Envelope sizes... bigger or smaller?

[echoamaru]

Hey all!

Hoping to gain your opinions on this one...

I'm writing to a number of older celebrities - some of whom are pretty much in retirement. For those who are not, I tend to send an A4-sized SASE (reasoning that it will be big enough to hold postcards or 8x4 sized photos, or whatever they choose to send me; I do not include photos taken off the internet due to copyright). However, for those actors/actresses who are in semi- or full- retirement, I reason that they are unlikely to have publicity photos/headshots/film stills lying around to respond to fanmail with. So.... (getting to my question now) ... for these requests, should I still include a large A4 SASE, or a smaller A5 SASE with perhaps an index card for them to sign, in order to make it easier to fulfil my request for an autograph (if they so choose)?

What do you do? What kind of responses have you received from older / semi-retired / retired stars? Have they sent you their own photos? Or have index cards worked better?

Looking forward to hearing your views!

[johnnylightning]

You should send your own pictures,your chances are way better & as far as copyright in most cases nobody cares it's just a picture,half the time its ahead shot and the celeb owns the rights to it,as long as its not a movie still shot or anything nobody has a problem with photos printed off the computer & generally nobody cares about the movie shots either.They wouldn't sign them if they had a problem and they always sign them.Thats my advice or at least send a index card but some celebs won't sign index cards but will sign any picture !

[echoamaru]

Thanks for replying!

I take your point, and for these stars I reckon I should include something for them to sign. I won't download pictures, but reckon I can buy some postcard prints of their films when I'm in London tomorrow, so I think I'll include them. That way there is something to sign - to make it easier for them - but not an index card.

Thanks!