Hi
1. Get a photo printed
2. Weigh photo with fairly thin piece of card for protection in return envelope (in grams)
3. Check
http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/cont ... d=53800712 for the postage amount. You want airmail rest of the world. A large envelope up to 100g will cost £2.07 to get back to the US, (although you need to write "Airmail" and "Small Packet" in the top left hand corner - if you don't write this on the envelope it will cost you more). A small one between 20g and 40g will be £1.65. Check the table on the website, if you can't follow it then post the weight on here and someone will check it for you. From the UK the size of the envelope makes no difference (unless it's really, really huge, an A4/9" x 11" envelope is fine).
4. If you can get UK stamps put them on the self addressed envelope. People on here trade them and probably sell them as well. (I think all that happens on the "Autographs for Sale" board, have a look there). If you can't then you'll need to get International Reply Coupons, which you get from the post office or the USPS website, put them in the envelope with your letter and the photo etc. Regardless of how much you pay for them, they are worth 67p each for return postage, so you need to put enough in to cover the return journey.
5. If you are not sending a photo, most people (if they have their own photos) in the UK send 6" x 4" photos, so send a small-ish envelope with enough postage for 40g.
6. Write your letter, put it all in the envelope you're sending, add enough postage to get it to the UK
7. Post it.
8. Forget about it until the postman brings it back to you one day.
Good luck, hope this helps.