What Makes A Great Author Photo?

Three views of what you need to think about, by a publicist, a photographer, and an author

Most writers are introverts - or, at least, comfortable on their own, out of sight, working away at their books. But we have to go public sometimes, and when it comes to being visible your author photo is right up front: the first impression that most people will receive after - or even before - they know your name, and long before they have any idea of your writing.

The business of getting a good photo which works for you and your writing as you need it to can be baffling and even daunting, and if you carry on being an author, then you’re likely to have to tackle it more than once. So I’ve asked Rebecca Gray, the publicist of my new novel, and Mark Grey*, the photographer of my own new author photos, to give me their view of things - and then added my own take on it all.

Talking of which, I apologise for the egotism, but it made most sense to illustrate the discussion with images from my own shoot, because these are the only photos where I really do know how both author and photographer were thinking. The images here were all taken in a couple of hours, in the studio and two different locations, and I hope they show just how straightforward it is to end up with different styles for different purposes.

The Publicist’s View

Rebecca Gray is an award-winning book and arts PR and communications specialist, with over twenty years’ in-house and freelance experience. Her work has been nominated six times for the Publishers Publicity Circle Awards, and her clients include the UK’s biggest publishing houses, leading independent publishers, acclaimed authors and ground-breaking arts organisations. Find out out more about Rebecca here.

1. Why do author photos matter so much in publishing?

An author photo is the first thing I ask for at the start of a campaign. It’s used so often - sometimes alongside reviews, sometimes as part of a feature written by the author, often to accompany an interview, very often to be used in a listing for the event an author is doing. And of course they’re usually included with the author's bio on the book jacket. [Emma adds: you will also need at least one, and perhaps more, for your own website and social media presence]

2. What do publishers hope photographs will convey about their authors?

A mixture of intelligence and warmth. Some of the author’s personality without being gimmicky. I’m not personally a fan of an unsmiling writer looking as though the whole business of being photographed is somewhat beneath them...

3. How much should the style of photo reflect the genre and style of my books?

Nothing says ‘I’m a very important author’ like a black and white shot of them gazing contemplatively off-camera (perhaps considering their own genius?) [Emma: guilty as charged, see below!]. Equally, I’m not sure a ‘fun’ photoshoot with the author eating ice-cream or similar strikes the right tone either. The best thing is not to overthink it: find a photographer who makes you feel comfortable and relaxed and will take a picture of you looking most like yourself.

4. I write in several genres and have other writing-adjacent work (teaching etc.). Should I have different styles of photo, or is it more important to have a single, consistent image?

There’s nothing wrong with having several different photos, and that makes sense if there are different strands to a career.

5. Is a headshot enough, or do I need images which show me in a setting, or in action at events?

If you’ve written a non-fiction book about a particular event, a period in history, a journey etc. then it’s very important to have photos depicting that. For example, if the book is about your childhood, you’ll need photos of yourself and the other subjects, and personal snaps are most effective here because they evoke the personal nature of the work. But in terms of an image that will be used for the reasons already mentioned - in events listings etc. - a decent headshot is best.

6. I have a photograph of me which I really like. Is there anything which would make it unsuitable for using as my author photo?

If the photo is very low-res, that will be difficult, especially for media use, and the same goes for black and white images. Most newspaper picture editors will ask for a colour photo. If there is something obscuring your face - even if it’s something related to the book - that is usually a problem for the same reasons.

The Photographer’s View

Mark Grey* ARPS has fifteen years of experience as a portrait, PR, fashion, events and corporate photographer. His clients include professionals from every industry, including authors, actors, lawyers, CEOs, entrepreneurs and politicians. He has an MA in Photography (Birkbeck) and an MBA (Henley), is a Professional Associate of the Royal Photographic Society and British Institute of Professional Photographers, and has been awarded a Gold Medal by the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain. His company Studio Grey has studios in Central London, Birmingham and Manchester.

1. When I’m looking at photographers’ websites or contacting them, what should I be looking out for? What should I be avoiding?

The first thing to recognise is that whilst this is about you, it is not a portrait of you. An author’s photo, like an actor’s headshot, is a marketing document. Your image should project a narrative that supports your particular objective. So it’s important when evaluating photographers that your shortlist contains PR specialists: photographers who work to a specific brief to create images that support narratives.

If you want to make sure there’s never a misfit between your image and the event or book it’s promoting, it’s worth having several portraits which support different messages. This may be particularly important for self-publishers, where you are solely in charge of how you come across in different media and settings.

Make sure the images on the photographer’s website demonstrate a broad emotional range - from happy bunny, though sophisticated feline to dark and troubled soul. Do they also work in a range of settings, from full studio lighting to natural light in different locations? Although every photographer works differently, they should be versatile enough to respond to what you need your images to say.

2. What is it useful for the photographer to know about me?

As a portrait photographer I want to know everything - where you were born, your first pet, the relationship with your parents. And I want to know this detail to capture your essence. But this is a commercial image, so what I really need to know is: what makes you tick professionally, who are you as a writer, how does your public feel about you, and how do you want them to feel?

And there is technical information that helps before you arrive on set - do you need disabled access? What is your skin/eyes/hair, type/tone and colour? How many outfits and how long do we have? If you have a dedicated publicist, get them to send the creative brief and we will work up a shot list with them.

3. Do I really need a makeup artist? What about a stylist?

Even actors, trained though they are to do their own make up, know they need a hair and make up artist (HMUA). The HMUA’s job is not just doing your hair and makeup at the start: they ensure grooming is perfect throughout the shoot, which is extraordinarily important on a windy day in the Lake District, but also when moving around the studio with outfit changes. The HMUA or a dedicated stylist will help even when working with your own clothes: they can select the right outfits for each shot and make sure there are no unsightly lumps, bumps or loose threads. Depending on how big your name is, a stylist may even be able borrow the latest designer clothing, so you wouldn’t look out of place in Vogue or GQ.

4. Rebecca says that publishers want their authors’ photos to convey some of the author’s personality without being gimmicky. How would you set about bringing that out?

Portraiture is a performance art. My job is to provide a supportive and nurturing environment where you feel calm and relaxed, conversation starts to flow and your personality is expressed. It’s in these moments that your personality and feelings are captured, and the results are honest, authentic, real and not in the least bit gimmicky.

5. I hate having my photo taken, and it shows in the photos! How can I get into the right frame of mind?

It is not your job to get into the right frame of mind, it is the photographer’s. Professional portraitists have Olympic levels of emotional intelligence. They read people within seconds of meeting them and adapt their approach to put subjects at ease. So really, honestly, you don’t have to do anything to get in the right frame of mind. With a good photographer, you’ll get there without noticing it.

6. What sort of files should I make sure I receive? What rights should I make sure I have to use them?

Practically, make sure that what you will get for your fee includes enough initial images that you will be able to choose the range that you need to be fully retouched. You will need different sized .jpg files of each of your final images: a set of small files for avatars and social media use, middle-sized files for websites and online use, and large, high-resolution files for print.

Unless your publisher is willing to pay for it, do not expect copyright; it’s very costly and not needed. Make sure you do get a Worldwide Licence to use, which covers all media, and you won’t have to worry. Some photographers will put a time-limit on the licence - two years is common - which may not be long enough for you, so check. But I normally provide an indefinite licence; in any case, most people need a new image at some point, as their goals, genres, or looks change over time.

The Author’s View

1. Allow yourself some vanity.

Don’t let any parts of your psyche which say it’s shameful to be vain stop you going to as much trouble and money as you can afford to get a photo which represents you at some version of your best. Your author photo is part of projecting your persona as an author, confident in your individuality, your creativity, your book’s right to be in those bookshops and your right to be sitting on that platform.

An image which helps you feel that way when you go onto your own website, enter the venue or open the magazine - or simply check the back of the book because you can’t remember the ISBN - is worth a lot. Trust me, I really do understand the many, many authors who would much rather their books be experienced as words, not product of a certain face, but human readers are visual animals too, and there isn’t much we can do about that.

2. Do a bit of research

Of course you will google and ask around to make a shortlist of photographers whose style you like, but it’s also worth arriving with some ideas of what you want and need. Spend a bit of time noticing author photos on books and event publicity, as well as the authors’ own websites. How do different writers come across? Do they have several images, wearing different outfits? What style do you find appealing as a reader? What turns you off? Is there a recognisable tendency to a certain style in the genres you’re writing in? What three words might you use to describe how you’d like to come across?

Collect a few examples and take them along to the shoot ready to explain what it is that you actually like about each. It’s worth also asking what it would be useful to bring in the way of clothes; as an example, for this shoot I had three or four tops, a couple of scarves, three pairs of earrings, the jacket you can see, a skirt and a pair of trousers, with footwear to suit. Sounds like a lot - but having a selection gave me confidence that my ultimate choices were the right ones, not the Hobson’s variety.

3. Remember: most of us home in on what we dislike about ourselves

While allowing yourself some vanity - no hairshirts here! - when you’re looking at the initial photos it is worth trying to dial down your subjective, reflex homing-in on your flaws, and try to see everything in proportion. And remember that these are unretouched, as the final images will not be. Retouching is not vanity: the human perceptual apparatus works very differently from a camera, and modern digital cameras are unnaturally forensic, so good retouching aims to recreate the effect of a real human person meeting the real actual you - at your best, of course.

Of course, if you have anything you particularly dislike about how you look, and would like minimized (or Photoshopped out), it’s worth mentioning it to the photographer. But don’t forget that what you dislike about your appearance is probably far less dominant or even visible to others than it is to you. Even more importantly - all writers know this! - the art of evoking an authentic personality is rooted in the individuality and detail of that particular human, which includes their flaws and oddities.

4. Don’t forget to update your online presence

Try to make sure that the same image is consistent across your public online presence, including all those little profiles and avatars. On your website, if people can click on the photos to get a full-resolution version to download, that saves everyone trouble. If you have more than one photo, it can be worth having a section on your website which offers a small gallery of choice to people who need to use them.

4. If you really, really hate the photos, don’t be afraid to start again when you can.

Years ago, at a low point in life, I went for a photoshoot which I needed, but also hoped would cheer me up. In those analogue days you had to wait for the prints, and though I tried to tell myself that Helen of Troy was an aspiration too far, of course I hope to see that, actually, HoT had nothing on me.

The photos arrived - and though they were perfectly competent and professional, to me they were dismaying. Did I really look like that? Like that? Then a friend who was a photographer and filmmaker said, ‘They’re awful. He doesn’t know how to light you, and they don’t do you justice at all!’. I wasn’t just being shamefully narcissitic, they were wrong for me, and I could give myself permission to ditch the photos, count them a sunk cost, and move on.

5. Support your fellow creatives

When you send a photo, remember to ask that the image be credited in whatever way the photographer would like. You can’t control whether the recipient actually prints the credit, but it’s worth a try. You’d want the same for your writing, after all. And a bit of jumping up and down on social media for both the photographer and your make-up artist is friendly too, if you can bear it.

Good luck!

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*The Gray/Grey difference is not a typo: Rebecca Gray and Mark Grey are not related! However, full disclosure: Mark Grey and I are actually married.