3 Steps to Self-Publish Your Oracle Card Deck

Are you an intuitive reader, healer, spiritual teacher, or creative who loves to work with oracle cards? And you’ve been thinking about publishing your own deck?

Maybe you’ve already created your own card deck, and you’re wondering what your next steps are to get it published, make it available on Amazon & co., and reach a larger audience with your product?

You’ve may have been exploring the possibility of self-publishing your card deck rather than working with a traditional publisher—but you’re not sure how to go about getting your deck “out there” effectively.

If so, this article is for you! Keep reading to learn about the three essential steps to self-publish your oracle deck under your own publisher label.

The Magical Heart Healing Cards created by Anna Frolik—the first card deck we officially published under our own label in 2021. (First edition: 2014.)

Self-Publishing Your Oracle Deck vs. Working With a Traditional Publisher

One way to get your deck published is to submit your work to traditional publishers such as Hay House, Blue Angel Publishing, or Llewellyn.

There are some advantages to taking this route:

First of all, having the support of an established publishing company will allow you to access resources that might otherwise not be available to you as easily. For instance, a reputable publisher will professionally edit and design your deck, source the artwork for your cards if needed, and handle everything from getting your cards printed to distributing them to stores all around the world.

However, getting there can be a long road—and there’s no guarantee of success. If you’re a new author, it may take many attempts to find a publisher who’s willing to take you on board. Also, you won’t have as much control over your creative process, and only a fraction of your sales profits will actually end up in your pocket.

If you’re looking for a faster and easier solution that allows you to stay in control of your own process and keep a higher amount of your profits, you may want to consider self-publishing your deck instead.

With the right strategy and support, you can set up your own system that will allow you to distribute your deck to third-party book sellers such as Amazon or retail stores, reach a wider audience with your creations, and fulfill large order volumes efficiently without having to do it all on your own.

The Oracle of the Magical Fairy Forest by Anna Frolik, illustrated by Anna Babich (card #44, Guardian of the Fae).

Self-Publishing Your Oracle or Tarot Card Deck: How to Get Started

1. Choose the Right Printing Solution for Your Card Deck (Print-on-Demand vs. Bulk Printing)

First of all, it’s important to find a suitable printing company for your project.

An easy way to get started is to get your cards produced by a print-on-demand manufacturer such as MPC or The Game Crafter. I often used one of these companies to print the first prototypes of my card decks in the past since they allow small order volumes starting at just one deck.

Both of these companies also offer order fulfillment for a small additional fee. However, they won’t directly distribute your cards to any external platforms such as Amazon or Etsy. Also, your printing costs will be relatively high even if you produce your deck in bulk.

Once you’re ready to sell your oracle cards in higher volumes, it makes more sense to find a printing company that specializes in larger print runs, usually starting at 500 decks—using a printing method known as offset printing.

This way, your printing cost per deck will be much lower, and your sales profits will be higher even if you work with a third-party company for warehousing, distribution, and fulfillment. You’ll also have a better profit margin if you want to sell your card decks to retailers directly at wholesale cost. (More about this in step 3.)

Example of a prototype oracle deck printed by a print-on-demand supplier. (The Divine Magic Oracle Cards designed in 2019 by Anna Frolik.)

2. Purchasing Your ISBN Number for Your Oracle Deck

This step is optional, but helpful if you’d like to distribute your cards to marketplaces such as Amazon and physical bookstores. With an ISBN number, you can publish your oracle card deck as a book rather than distributing it as a game, which will make it easier for you to get it into bookstores. Either way: You will need a barcode to distribute your deck to retailers worldwide—if not an ISBN, you’ll need a UPC barcode.

Please note that in order to self-publish your cards with an ISBN number, you may be required to include a guidebook—otherwise it may be classified as a card game. The rules are different in each country. For example, as a Canadian publisher, I can’t get an ISBN just for a deck of cards, so I have to include at least a small booklet. To find out what the requirements are in your country, ask your ISBN agency for more information.

To get your ISBN number for your oracle card deck, you’ll have to register as a publisher with your national ISBN agency first. Then, you can go ahead and purchase your ISBN number(s) from them. In some countries (for example, here in Canada), ISBN numbers are available for free. If you don’t want to purchase an ISBN number from your national agency or if they’re only available in bulk in your country, you may be able to get one from a third-party agency that sells them individually.

Your ISBN number will have to be printed on the packaging of your deck with a barcode, so make sure you purchase your number before getting your cards designed and manufactured.

The Art of Self-Healing card deck by Karin von Daler. (With an ISBN barcode printed on the back of the box.)

3. Setting up Your Order Fulfillment + Distribution System

Finally, it’s time to set up a system that will allow you to fulfill your orders efficiently.

One option is to have your cards sent to your own business address and ship them to your customers yourself. If you’d like to sell your deck on Amazon, you can sign up for a seller account, get your product listed, and fulfill your orders from your business location. This can work well for small order volumes.

Once you’re ready to go bigger (or if you don’t want to ship your orders yourself—for example, if you like to travel a lot), working with a third-party logistics company for warehousing, distribution and fulfillment can be a more suitable long-term solution.

This way, you can sell more copies of your deck without needing to worry about packaging and shipping your cards yourself. You’ll get better shipping prices that way, too.

For example, when I launched the Oracle of the Magical Fairy Forest on Kickstarter, I was grateful for the opportunity to work with a fulfillment company that helped me ship my orders from my backers in the United States. This helped to save me time and unnecessary added costs for cross-border shipping.

Working with a 3PL or distribution partner is also useful if you want to reach a larger network of retailers with your deck. Your order fulfillment company can ship large quantities more efficiently and securely, and some distributors may help you advertise your products, too.

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