the start of the letter (help me!)

[naso]

(hello, new member, first post, etc)

i'm about to send off my first proper letter to ask for a signed photo &, depressingly enough, i'm having issues with... er, the second word.

okay, say i'm writing to john smith:

if i start the letter 'dear john', it sounds far too familiar & like the beginning of a letter that might lead to a restraining order

if i say 'dear john smith', it sounds awkward

if i say 'dear mr. john smith', it sounds ridiculous

my friend says i should just write 'dear sir/madam' and be done with it but personally i'm not sure that gender confusion is always the best way to get something out of someone

how do you start your letters?

please give me a hand, or i'll end up obsessing over the first three words for the rest of my life!

(yes, i may be over-thinking this slightly)

[Danny]

I would always say: Dear john smith. That's what I always do.

Use sir or madam if they have that title.

When I wrote to the Dalai Lama I wrote: Your Holyness. since he is a spiritual leader. ( got an autograph back a few months later)


It all depends on who the person is. When writing to a President or Prime Minister you would say Dear President/Prime Minister (his family name here)



Hope this helps. Do not hesitate to ask any more questions and good luck with your success

[nowandagain]

Hi naso

Welcome to the forum

In proper letter writing you should write as Dear John or Dear Mr Smith unless the person you write to has a proper title (e.g. Sir, Dame ...)

Dear John is more casual than Dear Mr Smith, so it really depends on the tone of your letter. As my letters to celebrities are of a fairly casual tone, I prefer to use Dear John.

Dear John Smith and Dear Mr John Smith is incorrect in proper letter writing. Furthermore, Dear Sir/Madam should only be used when you do not have a specific person to address to.

I hope this helps.

nowandagain [rockon]

[cernan]

Hey naso -
I usually use Dear Mr. Smith as it still has an air of formality but doesn't sound wierd. However if you were writing to someone such as Sir Elton John, you may want to just address it as Dear Sir Elton John. If you are writing to a professor or someone with a Ph.D., I would say that you should address it as Dear Dr. Smith. Hope this helps!

[ChattyGirl247]

I use Dear John Smith or Hi. Hi Is VERY RARELY. I've only used it once or twice

[zenbird]

I also use "Dear Mr. Smith" or "Dear Ms. Smith". I figure it's polite and respectful, and that's what I'm going for. You have the body of the letter to be informal, complimentary and funny (but NOT long-winded!)

One thing that would freak me out if I were a celebrity is the notion that people feel like they know me, when they are, in fact, total strangers.

So I try and keep things on a certain level and respect the distance.

Just my 2c.

[LEOx3_LOVE]

I agree with everyone else, & it really does just depend on who you write to.. like if I was writing to someone close to my age I would write Dear Cody & as for everyone else I write Dear Ms. Blanchett, things like that & I write it all "cool" at the top of the paper.. Good luck with your requests!

[onebuffcop]

I may be the exception to the norm but have had over 200 successes so it has worked for me. I always do mine up like a professional letter. For example, I use this format: (this is an example of one I sent out today)

Scott Rolen
St. Louis Cardinals
C/O Roger Dean Stadium
4751 Main St.
Jupiter, FL 33458

Mr. Rolen,

I know it is the oldest cliche in the book but I truly am a big fan and supporter of yours.


That is the way I start every single letter just about. If I know it's close to a celebritie's birthday, I will start it off by saying:

Mr. Rolen,

First of all I would like to wish you a very happy birthday and know that you probably won't get this letter until well after, however I hope it was a very joyous day for you and one of if not the best birthday ever.


Just something that lets them know you have put more thought into it as opposed to just saying hello and can I have your autograph! I would be more than happy to email you a copy of one of the letters I just sent if you think it will help you some! Just let me know. If not, hopefully some of the stuff all of us have posted on here has at least gotten you started in the right direction! Best of luck to you with your requests.... have a great day and be safe!

Jim

[BABii_ANG3L]

For me, I always write their full name, or whatever they're known as to the public.