I’ll be brutally honest – I didn’t think much of the whole author photo thing when I started developing my author platform. And, yes, I still hate those words ‘author platform’ now as much as I did in 2013 when I published my first book and started researching all this author marketing stuff. Like most self-published authors, I used a favorite personal photo for my author profile. In my case, it was a picture taken during my 12 ½ year anniversary party (12 ½ year anniversary is totally a thing). When I started using that picture, it was already a few years old. At some point, I had to admit that it didn’t really look like me anymore. At that point, I grabbed a vacation photo and used that. But then that photo started looking a bit dated as well. I’d be damned if I yet again updated my author…
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The examples given are certainly convincing. I am rethinking my own portraits …
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“There are a bunch of authors who don’t even bother to have any picture. What are they trying to hide?”
This idea that anyone who doesn’t want their picture all over the place must be hiding something, with the implication that they’re either ashamed of their appearance or just plain deceitful/up to no good… It’s not helpful.
IF you choose to have an author photo, you should use a good one, although I don’t agree that a professional photo taken in a photography studio or wherever is always the best choice. I know of one author — who happens to look almost exactly like me — who prefers candid photos of himself on archaeology digs, because an image of “outdoorsy/action-oriented scientist” appeals to his target audience a lot more than “some guy in a suit.”
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Some authors prefer to retain their privacy, Thomas – The main point is, if an author posts their photo, it’s better to use a more professional looking photo.
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