MY ZOMBIE DOG has officially launched for the Kindle version and the paperback version will be along soon! To celebrate, you still have about 10 days to win a KINDLE! This is open international, so get your entry in! It's very easy, you can buy the book (love you!) or blog about the book or blog about this competition. You also get an extra entry for tweeting.
Go HERE to find the entry form. HURRY, ends 31st March (Aussie time).
Now about author head shots. Do you have one? Is it professional looking or some family pic that gets blurry if you try and make it any bigger than 5cent coin? It doesn't matter if you're published or not, you need to create an image that you want people to associate with you.
If you can go and get a professional head shot, then good for you, but if you can get a professional look nowadays even with your iPhone.
Don't want a double chin? check out this professional photographer's advice on how to look your best in that head shot:
Lighting is also important, outside is good, or use a floodlight shone up and towards you to light up your face. Most indoor lights hang from the ceiling so it tends to leave shadows under your nose and chin.
The smile? There's lots of different opinions, some people swear you need to show teeth and others prefer a more demure smile - you know which looks best on you. If you do go for the closed mouth smile, just part your lips ever-so-slightly so you can blow out a breath while smiling, this stops your lips from looking tense and your smile from looking fake.
My biggest weakness is getting bored with my pic. It's best to keep something familiar because it becomes branding. Here's a pic I had taken last year, now to get those books in the background I had to casually lean my arm on the fireplace shelf, which required squatting to be the right height!
But this is what I usually look like in photos (Zoe is a lap dog wannabe):
Awesome advice...as always! I'm actually giving away a free head shot on my blog! http://thesummerillsurf.blogspot.com/2012/03/humps-and-sorta-weird-but-kinda-cool.html
ReplyDeleteThat was quite a fascinating vid. So that's why I always look terrible in photos.
ReplyDeletecheers,
mood
Great advice and great video!
ReplyDeleteI like your head shot. And your book cover! Very exciting!
ReplyDeleteI like your head shot. And no, I don't have an official head shot. Not yet, anyway.
ReplyDeleteSage advice. I fall dismally into cat number 2 however as I'm always being told I look the same as I did in high school, I'm not rushing to update (as much as I know I should!) Thanks for the heads up advice Charmaine ;p
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this useful advice!
ReplyDeleteCharmaine, thank you for visiting my blog. Please do consider writing something for the NYMB antholgies.
ReplyDeleteAlso thank you for the great advice. Your head shot is great and your fur baby is so cute.
Charmaine, the cover of your book looks kinda spooky and funny at the same time.
ReplyDeleteGood advice on the professional shot.
Lovely photo. Mine usually look like your second one. Having a new one taken is on my list, but I really hate being photographed. Must do it soon however. Great article.
ReplyDeleteawww, my zombie dog looks adorable!!
ReplyDeleteGreat video. I'll have to get my hubby to watch it because he is the one who takes my photos. Of course, I doctor all my pics (the joy of having an advanced knowledge of photoshop hehe). My current headshot is heavily adjusted. The background is a composite of two shots and not even part of the original shot, lol.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the video! Btw - I think your photo is lovely. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat advice on a photo. Too many people don't pay attention to the quality of their own photo, and it just looks unprofessional. In today's market, it's vital that independent authors make every effort to show they're professional, serious writers.
ReplyDelete