Just checked...cards to be approved...2244...that's a lot 'o cards!   Must be something that can be done about this.  From listening and reading the forum, card approvals seem to be a big issue...what is the solution? More approvers?  asking GCU artists to be approvers?  What?  Card approvers on weekends? round the clock approvers?  Don't know and I am not being critical, just know that if the cards aren't there, we all loose.  How can I help this process?  I am ready and willing...let's get those cards out there!
Linda

1.We might limit the like cards to just 3, with very clear and LARGE instructions to buyers how they can change a particular card from sister to mother, etc. etc.
 
2. We might consider a rule that artists can only create 10 cards a week.
 
3. Reviewers can make simple changes instead of resubmits.
 
4. Talk to Obama, he wants to create jobs, maybe he will pay for hire more reviewers.  lol!

Although, on average I rarely upload more than 10 cards a week, when I get 'in the mood' I would hate to limited to the number of cards I could upload each week, so I am against that as a potential solution.
 
How about we dedicate only 1 reviewer who does the cards that are created by the seemingly hundreds for every birth year and person's name.  The remaining reviewers handle the rest of the cards.  I know that these types of cards sell and customers expect to be find them at this site, but perhaps it is time to separate those cards out and handle that type of card upload as a separate section.   We may find that everyone gets a faster review cycle by doing that.
 
 
Well that's my 2-cents and agreement that SOMETHING needs to be done.  I too am not getting down on GCU, I work so far in advance of holidays that I'm not sitting here awaiting approvals.  This whole cycle however does seem to be breaking down and getting slower and slower.  At some point there needs to be a solution and I throw my hat in the ring of willingness to help if possible.

Think like a customer, not an artist, when making cards for GCU.  I believe I've heard that quite a few times on posts from senior members like Carrie, Norma, Marion and others who have been here quite a while and are quite successful.  Even Linda from the planet Zircon.
 
When I first started here, I was totally overwhelmed by the number of categories.  As an artist, I wanted to create a unique card and move on to the next design.  Adding different text to fit subcategories and specific verses for those categories seemed like a waste of my time.  The customer could do all that!
 
Well, I changed my mind once I began to attempt to think like a customer.  Most of the buyers who use GCU that I have visited with love the site because they can quickly find a special quality card for a specific person in their lives that has a meaningful verse.  They don't want (or have the time) to add to or change the card.
 
Quality is important too and part of the success of GCU is the review process.  Whether it takes 3 days or 3 weeks to review cards is not as important as the process itself.  I would hate to see too much pressure put on the reviewers to get more cards through.  It's a thankless job, but very important to our success!  We, as artist, are ultimately responsible for correct spelling and categorization of our cards.  The reviewer is there to catch our mistakes, not fix them.  
 
I'm excited about the new flipEcards because once customers see our variety (and quality) I think they will fill a market spot.
 
My goodness, I got carried away here.  Just food for thought.
Happy Day!
Kati

Thanks to all for your ideas and willingness to help be part of the solution  
 
A big kudos to Cheryl, Kathleen, Doreen and Dolores for keeping sight of the big picture.  
 
With advanced planning the card review time should not be an issue.  We are seeing about a 7 day review time which really isn't that long unless you've been with us since the early days when cards were approved in less than 24 hours.  
 
Ahh, those were the days!    BUT those were also the days when we were getting less than 100 new cards a day (we're hitting 1,000 a day lately), didn't have FastTrack, didn't check for typos, could not return for edits and declined cards were called rejects, etc.  We have come a long way since then and all for the better.  
 
Recent feedback from a new artist hits the nail on the head:
By the way, you must have spoiled many of your artists with instant turnaround . . . A week to get a card up and running is not excessive.  The process must maintain integrity for the buying public. ONLY really good products can appear on your site. Or we all suffer.
 
Note, it is NOT all about speeding up the review team.  Artists play a BIG part in improving the process and have a responsibility of due diligence.  Many artists are submitting less than perfect cards and relying on the reviewers to catch careless mistakes.  It is not reasonable to submit cards created with a low level of care and poor attention to detail AND expect quicker reviews.  It is also not fair to the conscientious artists whose cards get delayed in the queue as a result.
 
Actions to take before submitting each card:
1. Familiarize yourself with the GCU Wiki page (http://wiki.greetingcarduniverse.com)
2. Use the template to insure details are within the 1/4" margin
3. Check & double check all grammar, spelling, typos, word usage on cover and inside verse.  If it's not your strong suit then enlist your spouse, partner, roommate or friends to proof for you
4. Choose category(ies) thoughtfully & carefully
5. Add only accurate and descriptive keywords, do not include misleading or unrelated terms
6. Create a descriptive & unique card title that is meaningful at a glance
7. Be aware of image rights issues that may apply to your creative
 
Do not submit your card until you are confident that it is a quality product.  This is where artists can clearly be part of the solution.