Bios and profile pictures

[Weird Jim]

I’m wondering if posting bios and pictures make any difference to sales and downloads. Any ideas.

[J.A. Marlow]

Do you mean on your author website? Or retailers that have the capability? Or in the books themselves?

Bare regularly used in promotional material, and most writers seem to have them.

I’ve heard conflicting information on all of it, but the consensus seems to be that if it doesn’t appear to hurt in any way, then go ahead and do it. Bios are regularly used in promotional material, and most writers seem to have them. However, there are writers who are not comfortable putting their personal picture up, and it doesn’t seem to affect them badly.

So, maybe just do what you feel comfortable with?

Personally, I use an author bio in a number of places, but I am not comfortable with putting my personal picture out into the wilds, so I do not do that. I use a snapshot of a book cover instead. To each their own.

J.A. Marlow
The String Weavers, Salmon Run, Redpoint One series.

Writer alter-ego of Dreamers Cove

[Ashe Elton Parker]

I’m going with a brief bio, as I know readers will be curious about why I write what I do (primarily LGBT characters in Fantasy), and my profile picture is an image of my Ankh tattoo. While I haven’t kept secret any real-life social ties I have (a picture of my face is available on select sites related to square dancing–and I agreed to that only after I was hounded endlessly about it and got tired of the aggravation of explaining myself to people who should just have respected my wishes), I don’t want to make it particularly easy for my image to be found otherwise.

I may, if I’m able to do certain things with myself, eventually have a profile picture up somewhere, but for now, I’m happy without one.

I don’t honestly expect it to make a difference in sales, and I don’t really care if it does or not. I’m already writing for a niche audience, so I’m not expecting to become a bestseller.

Ashe Elton Parker
"Just love me, fear me, do as I say, and I will be your slave." ~ David Bowie as Jareth in Labyrinth
~*~
Member since 1998.
~*~

[MarFisk]

For me, my picture is a moment in time. I’m not sure people would even recognize me from it . But I got requests for a face and didn’t care one way or another. I think the pictures and bios help create a more personal relationship between the author and reader. This can be a good thing (buying books to support a friend, sharing those books for the same reason), but it can also be a bad thing if the author says something a reader finds repellent. Each author has to make their own choice. I’d suggest something iconic if not a face to become the equivalent and recognizable across platforms.

She remakes mechanical devices, and he dreams of becoming a steamship captain in The Steamship Chronicles. Book 1 is free in eBook.
https://margaretmcgaffeyfisk.com/the-steamship-chronicles/

[JuneDrexler]

I believe readers have a mild curiosity about who authors are and what they look like. For that reason, I think, if you feel at all comfortable with it, putting something ‘social’ out there about yourself is a good thing. That said, I do believe the curiosity is mild and if an author doesn’t want to do it, it’s probably not a big deal.

I had a friend take a picture of me holding my little girl beagle and wrote a light few lines about myself as a bio. Both are on the foobatbooks website. I did it because I’m comfortable with that. But, I don’t think I’d stress if I really didn’t want that stuff up.

-June

[Author]

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