We Also Heard From
Synonyms: | WAHF, W.A.H.F. |
See also: | |
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We Also Heard From is a feature in letterzines that acknowledges the names of fans whose letters were received but not included. The term originated with older science fiction zines; see fancyclopedia.
This was usually done when too many letters were received for an issue to print or if there were too many redundant letters. One fan, however, in the 1981 issue of the Starsky and Hutch letterzine S and H suggested it could be a way to censor fans, that the editor could choose not to print a letter she felt inflammatory while still noting it had been received.
The We Also Heard From section came at the end of the letterzine, and was also called W.A.H.F. or WAHF.
Interstat called this practice, "Thanks for Writing."
One example of letters printed as opposed to letters relegated to the W.A.H.F. section: The Halkan Council #11, a Star Trek: TOS letterzine, was 14 pages long. It printed/excerpted 17 letters and had 48 names listed in the "We Also Heard From" section.
In March 1976, the editor of Warped Space #15 wrote: "To borrow a bit of HALKAN COUNCIL'S format, I wish to instigate now the abbreviate WAHF, meaning 'we also heard from' followed by the names of people from whom LoCs were received, but which did not see print. Just a way of acknowledging the trouble you took to write."
Not all letterzines had to use/chose to use this feature. "S and H" had a policy of printing every letter received in its entirety, and there was much pleading by the editors for the fans to keep their letters short. Some letterzines felt lucky to get enough letters to fill an issue, and some letterzines, such as The Halkan Council, had to be much more selective as they got many more than they could print.
The practice of picking and choosing which letters to print could be a minefield of judgement and egos.