What the Heck is a FB (Friendship Book) ?

For those of us who are old veterans of letter writing, FB’s are a no-brainer. Having just been asked by a new pal: "What the heck is an FB?" I thought a few words were in order about the humble booklet.

Back in the early days of my letter writing, I too, asked that age-old question: "What the heck is an FB?"

The most interesting answer I received was that they started out when the Beatles were at their peak in the sixties. They were referred to as "fan books" then and fans of the Fab 5 signed and passed them amongst each other as a way of getting in contact with other fans. Eventually the name changed to "friendship book" when others started to pass them around as a means of getting pen pals.

FB's come in all shapes and sizes, some as little booklets while others are decorative sheets of paper folded up. They’re a great way to circulate your name around in order to get new pals, as well as allowing you to write to some new and interesting people you see listed. FB’s all travel different routes and anyone and everyone signs them, so each one is unique.

Making FB's for yourself or others lets you be as creative as you like. There are no set templates to use, just your imagination and a little common sense. Some things you may want to keep in mind when making FB’s are, first, don’t use heavy paper that’s hard to fold and may weigh your envelope down. No one will want to pass something on that weighs more than their letter. Keeping the amount of pages to a minimum will make it lightweight and encourage people to pass it abroad. Not only that, limiting the number of pages will reduce the circulation time and that means it will be returned in an acceptable time frame. If an FB is fated to go on endlessly, pals who’ve signed at the beginning may not want to take on any new pals, or worse yet, may have moved by the time it is full!

When signing FB’s, there are a few things to remember as well. The idea is to make a good presentation so that others will be encouraged to write, but please be considerate and only use one page for your "ad." Let your imagination be your guide, but try not to use materials that will seep through to the next page rendering it useless. Dating your entry will enable people to write to you with the confidence that you still welcome new pals. It’s also a fun way to track the FB to see just how long it takes to get back. I think one of the most important things is to write neatly. No one will write if they can’t understand your handwriting. Using labels or stamps with your address are big helps.

Likewise, here are a few rules of thumb for sending out your FB’s. First and foremost, sending out your FB’s in a timely manner, is essential. If you find that you are getting bogged down, send your FB’s on, don’t just set them aside for when you get time. You’ll just keep getting more and then it will just become a chore signing them, when it is meant to be fun. If you should get into a situation where the incoming are beginning to outweigh the outgoing FB’s, forego signing them and just send them on. It makes more sense, and it’s considerate. Also, if you are the last to sign, return the FB to the person it was made for, don’t set it aside to be forgotten. One last, but very important thing to keep in mind when you are sending your FB’s is to put the correct amount of postage on them. You wouldn’t want to pay postage due and neither will anyone else.

A lot of people swap FB’s in amounts ranging from a standard envelope size to the boxful. As a result of "heavy swapping," some people use abbreviations when they sign in. New pals will soon learn the language of FB’s.

If you have access to a computer, check out The FB Graveyard Site owner Lucy has FB’s that were deemed unreturnable due to outdated addresses listed. Members help each other find current addresses so FB’s can find their way back home. Lucy also gives you the option to register your name with her if you have moved so that any FB’s roaming around with your old address will be sure to be returned to you when they are full. I think it is a great service.

The main thing to remember is to have fun. Friendship books are a great way to find new pals as well as helping new pals to find you. Now that you are armed with the basics, be creative, be friendly and watch the result!