Help Choose Author Pic

Honestly? Any of them would be fine. Well, apart from the fact I now feel old. 3 is maybe more professional, but I really like 1. Or 5. Personally I'd go for five, because it would make me laugh and possibly buy the book

And here I was about to rampage in, all outraged, to demand just what was wrong with using a cartoon hippo, anyway?! And not only is it obvious why you would consider the possibility (jeepers, girl, you're gorgeous), but you even included the cartoon hippo just to throw me off my ranting-stride.

Well, obviously #5 is the best. However, of the second-tier choices, I'd say that #4 makes you look most beautiful but #3 looks more like a professional author photo, i.e. you maybe look a little too ooh-la-la in #4.

Take a look at other author pics. My recollection (not entirely trustworthy on this) is that the picture is usually a front-facing picture.

I rarely pay attention to the author's bio on a dustjacket, so I can't say that with any certainty.

It's TOTALLY out of character with the story, but I voted #5 anyway. Just 'cuz.

I think you look amazing in all of them.

But the differences between the pics to me are:

1. is happy
2. is pensive
3. is flirty
4. is self-conscious
5. is pink

For a YA book, I'd go with 1 or 3.

I voted for #3, although I do like that hippo! In addition to what m'learned co-commenters have said, I think that the framing of #3 is the best of the four pics.

#3 is most professional-looking... #5 is most awesome.

Where's the one from the RANGE?? I vote that 1A!

In this batch, #3 seems most like an "author photo" but #1 caught my eye the most.

*puppy sneaks off to stuffed animal collection. shreds hippo toy. leaves fluffy guts under dining room table.*

I like 1 and 3 best, but you can't go wrong -- except with maybe the hippo.

#5, OF COURSE.

I voted for #1 but if I were you I'd crop it more like #3. #3 is beautiful, but #1 looks more "YA" to me. It's approachable, inviting -- you look like someone I want to get to know (by reading your book ). The others are very pretty but they don't make me want to come up and talk to you (= read your book) the way #1 does.

eta1: In acting headshots, which are the one type of photo I know way too much about, the key is choosing the photo that best captures your personality, not what makes you look the most glamorous or whatevs. Obviously author headshots are different, because with actor headshots the other primary concern is looking like your headshot when you walk in for the audition, but I still lean toward telling you to capture your sparkly personality in the pic. Which to me means #1.

eta1.5: Another thing people do with acting headshots is take different ones for different submissions, like, a fun young-looking shot, a serious "leading role" shot, a comedic shot, a "person next door" shot, a character shot, whatevs, and then they submit the photo that best matches the breakdown. If you were writing litfic I might recommend #3 or #4, which are more aloof. But for YA my vote is definitely #1.

eta2: Your agent may know author photos better than we all do, so you also might want to send her the shots and ask for advice. That's what I did in film; I sent my agent my headshots. Her choices surprised me. But she's been doing this a heckuva long time so I trusted her judgment as to what people are looking for.

eta3: If you do send options to your agent, I think you should include the hippo (for serious).

i think #1 is most fun, but i voted for #3 because you still have a nice air about you in this picture, but with an edge that seems to fit better with your novel description.

I voted #3, but tbh, if I was wandering through a store with my son and saw the hippo, I would be like any good mother and tell him I was going to buy it for him (me) because he (I) would probably find it to be interesting.

Do you really look like that?? Damn!

All this time I thought you were a chubby ol' guy.


I voted for #3, agreeing with pich313.

Ahem.

Maximum image size on AW is 400 x 400 pixels, and yours is 600 x 600 I'm afraid. It's so big it's making my computer crash. Could you please reduce the size?

Old Hack said:

It's so big it's making my computer crash. Could you please reduce the size?

Click to expand...

*giggle*

I vote #1. It looks happy and a touch impish, like someone who would write a fun book.

Quickwit, you are so predictable.

I voted for #5 just because it looked the most needful.

#3 is second choice.

I always look for author pictures but they don't influence whether I buy a book or not. However, the hippo might just tip a balance toward buying. The others are just, yanno, human and stuff.



Conga Rats, and good luck!

*

*is conga rats.

Old Hack said:

Quickwit, you are so predictable.

Click to expand...

I do what I can.

quickWit said:

I do what I can.

Click to expand...

He really does. The bar is surprisingly low...

*takes knee*
*catches breath*

that hurt, Cella.

It has been demanded by another poster that I remind AW of an option #6:

http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8398847&postcount=851