How to write a Fan Letter.

[irock]

Tips...

1) Be formal don't start the letter saying something like "to Dave you are awesome man" No you want to be formal "To Sir/Mr David Tennant"

2) Try and keep it less then 1 A4 full of writing.

3) Never say anything strange on the letter like "OMG I FREAKING LUV U" If you want to say you like there work say something like "I have followed your acting/singing work for years"

4) For authors... Don't say anything like "I have wrote a short story you could use for the next book" They could get offended and take it the wrong way.


Anyway here is an example for asking for an autograph...


Dear Sir_________

My name is ________ and I live in _________, I love your acting work and I have been following it since ______ when I first saw you in ______ Which was great, I love how your portrayed _________ in it. I can't wait until ______ I know it will be amazing with you in.


Anyway I was wondering could you please maybe sign me an autograph? and send it back in the SASE I sent? I would be greatly honored.


Kind Regards
_________

That is just a short example you could make it bigger.

[reachingrwanda2014]

I'm not going to lie,

this is a poor letter, and although the celeb may answer back to you,
he/she is probably a bit confused as the letter is so poor.
Needs to be longer, a lot more details around things you like about them
you have to be a lot more thanking, "I'm extremely grateful of your generosity in signing the enclosed photo, I've enclosed a stamped addressed envelope for your convenience" etc...

how you've got all your success' I don't know!

Kind Regards
Lewis.

[irock]

Oh no I don't send letters like that no that was an example I meant it was a simple example which you can add on to.

[renef09]

I don't think that "length" is a requirement for a letter of request, as far as it is sincere and respectful. Of course, when one writes about its thoughts and about the celebrity, usually letters will tend to be long.

[irock]

Yes just saying I heard somebody wrote someone a 6 page letter which to me is a bit to long.

[reachingrwanda2014]

That's cool

Just think a new collector may take the template and literally use it as it is ?

Either way you're attempting to help newbies, that's great!

Lewis

[Hartster]

Also, authors will NOT look at unsolicited manuscripts, or even at hints of one, because they could be sued if an idea someone came up with shows up in their work.

[andi0317]

Hi,

I've got a problem for years now. I live in Europe in a small country. And there are some celebs (singer, actor, and so on...) who I wanna write to. I can find so many addresses here too where I can ask for an autograph.
But where should I write if I want to be sure that the famous person I want to write to a letter really gets it. You know what I mean. Not her/his assistant, not anybody else, but the celebrity her/himself really gets my letter and maybe (oh, I know, it's just a big dream) answers too.

So what do you think? Where should I write to them? Maybe to the same address where we write to ask for autographs?
Any idea?

I have no idea how these things work. All I know is that some stars don't sign those cards oneself.
But I have no idea what's with the real fan letters.
I'm reall, really thankful for your help!!!

[irock]

Hi,

I've got a problem for years now. I live in Europe in a small country. And there are some celebs (singer, actor, and so on...) who I wanna write to. I can find so many addresses here too where I can ask for an autograph.
But where should I write if I want to be sure that the famous person I want to write to a letter really gets it. You know what I mean. Not her/his assistant, not anybody else, but the celebrity her/himself really gets my letter and maybe (oh, I know, it's just a big dream) answers too.

So what do you think? Where should I write to them? Maybe to the same address where we write to ask for autographs?
Any idea?

I have no idea how these things work. All I know is that some stars don't sign those cards oneself.
But I have no idea what's with the real fan letters.
I'm reall, really thankful for your help!!!

.


For fan mail the only way to get there autograph is to send it via there agent otherwise you will have to get there private address agent or represtative is the best option

[stillluckyas13canbe]

Tips...

1) Be formal don't start the letter saying something like "to Dave you are awesome man" No you want to be formal "To Sir/Mr David Tennant"

2) Try and keep it less then 1 A4 full of writing.

3) Never say anything strange on the letter like "OMG I FREAKING LUV U" If you want to say you like there work say something like "I have followed your acting/singing work for years"

4) For authors... Don't say anything like "I have wrote a short story you could use for the next book" They could get offended and take it the wrong way.


Anyway here is an example for asking for an autograph...


Dear Sir_________

My name is ________ and I live in _________, I love your acting work and I have been following it since ______ when I first saw you in ______ Which was great, I love how your portrayed _________ in it. I can't wait until ______ I know it will be amazing with you in.


Anyway I was wondering could you please maybe sign me an autograph? and send it back in the SASE I sent? I would be greatly honored.


Kind Regards
_________

That is just a short example you could make it bigger.

I have no doubt that the OP will have a go at me for daring to comment, but having stumbled on this by chance today, this is the second worst fanmail letter "template" I have ever seen. The other is also on this forum. This type of advice could lead to newbies not getting responses, as it's such a blatant "non-effort" form style that it will stand out a mile.

As for the specific advice within, I rarely address to anything other than (to use your example) Dear David which has never done me any harm. If the person has been knighted or has a dame-hood, or indeed any other formal honorific, I'll use it as appropriate, because "Sir Trevor" is how you would greet Trevor McDonald for example. As for that actual autograph request line... it doesn't really follow the "formal" lines you were advocating at the top of the post.

If you're going to write a letter to a celeb, sure there are standard things you need to include, but it needs to be from the heart. I use a form letter for mine (for obvious reasons) but I tend to add a handwritten addition to each in places, especially if I happen to be writing to someone I like as a person/performer. If you're just going to write along the lines of what is above, you might as well just do the six word standard that another user has on here. It will get you Z listers but will fall flat on big guns.

Commendable that you're trying to help, but it's probably an idea that you look over the stickied threads on here that have been here for years on the same topic, it will help you in the long run. Now, if only someone could decide what size of envelopes got a better response rate...