This is my official 'Author' picture taken for the jacket of a one of my books. This is the image potential readers will have emblazoned in their minds for all posterity. Author images say so much and I truly want to give a true representation of myself.
Only the picture above is not really me.
I mean, where’s the big glopping chocolate ice cream stain down the front? What happened to my raccoon tail hair? Where has my chin disappeared to? And can that sweater get any greener and the background any redder?
As disturbing as it is, the following picture is a more accurate representation of myself.
Scary, I know (at least I cropped out my new found jelly roll).
So maybe such a 'realistic' image isn't the thing to present to prospective readers.
So what to do? I’d like a picture that represents my true self without making me look like Danielle Steele or Charlize Theron in the movie Monster.
I'm looking for the middle ground, a picture that says smart, fun, and a bit dangerous. I think I have it. Check it out.
This picture has it all:
- smart because I have a book in my hand,
- fun because I’m hiding playfully behind the book,
- and a bit dangerous because my shoulders are bare and I could contract skin cancer.
Also, if you suddenly became a world famous chef, or actor, or notorious killer and had to plaster your face all over the world, which route would you take? Icy, clean professional or bare-boned, raw realism? Or would you take the middle ground?
Leave a comment and let me know.
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