? Why use your own name? How many artworks are required for a proposal? Is it best to create both artwork and text or collaborate? How long does it take to receive a reply from publishers? How much money can be made from card decks? Can courses and other products and services support the deck? If publishers are not interested, can Kickstarter be a way in to getting a traditional publisher interested?

Oracle decks: title (subtitle) maybe quote or affirmation. How to use the cards, store them, bless them, a few spreads and examples of readings.

Submissions: Rockpool Publishing (Australia):

Submissions: Inner Traditions/Bear & Co. procedure: Proposal plus covering letter. What makes your artwork/concept unique, Who will it appeal to e.g., females, young, experienced, those who like visionary art, etc., your qualifications to produce a card deck, e.g., are you a professional reader, etc. etc. Send samples of illustration and text plus website. Email: queries@innertraditions.com

Submissions: Red Wheel / Weiser Books, Proposal plus covering letter, include a market analysis, competition, your own marketing ability, your publicity experience and plans, CV, what makes you qualified to design a card deck, your website, etc., etc to: submissions@rwwbooks.com

Submissions: U.S. Games Systems, Inc.., are a traditional publisher exclusively for card decks of all kinds, tarot, oracle, angel, etc. Proposal plus covering letter. Artwork plus the text for concept, meanings, how to use, spreads, etc.etc. Always check a publishers' submission guides, get to know the quality and style of their publishing and packaging, like their Facebook page and check incase they have a newsletter,

Gold standard submission procedure for artists: Llewellyn Worldwide, please click on the link :

Hay House have a UK branch. Their background is in New Thought and positive thinking/law of attraction. Card submissions require an agent and a full following on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Evidence of marketing ability is a strict criteria for Hay House. Possibly blog, YouTube videos, podcasts, published interviews, reviews, etc., which demonstrate professionalism. Courses, talks, CDs, retreats, etc., are possible income streams. Collaborative work is helpful in achieving targets. Avoid Balboa Press.

Submissions to Findhorn Press: Proposal plus covering letter. See their submission guidelines: submissions@findhornpress.com

I am here for collaborations to advise on proposal details, marketing and agenting. 

Wendy Stokes: www.wendystokes.co.uk