Pen names and photographs

Serena Casey · Oct 4, 2011

For those who publish under a pen name, how do you handle the issue of the author photo, whether it's on an author profile page at Amazon, for instance, or on the book itself? Do you just use your real photo? Or do you simply remain mysterious? Do you think people get turned off if there isn't a photo of the author either in the aforementioned places or even on the author's web site?

scarletpeaches · Oct 4, 2011

I don't use one at all. I've refused to give one to my publishers and if they don't like it, oh well.

Cathy C · Oct 4, 2011

I use my real photo but then I don't care who knows what I write. For those who care, don't use a photo. Instead, you can use an caricature Avatar (there are websites that will take a photo and turn it into a drawing) or even your book cover. Book covers are great on things like Facebook and Twitter because it's permanent, free advertising that will show up even if the viewer doesn't visit your actual page.

ChaosTitan · Oct 4, 2011

I doubt a publisher is doing to demand an author photo. My publisher asked if I had one, so I sent it along. If you don't want to give them one, I can't see it being an issue.

Serena Casey · Oct 4, 2011

Thanks for your replies. I'm self-pubbing, so in building my site, author profiles, etc., the question arises. Obviously I control whether I put up a photo or not, but I just wondered how others who use a pen name deal with the issue.

Filigree · Oct 4, 2011

I personally plan to wear a mask for the photo. It will be a museum-quality Carnivale mask that I've made, myself, in front of a suitably-interesting background. And if they don't like it, then too bad. No author photo.

Izz · Oct 4, 2011

Recently, i was asked by an editor to provide a photo to sit beside a short story of mine. I sent one in that'd been taken a couple years ago after i'd been travelling around Alaska and Canada for 5 weeks. During that time i'd cultivated a magnificent beard, and my hair was overdue a cut by about three months.

It's one of my favorite photos, but i doubt too many people would recognize me from it.

PrincessofPersia · Oct 4, 2011

Filigree said:
I personally plan to wear a mask for the photo. It will be a museum-quality Carnivale mask that I've made, myself, in front of a suitably-interesting background. And if they don't like it, then too bad. No author photo.

Oh. My. God. That's genius.

seun · Oct 5, 2011

I don't have to worry about photos since light bounces off my head and the resulting picture looks like a supernova.

Fruitbat · Oct 5, 2011

I think I'd go with sunglasses and a wig.

Filigree · Oct 5, 2011

Groucho Marx glasses, anyone?

scarletpeaches · Oct 5, 2011

I was 'encouraged' to send an author photo to one of my publishers, and I more or less said to them, "You can use this, or nothing."

They went with 'nothing'.

AlishaS · Oct 5, 2011

I'm thinking wig for mine, and only becuase my hairsylist is so backed up right now lol

dcstone · Oct 5, 2011

haven't been published yet, but don't want to use a photo, not using real name so it won't matter I quess

Soccer Mom · Oct 5, 2011

scarletpeaches said:
I was 'encouraged' to send an author photo to one of my publishers, and I more or less said to them, "You can use this, or nothing."

They went with 'nothing'.

But it looks just like you!

I don't use one and no one has every complained. Really, they don't care.

Hiroko · Oct 5, 2011

I'm disguising myself. Makes things interesting for the audience.

seun · Oct 6, 2011

scarletpeaches said:
I was 'encouraged' to send an author photo to one of my publishers, and I more or less said to them, "You can use this, or nothing."

They went with 'nothing'.

Looks like my ex.

akaria · Oct 6, 2011

I've never bought a book based on an author photo so I don't think it matters much.

That being said. If ever asked I'll offer pics from when I went to a comic convention as Mystique. Bonus points if they can find a pic with me and the guy cosplaying as Wolverine.

Becky Black · Oct 6, 2011

I've never been asked for one by my publisher. I could have chosen to put one up at various places, but the only place I have a photo of myself is my personal Facebook profile which I don't use for publicity anyway (though it wouldn't be hard for someone to find it, since it's linked to my author page on Facebook.) I can't imagine why anyone would care about what an author looked like anyway, aside from idle curiosity. I certainly don't.

Pen names and photographs

Serena Casey

User Titles Rock

scarletpeaches

Cathy C

Ooo! Shiny new cover!

ChaosTitan

Around

Serena Casey

User Titles Rock

Filigree

Mildly Disturbing

Izz

Doing the Space Operatic

PrincessofPersia

seun

Horror Man

Fruitbat

.

Filigree

Mildly Disturbing

scarletpeaches

AlishaS

Is swimming with creativity frogs

dcstone

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist

Hiroko

Which of them was the machine?

seun

Horror Man

akaria

Becky Black

Writing my way off the B Ark