Fan mail is mail sent to a public figure, especially a celebrity, by their admirers or "fans".

Overview

Fan mail may be in the form of letters, cards, artworks, gifts, and so on; depending on the recipient, it may also be possible to send fan mail via E-mail. People send to athletes, actors, artists, singers, bands, and coaches of teams. It commonly takes three to four months for a response, depending on how famous the person is. If they are really famous and get too much fan mail they may not reply.

Etiquette

Since a major celebrity may receive thousands of pieces of fan mail every day, it is usually impossible for him/her to reply to or read them all; his/her manager often has the duty of canvassing the incoming mail. Normally fan mail should be sent to the office of the celebrity's management. Some celebrities may also charge a small fee for a signed photo.

Public answering

Many celebrities, such as David Letterman, have incorporated answering such mail as part of their routine. This gimmick has also been used with fictional characters; special episodes of Beavis and Butt-head featured mail sent to the two, and the Homestar Runner website regularly features E-mails sent to and answered by the cartoon's main antagonist, Strong Bad. Public reading and answering of fan mail was a common recurring element of the cult television program Mystery Science Theater 3000.