Be careful if a man uses the words "rich", "very successful" and other superlatives in his ad. They could be there just to make an impression. Generally men who place ads in papers do not belong to the upper class. If the candidate has provided his email address, do not hesitate to send an email. Always include a photo, even if it is small - but make sure you like it. To be included into a letter, the photo does not have to be taken by a professional.
For every ten letters you send you could get three or four replies. If you are young and astoundingly beautiful, the number of answers would increase. The circulation of a newspaper is significant enough, and interesting men get hundreds of letters. After all, when you get more detailed information from the replies, you may decide that you are not interested in some of the penpals.
A penpals relationship as a way of finding your partner has its own advantages - you can start your search the next day, and find your man after putting some sound effort into it. Some girls get married, having answered a classified ad to start with.