Help! Back Cover Photos!

To me, it depends on whether it's going to be black and white or color. If b/w, I'd say the bottom. If color, the top or second.

Why? Because the "enhanced" ones put light on your cheeks in a way that would look strange without the color to balance it.

But the bottom one is a little softer without the harsh edges and would translate well to greyscale. But in color, it's a little fuzzy (although that might just be in the low-res posting on the blog.)

However, a lot depends on the KIND of book too. If it's an outdoor book of any sort, I'd skip all of these and do a natural shot outside. The background looks too much like a backdrop and readers will notice. If it's self-help or something else, nobody will notice.

All JMHO, of course.

of the three, the last. You look most natural and comfortable with the camera in that one. You look good in the first two, but the backdrop is distracting and fake-looking.
Just MHO! Good luck.

I like #3. Good composite and nice smile!

3 is nice.

photos

I like one, but shouldn't Winter Fitness have a winter background for the photo?

This is probably not an option, but I would think a book about winter fitness and learning snow sports as an adult should have shot of its author in action. Do you have any shots of yourself on skis?

I like 2. You look natural and outdoorsy, and very pretty. It;s a good shot.

I go for photo #3, but Lauri of Nomad, has a good point too. How nice to be worrying about book jacket photos vs. finding a publisher and/or finishing the manuscript.

Speaking with my pubs manager hat here: Take the sharpest head-shot picture you can and don't mess with it yourself. Best spot would be in good but no blinding light, with as plain a background as possible. That makes it easy to insert a new background.

Blurring and color adjustment are easy for the pros, but if you have already "softened" and "warmed" it, they can't regain the crispness and coolness. It's gone.

Lisamer said:

Thanks everyone for the feedback! For whatever reason, they wanted the back cover to be a head shot, so that ruled out anything with skis. I would have preferred any of the photos from this page http://skifitness.net/pictures.html but that was not what they wanted.

Unfortunately, the galleys are going out in a few weeks, so we needed the photos ASAP. Ironically, the mountains obliged, at least a little bit. If you take a good look, you can see a bit of snow on the top of Breckenridge. However, my publisher has informed me that her design crew can probbably put in a snowy backdrop, and fix my squinting eyes that are showing all of my lines!

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Headshots are the norm, but the background is still usually something that matches winter, and there's often enough clothing showing to show winter, as well. Ski goggles on the head, the hood or collar of a parka. This is how my publishers handle it, at least.

Do not touch up a photo. Either let the publisher do so, or hire a real, top of the line pro to do the work for you. Give the publisher a choice. Give the publisher everal choices, if at all possible.

James - Good idea ... she could have an open parka on, with spiffy nordic sweater. In front of something "ski lodge", like a log wall.

Nothing furry! The fur is tedious to edit so it looks realistic with a new background.

Not a Victoria's Secret ad, after all

Lisamer said:

This was taken at Davos, but it is not a professional photo:
http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/view/106012/

Also, with 12 layers of clothing underneath the jacket, I do not look very credible as a fitness professional! Had I known I would one day write a book, I would have been a bit more of a ski bunny. In the Davos picture, I am wearing no makeup. I might be well over 50, but I should not have to show it!

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I think you are being too hard on yourself (1), and too intensely scrutinizing the photograph (2) in a way that no average reader/buyer/browser of the book would. I personally like this Davos picture because it's REAL and speaks to your area of expertise. Isn't that what a the picture should do? Add to your credibility, not set young men's hearts a-flutter?

As for "not looking credible as a fitness professional" -- how the heck do you come to that conclusion from this picture? It's basically a head-shot -- not a full-length lingerie shoot!

Relax & enjoy yourself. Congratulations for getting so far with your book --