Should You Reply to Fan Mail?
I wrote to three people recently, telling them I loved their work. Didn’t get a single reply. So I began wondering, am I the only one who actually replies to fan mail (and makes some pretty cool friends that way)? I asked a couple of writers in order to find out. Almost all of them said that yes, they reply to fan mail as long as it isn’t downright freaky. Others said they didn’t reply only when the volume got too hard to handle.
My take on this is that unless you’re a hotshot artist and get hundreds of letters a day, always, always, always reply to people who’ve taken the time to write to you. Apart from the fact that these people could be on the higher rung of the ladder and could actually help you in your career, it’s also a matter of common courtesy. I’m not remotely famous or anything and I get an average of two to three e-mails a day telling me that I’m loved, so I know that replying to each one can take up a lot of time. But I do it anyway. Because I want people who write to me to know that their words are appreciated.
What do I do with these e-mails? I collect them. I save them for the really low days when I feel worthless and think this writing path isn’t worth it. I then go through all these mails one by one and realize why it IS worth every frustrating minute of it. I have readers who love what I do, even if I’m not perfect and make the most humiliating mistakes. A little thank you note seems very small in comparison.
One of the early articles that I did for a website got me my first letter of feedback. The reader wrote to me saying that I had a lot of talent and that she hoped to see my name everywhere in the next couple of years. For a nobody writer who didn’t believe in herself, that one letter served as encouragement for the many ruthless months that followed. Whenever I felt frustrated at my lack of success or doubted my talent, I’d go back to that letter and know that there was one person in this world who thought I could make it. If this stranger who knew nothing about me thought I could make it, why didn’t I?
Your readers are what make you. By writing to them, interacting with them, you’re endearing yourself to them. By giving them the cold shoulder, you run the risk of alienating them. A fan who gets a response (even if it’s just a one-line thank you), becomes your fan forever. When you’re famous, you have the luxury of not replying to fan mail or hiring an assistant. In the meantime, love those who love you.
February 21st, 2006 at 5:48 pm
I also respond to each fan mail email I get. I honestly do appreciate them, and, like you said, in responding to them, have made some good friends, and valuable contacts.
I also save my “fan mail” — not only are they great pick-me-up’s, like you mentioned, they’re great for testimonials for marketing your work!
February 21st, 2006 at 5:49 pm
Good for you, Mridu. I also try to respond to any comments. It takes only a moment, and sometimes you make a friend, or a reader who follows your work. Most of all, I buy into the old adage, “What goes round, comes round.”
How you treat people is how you’ll be treated back for the most part. In a tough world, a little kindness, some thoughtfulness, are the nuggets of gold, well worth keeping and having to remember.
Pat Harrington
Mystery Author
www.patriciaharrington.com
February 21st, 2006 at 5:50 pm
Thank you for addressing this issue, Mridu. I follow your website because it is one of the most informative, well-written and interesting sites I have found on writing. I do write emails to those whom I admire, and you are one of them. You have inspired me; and I, for one, get a giggle whenever you respond to my emails. Keep on doing your stuff. I think its great!
February 21st, 2006 at 5:50 pm
I always respond to fan mail! I put it in a special file to read on “low” days, as you do.
I’ve written two fan letters to local writers lately and received a lovely reply from one. I received nothing from the other. I must say my opinion of her suffered as a result.
Terry
February 21st, 2006 at 5:51 pm
I should be so lucky to get some fan mail! If anybody is nice enough to write me and say some kind words, I figure I was brought up well enough to be nice enough to respond!
Feather Schwartz Foster
LADIES: A Conjecture of Personalities
Garfield’s Train
February 21st, 2006 at 5:52 pm
I too get up to five ‘fan’ emails a day. I answer every one of them with a personal note of some sort.
All those emails are saved, and I look them over from time to time - it’s a great pick-me-up.
Without ‘fans’ we as writers would not exist. And as Mridu said, fans can make all the difference to our entire outlook.
*I’ve sent emails to some of my favourite writers, and they’ve always replied. Some of them have even become very good cyber friends.
February 21st, 2006 at 6:01 pm
I do get some fan mail, although not for my writing work (I haven’t done a lot here, yet) - its true that it does lift you up when your spirits are low.
And, I do write back or keep in touch with those who wish me well; or send in some appreciation. It keeps me grounded to what I believe I must do, and it helps me stay motivated.
The result - loads of friends!!!
June 30th, 2006 at 12:25 am
boat lift
As always a good post
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October 30th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
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