The All-True Story of How a Novel Gets Published, Part 10: The Dreaded Author Photo
To be honest, I’m not sure why I’m not skipping right over this author photo bit and moving on to The Four Ms. Bradwells showing up on Amazon. I. Hate. Photos. Of. Myself. For my author photo for my first novel, I went to a swanky photographer who worked with a make-up artist who, among other things, eliminated my freckles and gave me eyebrows. When the book came out, my friends had a wonderful laugh over a game of “Who is the woman in this photo?”
For The Wednesday Sisters, I scheduled a new sitting with a new photographer months in advance … and proceeded to come down with one of those awful watery-eyes, red-nose colds three days before. 
I canceled, and it was going to be some time before I could get on the photographer’s calendar again, so Mac suggested, “Your camera, my hands, in the back yard.” He made the case that if I chose the camera settings – not in his bailiwick – he could keep me laughing, and at least it would be fun. Only a little bit of make-up this time. Flattering red afternoon sunlight instead of six studio lights all trained on my imperfect skin. Something more than four inches between my face and the lens.
And definitely the promised laughter!
We narrowed the choices to a few photos on which a collection of people voted: I voted for the bottom one here, and would not have included the top one in the choices. My husband, my kids, my mom and dad, my agent, and my editor all voted for the top one. My best friend did too, although she did put the one I’d chosen as a second choice.
For The Four Ms. Bradwells, I saw a wonderful author photo a friend had just had done … and somehow heard myself asking my editor if they needed a new author photo. Why in the world did I volunteer for that again?
She came back with, “We all like the one we used for The Wednesday Sisters.” So I guess I’m off the hook until the next book. (But feel free to vote below … for the photo I liked!) - Meg
Posted in All-True Story of How a Novel Gets Published, Meg's Posts
July 15th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
I actually really like the first photo! But the second photo comes in at a very very close second.
Oh, and that eyebrow thing? Totally overrated. Even *I* can barely see my eyebrows!
July 15th, 2010 at 7:17 pm
I like the second one! The lighting is better so half your face isn’t shadowed and it almost creates a soft glow. The top one is so dark on the left and light on the right it creates more contrast on one side than the other. The second photo is overall more even in lighting and tone.
July 15th, 2010 at 7:35 pm
It’s the redhead, or nearly redhead, thing,isn’t it, Trish? (My little brother has lovely red hair; I just got the freckles and the pale skin.)
And Shawna, come sit by me!
July 15th, 2010 at 11:54 pm
Ah, Meg, you just like the second one because you look like Hayley Mills in it! The first one is by far the winner, though! Hair, shadows, eyes, smile, everything.
July 16th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
The second photo because there is a lighter quality to it, an openess and your eyes have that special spark!
July 17th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
Here’s where I confess I had to look Hayley Mills up – and did!
July 18th, 2010 at 5:58 am
Hi Meg! This is Heather from the Ladies of the Night book club in Las Vegas. You mentioned a friend of yours who was writing a book and it was getting published or recently had been published. What is her name and book? I love both pictures by the way. I am sooo excited for your new book!
July 19th, 2010 at 3:49 am
Heather, I think the two I mentioned to the Ladies were Brenda Rickman Vantrease’s The Heretic’s Wife and Tatjana Soli’s The Lotus Eaters – two I read before publication for blurbs that I ABSOLUTELY LOVED. So have been recommending to everyone!
July 19th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
Hello Meg,
Being the procrastinator that I am, I am only just now batting down the hatches and trying to find my niche ahead of time before I become completely overwhelmed at the BlogHer ’10 Conference.
You were the first person that I found when I plugged in writer’s and I have enjoyed reading your success stories.
I have a book that changes like the rising tide and I have not yet begun to market it. The few agents that I spoke with told me that they love my stories and that if I weave my them together better I could have a viable product.
I would love to make sure that I meet you at the Conference. To save money I will be staying with a male friend of mine in the Village but thought perhaps we could exchange emails or cell phone #’s and make sure we connect.
BTW: I like the light in the bottom photo but the top photo is sharper. Don’t let them airbrush out your freckles!
July 19th, 2010 at 11:43 pm
Jillian, I won’t be at the Blogher conference – I’ll be busily getting my youngest off to college. Summers – esp. Aug – are tough travel time for me, as I have kids home and want to enjoy them as much as I can. Have fun!
And so glad you’re enjoying the blog!