“Say Chiizu!”
For those of you who speak Japanese I’m sure you’ve already guessed that today’s entry is all about author photos!
What? Was that a groan I heard out in the audience? Do you expect me to believe that when someone tells you it’s time to make love to the camera you don’t automatically break out Right Said Fred and their “I’m Too Sexy…,” hop up onto a table with your pouty, siliconed lips and let your pent up animal sexuality ooze all over the lens…? Eeww. Sorry guys. I got caught up in the moment and the images kind of got away from me. Try to put them out of your mind and move on.
“Ooze all over…” Sorry! Sorry. Moving on.
If it’s any consolation, I don’t like pictures either. I am the least photogenic person in my family and am sad to say that the camera is not my friend. But, we are professionals here and marketing is important, so let’s try to make the best of it. People invest time and interest following all those little thoughts you’ve put down in your book so it’s only natural for them to want to put a face to the name.
I suppose the first question to address is the, “Do you need to hire a professional photographer to take your picture?” Most people would supply an emphatic, “Yes!” but I see the issue as more of a judgment call. I think it depends more on what kind of a picture you want to take. If what you want is the traditional “Glamour Shot,” the basic headshot seen on most book covers, then yes, a professional is the way to go if for no other reason than to get the lighting right (Do you want your driver’s license photo on your book cover? Enough said.). If a professional is what want, figure out what kind of package you need (size of photos, number of poses, quantity, etc.) and ask people for recommendations. If you can’t find a deal within your budget that way, hey, there’s always Craigslist. Amazing things can happen on Craigslist, but of course, be smart and check references first and get the deal in writing.
On the other hand, don’t discount the effectiveness of the quirky or unusual. I think one author’s use of the photo strip of himself from some photo booth in a mall is far more interesting than someone asked to stare thoughtfully out a window for a posed-candid shot that’s obviously contrived. Another favorite comes from the movie, “The Truth About Cats & Dogs,” where a veterinarian with a radio show uses a picture of a cat and dog to represent her show while all the other on-air personalities use headshots. In that situation, who’s more likely to stand out and be remembered?
Let’s move on to something more subtle: tone. Matching the tone of your photo to the tone of your book is something else to consider. Someone made the point that if your book is all about tragedy and heartbreak, there should be no jazz hands in the photo. I never thought about that when I was doing my own pictures, but it’s true. Conflicting images chip away at your credibility. This is not to say that you should pose with a wet hanky, but for the sake of consistency, you might want to reconsider the thousand mega-watt smile.
Now, consistency is all well and good, but overkill is not. If you’ve written a book about sailing, you don’t need to have your picture taken on a boat- you’re a sailor, we get it. Subtle, remember?
It pains me to bring up this next topic, but it has to be said. Use a current photo. People, please, be honest about who you are; if you can, embrace it. Sending out pictures of yourself ten years younger and forty pounds lighter will only confuse people. If you don’t like what you see in the mirror then make some lifestyle changes to improve the situation. Trying to pull something over on the public, especially something this blatant, will just make you look sad. Don’t make us pity you.
One final consideration to make about the quality of your photo is how you plan to distribute it. If all you want are hard copies then your choices are pretty straightforward. I will say that if you’re vacillating either/or over black & white or color photos, go with the color because it’s easier to take color out of a picture than add it. But, being a savvy author with your own personal website, you also want to hear about digital distribution of your photos, don’t you? Of course you do and well you should.
Depending on how arty your photos are (shadow & light placement, among other things), a professional photographer should be able to figure out the logistics for you, but a standard photo that provides a decent amount of detail should have 300 dpi minimum (if you don’t know what this means and feel that you should, go here). For photos that people can download from your site, you might want to provide a variety of options to make life easier on your publicist as well as the media, for example: photos in different formats (jpeg, tif), color and b/w, different sizes (2 x 3, 8 x 10), whatever you think you might need. If you don’t have a publicist yet, feel free to check out other author sites and see what they have to offer.
Ultimately the author photo is supposed to give your audience some idea of who you are. Smart and serious, whimsical and childlike… you are in complete control of that image. For now. I say that because over time people will begin to have expectations of you, an odd sense of ownership. Unless you are constantly changing your image, you are at risk of becoming typecast by your audience. Being an author as opposed to an actor, this probably won’t affect you much, but it’s something to note. If you’re known for donning outrageous hats and feather boas while hitting the Red Light district in Thailand and suddenly decide to put on a suit and write about serious politics… you might run into some resistance from your fans. Take it for what it’s worth. Regardless of your direction, I suggest you choose deliberately to avoid regrets in the future.
That is all.
