(Article) Does This Book Jacket Make Me Look Fat?, Are they serious?

[CJHill]

In the October issue of Writer's Digest (why I got October in August, I'm not sure...) there's an article titled "Does This Book Jacket Make Me Look Fat?" by Ron Hogan. The sub-title is "What you look like may affect your book's promotions."

The entire article is about whether or not an author's looks are important in promoting their books. Unfortunately, the answer seems to be leaning more toward yes than I care to think about. But, more importantly, according to the article, is whether or not your publisher is happy.

But, my point in bringing the article up is the following quote:

"I remember a friend telling me that her publicist had said she was pretty enough to go on television, and I was horrified," says Lisa Selin Davis, author of the novel Belly. "I assumed this was the one industry where it didn't matter what you looked like." But now Davis believes that good looks can work to a writer's advantage. "Most of us, as we're reading, flip back and forth between the text and the picture, trying to imagine the person in the photo in the midst of writing," she says. "And most of us are drawn to beauty - more interested in folks who are attractive."

So, I have to ask ( and maybe this is the wrong thread for this...) but does anyone actually do that? Flip back and forth to the author's jacket photo while reading the book? I know I don't, but what about the rest of you?

I'm interested in opinions on this...

cjh

[DistortedOrder]

No, I don't believe I have, nor do may people. Seriously, your imagining them in the process of writing? I heve a message to all non writers out there (so you know, noone on this board), it's not very exciting stuff. Certainly not more exciting than, epic space battles, sword fights, internal pain, walking. We sit there, we write stuff down, we stop occasionally to think, eat, drink, that's it. You wanna see that, go to a school, everyone is doing that.

[Eisel]

Hmmm. After I finish a book (particularly gaming novels), I always check out the photo (partly I want to see if it's anyone I've run into at a convention!) and I never miss the how they got into the biz (again, with gaming novels)

Regular books? I always want to read the forewards, afterwards and in betweens of Stephen King and Isaac Asimov. I find them interesting.

Everyone else? Not so much so.

do I think looks matter? Of course. They aren't going to get your manuscript read, but I'd put money on publishers preferring pretty people to push.

[Valsira]

Wow, I don't even think about what the author looks like. Hell, there are are a lot of books which don't even have a photo of the author. The appearance of the main character would matter more to me if at all, as it is them I'm imagining in the book. Jeez... what is the world coming to?

[paloma]

I must say... it's never occurred to me to imagine an author in the midst of writing. I'm with DO there. Wow, how exciting. Nor have I ever flipped to the photo while I was reading it. I usually look at them later, pretty much because they're there, and if the book was entertaining enough I'll sometimes read the little bio too. I think looks matter more for live things. You can pretty up a photo, but it isn't as easy with a live appearance.

[Anna]

Have to say I'm with you Paloma!

Although, after reading this thread... broke with tradition and looked at the jacket of a book I was reading, while still reading the story....

Have to say was surprised to learn the author was not from the south (where the story was set... and he was doing a pretty good job of capturing the flavor!)

So, anyway... other than that not much... but it did make me view his writing skills a little more favorably!

The picture... 'shrugs'

[Thunderlord]

I don't care how the author looks. Like DO said, what we write is often much more interesting than the process of writing itself (and if it isn't... you either have a REALLY exciting life or a REALLY boring story). Anyone who cares what the author/authoress looks like more than the book itself is simply not getting the point.