“In the 80’s I was friends with a then very famous American singer in Europe. I also helped with her fan mail.
Every few weeks she gave me a few boxes full of unopened fan letters. 99% of the letters were all the same like “Dear Lory, I like your songs, I have seen you on TV, I think you’re pretty, please send me an autograph. Goodbye.”
Those I sent an autographed photo, threw away the letters and that was it. But 1% of the letters that were really nice and personal I sorted out and handed over to her personally and she read and answered them herself. Those people got personal autographs with dedication and in most cases, she also added a few handwritten lines.
A few years before I got to know her personally, I had also written a letter to that very same singer at her fan mail address. You can imagine how totally surprised I was when I received my reply. Not only did I get a signed photo with personal dedication but also a two page long personal handwritten letter from her in reply to mine.
I know that this is certainly an exception and not every celebrity takes the time to write complete letters to their fans. But the best tip I can give is still: Write a nice personal letter to the celebrity, especially when it’s not the only one you want for your collection but somebody that you really like. Omit too many intimate or detailed facts about your life and don’t write more than 1-2 pages maximum. Tell them what you like about them and their art, how it influences your life or if you associate special moments in your life with them (for example a song.) Just go a little further.
Just an example: Leonardo DiCaprio certainly has thousands of letters like, “Dear Leo, you’re sooooo sweeeeet. I have seen you in Titanic and I love you so.” Hey, there’s more to talk about. The man is a serious actor. He has acted in over 20 movies and in several TV shows. He has played Shakespeare. Remember that when you write to him. Your letter might end up in the hands of a secretary and never reach him personally. That’s always a risk. But there’s also always a chance that he might get it, so make it count! Make your letter special. Try to make it stand out of the thousands of form letters he receives. If your letter is special, it just might receive a special reply, too.
– Christine Geyer