# Do author's picture surprise you?



## Sam Rivers (May 22, 2011)

I was looking at some romance novels on Amazon the other day and wondered what the author looked like.  I could picture this young beautiful woman with love and lust in her eyes.

But what I saw was this overweight older woman that didn't look very romantic or sexy.

I guess that is why I won't be putting my picture on Amazon.  I don't fit the image my novels portray.

So are you disappointed when you see author's pictures?


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## Ilyria Moon (May 14, 2011)

Franklin Eddy said:


> I was looking at some romance novels on Amazon the other day and wondered what the author looked like. I could picture this young beautiful woman with love and lust in her eyes.
> 
> But what I saw was this overweight older woman that didn't look very romantic or sexy.
> 
> ...


LOL now I'm wondering whether to go incognito 

I was surprised by Louise Bagshawe, I thought she'd be more vibrant-looking, if that makes any sense. I like to think every romance writer looks like Jackie Collins, myself included haha.


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## gina1230 (Nov 29, 2009)

I am often surprised.  I form an impression of what I think someone should look like and it will be the total opposite.


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## apbschmitz (Apr 22, 2011)

When the Sebastian Junger book, The Perfect Storm, came out, his author picture was real beefcake — he was clutching the line on a sail boat, his shirt was open, it looked like he had just ripped off about 150,000 sit-ups. I was sort of hoping that he had hired a model to be "Sebastian Junger," but it does seem that it was actually him.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

There have been numerous cases where I've seen an author's picture after I've read one or more books and became a fan -- and I'd wished I'd not seen that picture: either they looked completely "wrong" to me for the type of books they wrote, or their fashion sense was almost embarrassing to see, etc. Sometimes I wonder who picked the photos.

Oh, and what is it with authors and hats? It seems as if, based on dust jacket covers, authors are more likely to wear hats than non-authors. 

Hmm...note to self: if you ever become a published author, knowing how non-photogenic you are, resist any/all requests to include a photo of yourself on/in the book.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

NogDog said:


> There have been numerous cases where I've seen an author's picture after I've read one or more books and became a fan -- and I'd wished I'd not seen that picture


Oh, yeah. I can think of two of my favorite fantasy authors whose pictures make me not want to meet them in a dark alley. 

Mike


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## Mrs. K. (Dec 31, 2010)

Romance author Lisa Kleypas is a former Miss Massachusetts. She's beautiful and an excellent writer. Hmmph! Some girls have all the luck!


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## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

Nope.  I guess for the same reason I don't pay much attention to cover art either.  Part of me wants to say, "I guess I'm just not a visual person" but I love art.  I love handsome men.  I guess there is some sort of block for me when reading.

One thing I have noticed though, women authors tend to put their most dominate physical trait in their heroines.  Read books where the leading ladies were short and later on found out the author was short, that sort of thing.


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## Alain Gomez (Nov 12, 2010)

Mrs. K. said:


> Romance author Lisa Kleypas is a former Miss Massachusetts. She's beautiful and an excellent writer. Hmmph! Some girls have all the luck!


I love Lisa Kleypas. She's a recent find for me. Didn't know she was Miss Massacusetts...


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## Alain Gomez (Nov 12, 2010)

Franklin Eddy said:


> So are you disappointed when you see author's pictures?


Sometimes it's the most exciting part of the book


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## Doug DePew (Mar 26, 2011)

apbschmitz said:


> When the Sebastian Junger book, The Perfect Storm, came out, his author picture was real beefcake - he was clutching the line on a sail boat, his shirt was open, it looked like he had just ripped off about 150,000 sit-ups. I was sort of hoping that he had hired a model to be "Sebastian Junger," but it does seem that it was actually him.


That's cool. Sebastian Junger is the author that's been linked to my book through "Customers also bought" for months.


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## kCopeseeley (Mar 15, 2011)

I'm surprised EVERY time.  I now prefer to think of the writer's voice as their "inner" appearance, because sometimes we don't look on the outside the way we do on the inside.  That seems especially true for writers.


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## Arthur Slade (Jan 20, 2011)

I find photoshop really helps get rid of wrinkles and age in author photos. I think there's an airbrush app for "look clever and distant at the same time."


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## Laura Lond (Nov 6, 2010)

Arthur Slade said:


> I find photoshop really helps get rid of wrinkles and age in author photos. I think there's an airbrush app for "look clever and distant at the same time."


LOLZ!!


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## M.S. Verish (Feb 26, 2010)

People are usually surprised to see our author pic since we look so young and we're married.  We hope that doesn't turn people away from our work.


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## Ilyria Moon (May 14, 2011)

Perhaps I'll get a visage de plume to go along with my alias.


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## Alain Gomez (Nov 12, 2010)

ilyria_moon said:


> Perhaps I'll get a visage de plume to go along with my alias.


There's an old cheesy 80s movie with a subplot about a guy who's a really successful romance writer but his mother is his "front" because his editors think it makes his work more credible lol.


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## Ilyria Moon (May 14, 2011)

Alain Gomez said:


> There's an old cheesy 80s movie with a subplot about a guy who's a really successful romance writer but his mother is his "front" because his editors think it makes his work more credible lol.


Haha excellent


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## Sam Rivers (May 22, 2011)

One of my favorite authors is Leo Frankowski, who wrote a series about The Crosstime Engineer, which takes place in Poland during the middle ages.

His main character fights and does all kinds of feats. I was surprised to see a picture of him and he was overweight and out of shape.  Of course, he was older in the picture and may have been in better shape when he was younger?

But I had a hard time relating him to the books he wrote.  

Like I said before, I hope all of readers picture me as being handsome and charming.  Now as long as I don't let them see a picture of me, I am safe.


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## Marcin Wrona (Apr 28, 2011)

Nah. I don't tend to assume writers look a given way to begin with.

I do like to see a photo, mind you. It's nice to be able to put a face to a name, however fair or foul said face may be.


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## ChrisHoward (May 14, 2010)

kCopeseeley said:


> I'm surprised EVERY time. I now prefer to think of the writer's voice as their "inner" appearance, because sometimes we don't look on the outside the way we do on the inside. That seems especially true for writers.


I've never paid much attention to author photos, but this is a great way to think about it. In cases like Sebastian Junger and Jackie Collins the authors definitely fit the part.

I'm also wondering if this could be a problem with any still image of author--especially when it's not a very good one? I go to Readercon every year, and almost every year I take in a handful of other cons--World fantasy, WorldCon, Boskone, Vericon. It's a completely different experience talking with authors, seeing them on panels, shaking hands, having coffee with them. Maybe that interaction helps fill in the gaps between a still photo and the words on the page?

Chris


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I think there's probably a really good reason why many authors write books rather than act in the movies.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I cannot say I have ever been disappointed.  Not only am I a writer, but I spent time working in radio and in both cases I have heard, many times, "You don't look anything like I pictured you."  So, perhaps people are surprised when they see me, but I am generally not surprised by seeing them.


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## apbschmitz (Apr 22, 2011)

I think this is an app waiting to be born. Your book is scanned and on the basis of word choice, sentence construction and length, etc., an author portrait is created. The portrait matches the tone of the work, and the poor reader is spared the hard work of trying to make sense of the disparity between the writing and the author photo. Sebastian Junger would still be Sabastian Junger, but the rest of us would probably be something different.


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## Ilyria Moon (May 14, 2011)

apbschmitz said:


> I think this is an app waiting to be born. Your book is scanned and on the basis of word choice, sentence construction and length, etc., an author portrait is created. The portrait matches the tone of the work, and the poor reader is spared the hard work of trying to make sense of the disparity between the writing and the author photo. Sebastian Junger would still be Sabastian Junger, but the rest of us would probably be something different.


LOL! That would be great.


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## lpking (Feb 12, 2011)

apbschmitz said:


> I think this is an app waiting to be born. Your book is scanned and on the basis of word choice, sentence construction and length, etc., an author portrait is created. The portrait matches the tone of the work, and the poor reader is spared the hard work of trying to make sense of the disparity between the writing and the author photo. Sebastian Junger would still be Sabastian Junger, but the rest of us would probably be something different.


Yeah, brillliant! LOL


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## grahampowell (Feb 10, 2011)

To me the funniest was Jeffrey Deaver, a thriller writer who wrote the most recent James Bond book.  He's very nearly completely bald, and looks like a geeky professor.  Doesn't look much like a globe-trotting spy - OR DOES HE?!?

I guess that would be a great disguise...



Graham


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## Thumper (Feb 26, 2009)

Surprised, sure. Disappointed, no. Though to be completely honest, there was one time I saw an author's picture online and allowed the fleeting thought of "Oh, I am_ so_ sorry...and don't put your picture on your books" to zip through my head. I felt bad about it--heck, still feel bad about it--but it was an honest reaction.

For the most part, I don't care what a writer (or anyone else for that matter) looks like. That doesn't keep the surprise factor at bay--and often it's a matter of "hey, you're kinda hot!"--and I hate putting my own picture out there because people so judge, like it or not, but from my reader's perspective, if the story is good, the writer could have six eyes and a mouth the size of a guinea pig. I will likely worship their talents regardless.


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## cpink (Jun 6, 2011)

Good question.

Indeed...the first time I saw Stephen King's face in an older author photo I felt like I'd been catapaulted head-first into a horror story. Much as that's very apt, I doubt that was the look he was going for!

Which is precisely why I'm worried about my author photo...to me, the idea of posing for that is more stressful than writing the novel in the first place. And I NEVER SAY POSING. Now _that's_ got me all panicked!


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## Grace Elliot (Mar 14, 2011)

To be honest, I saw a photo of Lisa Kleypas and was gutted that she wasnt some wrinkly, overweight, ageing woman. I was SO jealous that she's glamorous, beautiful AND a successful author of a prolific body of work...I ask you....just how unfair is that? Looks and success?


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## Straker (Oct 1, 2010)

NogDog said:


> Oh, and what is it with authors and hats? It seems as if, based on dust jacket covers, authors are more likely to wear hats than non-authors.


I recall the photo of Robert James Waller on his follow up (whatever it was) to _*Bridges of Madison County*_. He was wearing some ridiculous hat & cape affair that would have put Quentin Crisp to shame.


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## Cheryl Bradshaw Author (Apr 13, 2011)

Sometimes it's interesting to see what a writer looks like after I've read their book because by then, I've created a mental picture in my head of what I think - and then imagine my shock when someone I think is a male is actually female - sometimes those initials really throw ya off!


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## Ben White (Feb 11, 2011)

Only if the picture is animated and it suddenly goes "BLAH!" at me.


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## navythriller (Mar 11, 2011)

ilyria_moon said:


> Perhaps I'll get a visage de plume to go along with my alias.


I haven't seen your author photo(s) yet, but if your avatar is anything to go by, you most definitely do _not_ need a visage de plume.


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## Ilyria Moon (May 14, 2011)

navythriller said:


> I haven't seen your author photo(s) yet, but if your avatar is anything to go by, you most definitely do _not_ need a visage de plume.


Thanks  I'm using my avatar as my author pic at the moment; I've not thought much about it until now, but I should get some dedicated author shots taken soon. This is part of a larger shot of me sprawling on my desk in biker boots. You can see the appropriate office footwear on my site header *laughs softly*

http://www.ilyriamoon.co.uk/


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## CJArcher (Jan 22, 2011)

I love looking at author shots after I've read books.  I'm never disappointed but often surprised.

Lately I've been trying to decide whether to put a pic of myself in my avatar, bio and Amazon author page etc.  There's no pics of me anywhere associated with this name and I kind of like the anonymity, but as the number of books I release grows I feel disloyal for picking one as my avatar over the others, lol.  Crazy, I know.  Maybe if I can have a good photo taken I might consider it.


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## CaedemMarquez (Mar 23, 2011)

It's kind of like when you see your favorite radio personality. "They look like that? Wow!"

Caedem


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## Shayne Parkinson (Mar 19, 2010)

I had a review today in which the reader referred to me as "he", so I hope said reader *hadn't* seen my picture. 

Sometimes I see a photo of an author, and realise that up till then I've been picturing the main character when thinking of what the author might look like. That can be a  bit surprising.


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## Kali.Amanda (Apr 30, 2011)

I'm not surprised but I tend to ignore the photo, assuming it's a 20-year old shot... The fact is that looks do not determine author's talent anymore than a sexy voice determines sensuality or even hotness. I do remember the first time I read "the Prince of Tides" that I kept looking at the back of the book, because I simply could not believe that this Pat Conroy person was a man. Somehow it felt like a woman had written it. That'ss probably what took the surprise out of it for me, who knows?


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## JeanneM (Mar 21, 2011)

This is interesting.  You know, it is something that never occurred to me.  But now that you mention it, I'm kinda old, overweight with a bad fashion sense.  Oh my God!  I'm a triple non-threat!

OK...will be scouting out pics of cute kittens tonight.


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## Sean Thomas Fisher (Mar 25, 2011)

I write zombie books and since I have psoriasis, my picture is perfect for my genre


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## Doug DePew (Mar 26, 2011)

I broke every rule in the world for my author picture. It's my avatar. 

Everything I read insisted it had to be a "professional" looking head shot. That's just not me. It wouldn't go with anything about me to be seen in a coat and tie. I don't even own clothes like that, actually. I purposely used the picture it says not to use everywhere. I'm not big on rules. The publisher did cut it down to a good looking head shot for the back of the book, but I use the whole picture everywhere else. 

Anybody who's read my book would prefer to see this picture rather than a "professional looking" head shot. If they enjoyed the book, they wouldn't enjoy a coat and tie. Irreverence is a large part of who I am. It's a massive theme in my book. I might as well keep the theme consistent. 

...and I don't trust people in coats and ties.


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## Ben White (Feb 11, 2011)

There are rules for author pictures?


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## Doug DePew (Mar 26, 2011)

Ben White said:


> There are rules for author pictures?


In books, blogs, interviews...that type of thing. Most of that stuff I've read says to use a "professional looking head shot" to make you appear more professional. It's the building a brand thing.

A relaxed guy in jeans and a hat is my brand.


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## Colin Taber (Apr 4, 2011)

I have no problem with having a picture on my Facebook fan page or on Amazon, but I don't see any reason to put it on a novel. From my time working in Borders, I think the author picture thing is probably more an American publishing tradition than an Australian thing (my home market). Either way, I would choose the shot that conveyed who I am. In fact, thinking about it, the picture I've used is me in a T-shirt and cap when I was on holidays in Florida.

In Australia you're only likely to find an author shot on a cook book or sporting autobiography. You might find them on other titles, but it's not likely.


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## Jon Olson (Dec 10, 2010)

Franklin Eddy said:


> I was looking at some romance novels on Amazon the other day and wondered what the author looked like. I could picture this young beautiful woman with love and lust in her eyes.
> 
> But what I saw was this overweight older woman that didn't look very romantic or sexy.


I think that very phenomenon is interesting -- that what we picture is idealized, and that your older overweight woman has as much passion, romance and sexuality in her as that beautiful woman you pictured. An author's picture can be a good corrective of stereotyping.


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## BellaStreet (Apr 15, 2011)

Always.


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## RM Prioleau (Mar 18, 2011)

Franklin Eddy said:


> I was looking at some romance novels on Amazon the other day and wondered what the author looked like. I could picture this young beautiful woman with love and lust in her eyes.
> 
> But what I saw was this overweight older woman that didn't look very romantic or sexy.
> 
> ...


Would you be turned off to read any more books by that author after seeing what she looks like? I would think something like that might turn away readers especially "steamy" stories in the romance/erotica genre. Is that usually the case?


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## EliRey (Sep 8, 2010)

I've been surprised when I read something written by someone with just initials for the first name, I'm certain of their gender based on the writing and come to find out I was wrong. hmmm *running off to check my picture on Amazon now!*


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## Doug DePew (Mar 26, 2011)

Colin Taber said:


> Either way, I would choose the shot that conveyed who I am.


Right on!


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## PJHoover (Jun 9, 2011)

I'm always sure authors look like the characters on their covers. So not the case. But if it were, most authors would be gorgeous and mysterious.


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## Ben White (Feb 11, 2011)

After thinking about this some more, I realised that it was years after I first started reading Terry Pratchett that I saw a picture of him--with Neil Gaiman on the back cover of Good Omens, the two of them in a graveyard. He looked _exactly_ how I imagined him


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## anne_holly (Jun 5, 2011)

When looking at author photos, I am often surprised - I am agog that so many Glamor Shots locations still exist this far out of the 90s!


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## Ilyria Moon (May 14, 2011)

I'm thinking of using this for my dust jacket.


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## anne_holly (Jun 5, 2011)

ilyria_moon said:


> I'm thinking of using this for my dust jacket.


Very similar to the one Agatha Christie wanted to use, or so I've heard. Too bad her publisher rejected it.


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## Ilyria Moon (May 14, 2011)

anne_holly said:


> Very similar to the one Agatha Christie wanted to use, or so I've heard. Too bad her publisher rejected it.


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## Alle Meine Entchen (Dec 6, 2009)

Sometimes the author's pic helps me understandy why the author wrote what. The best example is this: I read the Sookie Stackhouse series. The main chara, Sookie, is a young woman in her 20s (the latest book, she says she's 27), but she sometimes says things that are _off_ coming from a 27 yr old. In the latest book, she describes a minor chara as having a whole arm of tatooes, but they are of naked women or hearts w/ mom on them (she's talking about a tatoo sleeve) and that they were very colorful. It struck me as odd that a 27 yr old bar maid wouldn't have 1) more experience w/ tatooes and 2) would be surprised that a young man had a sleeve of tats that did not include a nake woman. Then I remember the pic she has on the back of her books and on her website. She prob in her 50s, so when she was Sookie's age, most men who had tats probably had naked women in them.

I also find Stephen King a little nerdy looking.


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## lpking (Feb 12, 2011)

anne_holly said:


> Very similar to the one Agatha Christie wanted to use, or so I've heard. Too bad her publisher rejected it.


Another joy of publishing your own! No one to reject your choice of dust jacket portrait.

(I say go for it, ilyria_moon!)


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## Ilyria Moon (May 14, 2011)

lpking said:


> Another joy of publishing your own! No one to reject your choice of dust jacket portrait.
> 
> (I say go for it, ilyria_moon!)


Hehehe it would be funny


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## SJCress (Jun 5, 2011)

Alle Meine Entchen said:


> I also find Stephen King a little nerdy looking.


Haha, yeah. I think he tries to convey this scary-looking image in some of his shots but even once he lost the glasses he still looked so nerdy to me.

Most authors' pics don't surprise me. I don't know, maybe I'm just too much of a realist? I know they're just...people. Like the rest of us. In fact, the only time I flip around looking for a pic is when the author's first name is an initial. I like to see if they're male or female so I don't look like an idiot when I'm talking about them to someone else. I'd rather not say "him" instead of "her," etc.

As for myself? I've been told by a few people that I "sound bigger" than I am. I guess I just have a deep voice for a chick  I have no idea if I look like a fantasy author...or what one is even supposed to look like.


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## RichardBrown (May 16, 2011)

I have a friend who won't buy books based solely on the author photo alone.  It's crazy.  We will be in the bookstore and he'll pick up a book and immediately flip it over to look at the author photo.  If he doesn't approve he usually just laughs and remarks how stupid they look.  I need more mature friends.


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## scl (Feb 19, 2011)

I used to be surprised when I saw the pictures, thinking "I never thought they looked like that!" but now what surprises me is when they look the way I had pictured them.  Same thing with voices on the radio, they never look like they sound.


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## sagambino (Jun 11, 2011)

I have a lot people tell me I need a creepier picture since I write horror, and that I have more of a romance author picture. ha ha .. I don't really pay too much attention to author pictures, but I do like ones that I see that are unique.

_--- edited... no self-promotion outside the Book Bazaar forum. please read our Forum Decorum thread._


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## India Drummond (Nov 1, 2010)

Arthur Slade said:


> I find photoshop really helps get rid of wrinkles and age in author photos. I think there's an airbrush app for "look clever and distant at the same time."


Oh yes, photoshop is your friend. I'm only slightly ashamed to admit I took a few pounds and 10 years off my current profile photo. (I'm 41... my profile pic, while only two years old, looks about 30. Heh. - Although it does look slightly squiched on kindleboards. No idea why. It looks nice 'n square everywhere else I use it.)


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## Colin Taber (Apr 4, 2011)

If you're going to use one, I think you need to be happy with it and what it conveys. No point in a bland image: If you're not interested in a particular pic, what makes you think your readers are?


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## lpking (Feb 12, 2011)

India Drummond said:


> Although it does look slightly squiched on kindleboards. No idea why. It looks nice 'n square everywhere else I use it.)


I suspect the ratio of the dimensions of your pic is not the same as the ratio of the dimensions of avatars here.


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## navythriller (Mar 11, 2011)

The Japanese editions of my books consistently sell about 10 times faster than the U.S. editions. My author picture doesn't appear on the covers of the Japanese books. My picture _is_ on the cover of the U.S. editions. I wonder if this means something. Hmmm...


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## WriterCTaylor (Jul 11, 2011)

NogDog said:


> There have been numerous cases where I've seen an author's picture after I've read one or more books and became a fan -- and I'd wished I'd not seen that picture: either they looked completely "wrong" to me for the type of books they wrote, or their fashion sense was almost embarrassing to see, etc. Sometimes I wonder who picked the photos.
> 
> Oh, and what is it with authors and hats? It seems as if, based on dust jacket covers, authors are more likely to wear hats than non-authors.
> 
> Hmm...note to self: if you ever become a published author, knowing how non-photogenic you are, resist any/all requests to include a photo of yourself on/in the book.


Excellent answer. I laughed when I read this. Yes on the fashion. Sometimes I think the photo was taken at one of those medieval fairs. I have noticed that with hats as well. What the...? When I was asked by my little indie publisher if I wanted a photo on my book, I said NO! I don't think I'm a face for the radio or anything, but I have pictured what I think an author looks like and when I have seen their photo, the book wasn't spoiled, but it didn't fit in with my mind's image. I will continue to have no photo on my books.


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

Franklin Eddy said:


> So are you disappointed when you see author's pictures?


Sometimes. It's why I don't put my own pic in the backs of my books.


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## Kathy Bennett (Jun 15, 2011)

Yes, I've been surprised by author's photos.  Usually, their author photos have been airbrushed so much that when I meet them in person I almost wouldn't recognize them.

I've noticed that Jackie Collins almost always is wearing some form of animal print. 

My husband took my picture and he was great about it.  I tried several different outfits and several different poses.  This was the best.  It's about time for a new one though...this one is a couple of years old now.


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## PhoenixS (Apr 5, 2011)

I think the choice of poses and locations surprise me more than anything. I dunno, I was never much of a fan of headshots or glamour photos. Like someone mentioned, you probably wouldn't recognize half the folk in those professional photos if you met them at a signing. Although it is kind of a tough reminder when I see how old some of my favorite authors are starting to look. Like writing is making them age quicker. I know some fantasy and horror writers try to dress the part for their photos, which for me is more of a turn off than a turn on, no matter how much a fan of horror and fantasy I may be. 

Because I'm a bit self-conscious, I prefer the art of misdirection: putting something in the photo more interesting than the author


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## NS (Jul 8, 2011)

I've been surprised by authors pics, yes. Sometimes I vision characters as the authors ho wrote them. Like Lisa Unger for example. Her female characters, to me, always look like her.  I think Mary Higgins Clark is so suitable (if I can say so) to her books. Or her books suitable to her.


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## joanhallhovey (Nov 7, 2010)

An interesting topic.  I never thought about that before, but I wonder what my own readers think. 
What writers photos do you think reflect their work, when you see them?  Just to turn the question on its ear.  Stephen King looks like you'd expect him to.  Do does Dean Koontz.  Also J.K. Rawling.  Or maybe it's just because I know what they look like.

Joan


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## Ilyria Moon (May 14, 2011)

Phoenix Sullivan said:


> Although it is kind of a tough reminder when I see how old some of my favorite authors are starting to look. Like writing is making them age quicker.


*gasps*


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## anne_holly (Jun 5, 2011)

Phoenix Sullivan said:


> I think the choice of poses and locations surprise me more than anything. I dunno, I was never much of a fan of headshots or glamour photos. Like someone mentioned, you probably wouldn't recognize half the folk in those professional photos if you met them at a signing. Although it is kind of a tough reminder when I see how old some of my favorite authors are starting to look. Like writing is making them age quicker. I know some fantasy and horror writers try to dress the part for their photos, which for me is more of a turn off than a turn on, no matter how much a fan of horror and fantasy I may be.
> 
> Because I'm a bit self-conscious, I prefer the art of misdirection: putting something in the photo more interesting than the author


It's the opposite of _Dorian Gray_. The characters stay young so the authors have to age faster.

Either that, or it's the squinting at the computer while getting little sleep and living on coffee.


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## msdanielle28 (Jun 12, 2011)

Yeah a little but as the old saying goes never judge a book by it's cover. Sometimes it's easy to relate that author with that book, oh yes it looks like they would write that kind of book. There are times when you question it. When they look nothing like what you would expect them to, based upon their writing. Indeed, it is interesting to see who crafted that great read.


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## MarionSipe (May 13, 2011)

No, mostly because I don't really look at them.  There are actually very few authors I could pick out based upon their picture.


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## PatrickWalts (Jul 22, 2011)

It's never swayed my opinion of a book one way or the other, although sometimes I marvel at the choices of clothes and stuff.  Then I ask myself, "Where did they get that "Members Only" jacket?  Is that vintage, or do they still make those like that?  Lol.  In the end, though, it really doesn't matter to me what an author looks like.  Some people might think I'm ugly.  I don't care.  My wife likes the way I look, and that's all I'm concerned about.


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

Seems like they are all posed in the same "author position"....all look alike to me !!


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## John Dorian (Jul 23, 2011)

I like to look first, and then read the book. 

Another thing I look for is guys with beards or pipes. All the great male authors have awesome beards, or a cool looking pipe. Tolkien was a pipe kind of guy, and then you have Leo Tolstoy and Terry Pratchett, who are a little beardier than most.


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## PatrickWalts (Jul 22, 2011)

John Dorian said:


> I like to look first, and then read the book.
> 
> Another thing I look for is guys with beards or pipes. All the great male authors have awesome beards, or a cool looking pipe. Tolkien was a pipe kind of guy, and then you have Leo Tolstoy and Terry Pratchett, who are a little beardier than most.


I don't have a pipe, but I can grow the he** out of a beard!








Not an author pic, just me chillin' at a creepy old cemetery in New Orleans.


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## Lexus Luke (Feb 5, 2011)

Well, that settles it! No headshot for me! Photographers are expensive. Besides, readers don't need to know what I look like.


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## Ilyria Moon (May 14, 2011)

anne_holly said:


> It's the opposite of _Dorian Gray_. The characters stay young so the authors have to age faster.
> 
> Either that, or it's the squinting at the computer while getting little sleep and living on coffee.


Haha so true. We all look deathly after the final edit of a novel.


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## Sean Thomas Fisher (Mar 25, 2011)

This is why I usually wear a mask at all times, which always makes going to the bank a big ta-do.


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## Imogen Rose (Mar 22, 2010)

No, and I do like putting a face to the name of an author I have enjoyed.


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## August_V_Fahren (Aug 6, 2011)

Franklin Eddy said:


> I was looking at some romance novels on Amazon the other day and wondered what the author looked like. I could picture this young beautiful woman with love and lust in her eyes.
> 
> But what I saw was this overweight older woman that didn't look very romantic or sexy.


Perhaps she was that woman in her younger days, but she was too busy going out and having a good time to sit down and write?


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## Laura Kaye (Aug 25, 2011)

Alain Gomez said:


> I love Lisa Kleypas. She's a recent find for me. Didn't know she was Miss Massacusetts...


*I didn't know that either! Interesting!*


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## Laura Kaye (Aug 25, 2011)

August_V_Fahren said:


> Perhaps she was that woman in her younger days, but she was too busy going out and having a good time to sit down and write?


*I *LOVE* that!*


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## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

I love to see authors' pictures - the only thing that surprise me is the fact that so many [male] fantasy authors look like Peter Jackson.


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## Elizabeth Black (Apr 8, 2011)

CaedemMarquez said:


> It's kind of like when you see your favorite radio personality. "They look like that? Wow!"
> 
> Caedem


Remember Rick Astley, a singer from the 1980s with the sexy, deep voice? He sang "Never Gonna Give You Up." When everyone saw him and saw he was this dorky little redhead and not a Sebastian Junger lookalike people were floored. I was one of them. He does NOT look like his voice! The same happened to Jim Nabors from "Gomer Pyle". He went from "Shazam! Shazam! Shazam!" on TV to having a singing voice like a deep-throated god.


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## Elizabeth Black (Apr 8, 2011)

There must be a stereotype for every genre:

Romance writers must look like beautiful, wistful, sexy goddesses, not middle-aged, fat housewives. If they are male, they are assumed to either be women writing with a male pseudonym or gay.

Erotica writers must look like they just rolled out of bed after Master or Mistress untied the ropes. Or they must look dominant. Everyone also assumes they'll have sex with anyone who asks - not true.

Mystery and crime writers must look like brooding, dark loners who fist their whiskey when they drink.

Horror writers must look as scary as the creatures they create. Or they must look happy and beyond normal - hiding the psychopath buried inside. There's nothing more disconcerting than a picture of a laughing and cheerful horror writer. While there are exceptions, they must not be caught Writing While Female.

Science fiction writers must look out of touch and better not be caught dead wearing a "Star Trek" t-shirt.

Comedy writers must not only be laughing or smiling on their covers, they must be like Robin Williams or Chris Rock in real life.

Poets must like they're either about to jump off a bridge or they must be seen brooding and leaning on a stool. Must dress all in black and wear a beret. 

Literary fiction writers must look snobbish and handsome whether male or female.

I think romance writers and erotica writers get the worst of it because most are women. Women get judged all the time based on their looks anyway. Plus their beautiful heroines and ripped heros make people assume the writers must be as gorgeous as their creations. I've seen female romance writers not-so-subtly insulted when someone (often a guy) tells them they don't look like what they write (i. e. "I didn't expect you to be so old and overweight.").

When a writer doesn't look like his or her genre, heads explode. LOL


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

Authors photos almost always surprise me. I don't usually have any image of what I expect in my mind, so I'm not sure why they surprise me, but they do. I do like to see the pics, though.


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## GerrieFerrisFinger (Jun 1, 2011)

Franklin Eddy said:


> I was looking at some romance novels on Amazon the other day and wondered what the author looked like. I could picture this young beautiful woman with love and lust in her eyes.
> 
> But what I saw was this overweight older woman that didn't look very romantic or sexy.
> 
> ...


Not disappointed, but sometimes surprised. I often think with romance, the author is going to be younger than she turns out to be. Writers, on the whole, are not taken with their appearance as with other professions. I think readers understand that beautyof face and body is not what makes a great or good writer. Still, it's always nice to have someone young and pretty gracing the back page of their book. For them,that is. ;-D


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## Guest (Aug 31, 2011)

ilyria_moon said:


> Haha so true. We all look deathly after the final edit of a novel.


Too true! I've long threatened an author leg shot: a pair of overall-clad legs sticking out from under something mechanical.


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## B Regan Asher (Jun 14, 2011)

Maybe that's another reason why I use a pseudonym and give no personal picture. For those of you who need to know what I look like:

_I am 4' 6" with knobby knees, disheveled hair with bald patches and scars, a patch over one eye, boils all over my body, warts on my nose and one wooden leg._

Now, do you really want to see the picture?


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## Sharon Red (Jul 23, 2011)

There have been a few times were I was completely wrong after trying to guess what they look like haha


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## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

My daughter took one look at a photo of James Patterson and promptly stopped reading his YA series


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## joshtremino (Jul 31, 2010)

LOL. Yes, sometimes I am surprised by what a writer looks like. We tend to assume exciting people write exciting books, but that's often not the case. I know my characters are way more attractive than I am.


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## normcowie (Jun 21, 2011)

Yeah, I love looking at the author photos. As to me, I look okay, but my voice just sucks.


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## Kimberly Llewellyn (Aug 18, 2011)

normcowie said:


> Yeah, I love looking at the author photos.


One thing you learn in Author School 101 (metaphorically speaking), is if you do have a photo on your cover or for promo/publicity, it can look nice, but make sure it still looks like you. Because when readers see you in person or in a video like on Youtube, they can have a very shocked or surprised (or horrified!) reaction if they've seen glammed out pix that look nothing like you. You don't want that!


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## liafairchild (Apr 2, 2011)

I wonder if anyone else does this. Author pictures don't really surprise me, but I don't like seeing them at all. If there is an author pic, then the whole time I'm reading the book I'm picturing the author as the main character as long as the gender matches. If there is a cover image with a person on it then I picture that instead. Anyone else have this problem?

Lia


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## Verbena (Sep 1, 2011)

I don't want to see authors' pics on fantasy or science fiction books, they drag me back to the real world.


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

Yes! There have been numerous times that I have read a book or series and then later saw a picture of the author (through Goodreads or whatever) and was shocked by what the author looked like (not always in a negative way!).
I actually try to avoid looking at pictures. It doesn't change the way I feel about the books but, I don't know. I guess I would sometimes just rather not know what the author looks like.


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## Ilyria Moon (May 14, 2011)

Elizabeth Black said:


> There must be a stereotype for every genre:
> 
> Romance writers must look like beautiful, wistful, sexy goddesses, not middle-aged, fat housewives. If they are male, they are assumed to either be women writing with a male pseudonym or gay.
> 
> ...


Haha, most excellent.


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## Lambert (Nov 12, 2010)

Some authors use pen names. Maybe a pen picture would work.


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## Cliff Ball (Apr 10, 2010)

Sometimes, mostly the big names ones.  But, I kind of think it takes a big ego for them to put their picture on the back of your hardcover novel. I mean, I'm looking for the synopsis on the back, not you staring out at me!  

I read a lot of Harry Turtledove, but when I finally saw a pic of him, he looked like the stereotypical English professor in college. I had a professor who could've been his twin.

Tom Clancy is a guy who you would think would look different than he does, after all, he wrote all those Jack Ryan novels.

Stephen King, hadn't thought about it until I saw his picture. To me, he looks like a horror novelist and not a former English teacher.


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## Michael Cargill (Sep 12, 2011)

Most authors tend to have a face that is perfect for radio.


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## Joseph_Evans (Jul 24, 2011)

Darren Shan is a shock to a lot of people. He looks very young even though he isn't!


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## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

The only author's picture that has surprised me over the years has been that of Dean Koontz, mainly because it changed so much. He went from looking like what you'd expect a high-school science teacher to look like to some kind of fashion model for an older men's rugged clothing catalog.


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## Sean Thomas Fisher (Mar 25, 2011)

Michael Cargill said:


> Most authors tend to have a face that is perfect for radio.


Hey, I resemble that statement!


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## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

Yes! I was just saying the other day that "sexy" doesn't work if you write children/middle grade/YA. It's just creepy. It's just strange to me how often I see this when going through books on amazon.


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## SylviaLucas (Sep 14, 2011)

NogDog said:


> There have been numerous cases where I've seen an author's picture after I've read one or more books and became a fan -- and I'd wished I'd not seen that picture: either they looked completely "wrong" to me for the type of books they wrote, or their fashion sense was almost embarrassing to see, etc. Sometimes I wonder who picked the photos.
> 
> Oh, and what is it with authors and hats? It seems as if, based on dust jacket covers, authors are more likely to wear hats than non-authors.


They wear them so their creativity doesn't escape.


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## Zander Schloss (Sep 4, 2011)

On a somewhat unrelated note, have you ever seen headshots for radio personalities? They never look a thing like what you'd expect. They always scare me.

And in defense of my author photo, I was going for the "I once toured with DEVO look" and I think I nailed it. Not changing it!


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## BRONZEAGE (Jun 25, 2011)

Lambert said:


> Some authors use pen names. Maybe a pen picture would work.


  Great answers on this thread. I also try to avoid looking at an author photo, especially if it is the usual posed shot taken in a cozy sweater(women)/tweed jacket(men), or is obviously out of date.

One exception is the older photo of Edward Rutherfurd...for his faint resemblance to _Colin Firth._ Yum, yum.


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## dggass (Apr 3, 2011)

Not really .. now voices on the radio, that's another story.


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## wakincade (Apr 16, 2011)

Well, I haven't seen many author's pics with hats on, but I like my ivy caps. They are a part of my personality. However, I'm not much for glamorous head shots. Many authors have them and the bland backgrounds don't really give a connection to what they're writing, leaving it all to the looks of the author. I have been surprised by authors' photos at times after reading a book, especially once when the author's name was very gender neutral and I'd just finished listening to the audiobook with a deep male voice. When I glanced at the photo on the back and found a head shot of a dainty little redhead in her 60's, I about fell over. It wasn't bad, just an unexpected surprise. Now I wish I could remember the book and author's name, but it escapes me. The only thing I can remember is that deep reader's voice and her photo. Now that I'm an author too, I prefer going out with the photographer and finding places and things that either inspired ideas for various parts of the novel or just fit in perfectly. My photographer, Steven Mays, is new and has a great eye for things like that. It helps that he's also an avid reader with a lot of imagination. He's done a great job for me. I have photos that I'll be using on blogs in the future to help promote my most recent novel, and the head shot I currently use is from a cemetery, the most appropriate place for my novel. Some people may disagree, but I remember Clive Cussler's pictures because of the cars and other things depicted that were used in the novel. It's more memorable and relevant than a picture of some guy or girl that most people don't know and as many have said in this thread, most people wouldn't recognize if they ran into them in the grocery store.


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## Elizabeth Black (Apr 8, 2011)

ilyria_moon said:


> Haha, most excellent.


Glad you liked it. I think I covered everything except steampunk writers. They must use old-fashioned typewriters, dress in brass and brocade suits with frock coats, and brew their coffee in reconstituted steam engines.


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