Your Headshot and Your Career
When Uriah Carr joined a critique group I founded at the Glendale library a few years ago, I got lucky. (-:
That day I met a talented friend who writes poetry and plays, acts, and is a photographer to boot. Eventually he took most of the shots you see of me in my books and around the Web.
The other day he looked at one of my newer book covers (Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers to be exact!) and said, I think it’s time you updated your photos. I didn’t dare ask him why he thought that. What!? You think I’m crazy?
I just nodded. I’m sure he didn’t see the gulp.
And we had a lot of fun at the photo session with my husband in the background kibitzing about the ham he married.
I figured if we had to put up with my husband’s brand of humor, we’d get him to push the button on the camera and make himself useful. So now I have some pictures of Uriah and me (yes, that is supposed to be “me,” not “I!”) after the shoot. It is one of the 167 he took of me that I now have at my disposal to use in my publicity--everything from book covers to biographies to media kits,well...you get the idea.
So, now is the time to take a good, hard look at the headshot you use for promotion. Is it working for you--or against you?
Now, this brings me to the important part. I’m still seeing lots of photos that aren’t professionally taken being used by lots of my author friends. Some are pretty good. Others not so. And some really awful. As I mention in The Frugal Book Promoter (www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo), your head shot is not the time to scrimp. You can also see some of those shots--both the old ones he took and the new--on my work-in-progress Web site at http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com.
Frugal is one thing. Cheap another.
You may not be able to see the difference, but an editor can. It’s in the facial shadows, the resolution, the background lighting, the position of the shoulders. Things most of us aren’t trained in. Most of us—unlike Uriah—are merely writers.
So, look at the photos you’re using for promotion one more time. Critically. If you live in the Southern California area, I’ll be pleased to give you Uriah’s contact information. If not, you’re on your own. One word of caution: Many studio photographers aren’t trained to catch the “writer you.” So, before you choose, look at some of the shots on the book flaps of some of the big publishers. Maybe ask some authors you know who took their photos. Ask the photographer if he or she has worked with authors or models or actors. Ask to see those shots, not just the family portraits.
I mean, if money is going to be spent, let’s be as careful about the research as we are when we hire our editors. Don’t you think?
PS: Do you know Aggie Villaneuva? You should! She can do for your book launch what she's done for my Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers: http://budurl.com/TwitterLaunchSched. If your book has already been launched, don’t let it deter you. I’m calling the launch for Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers (http://budurl.com/Tweeting4Retailers) an online launch (it’s still quite new!). You could call a launch for your book a belated online launch! (-: There are no launch cops! (-:
-----
Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog:
Showing posts with label professional photos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label professional photos. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Thursday, May 15, 2008
You Have a Bedroom, a Workroom, a Playroom. How About a Media Room? And Not in Your House!
Most rooms we think are essential -- even bedrooms -- we could easily do without.
Look at all the people who live in studio apartments! The one room everyone seems to think they can do without (and shouldn't!) is a media room.
I'm not talking about a room in your house with a screen, stereo and a popcorn machine. I'm talking about the room on your website that makes life so easy on an editor, agent, blogger, reviewer or publisher that you'll have an edge with them over those who don't have one. Some people call them press rooms, but that's sort of slaps at nonprint media like web editors and radio hosts. So, if you have a "press room" you may want to change its moniker so you look like the professional you are in front of those who can make a difference for you.
But that isn't all you should do. Take a minute to look at this article to see if you're making your media room (aka press room) into the Clydesdale it should be rather than a little pink (and possibly useless) pony.
The media room is an integral part of your website but it is not a place for your readers. It's only for that list of gatekeepers above and it's all business. Meaning no cutsie stuff. Just simple, easy-to-download media kit(s) and a few other possibilities I've listed below. If you think of something else to add to the list, ask yourself, "Will this feature help those who need information access it more easily and save them time?" and "Will this feature only clutter my media room like so much unused furniture and make it harder for editors to find what they need." If the feature is not suitable for the media room, save it for somewhere else on your site.
Because this room will not have music or graphics or any other gee-gaws, you may need to duplicate some information that you have in your media room elsewhere on the site for the casual visitor. Your list of awards is a good example. They'll be in your media kit but you'll probably have a separate page or area for them elsewhere.
The best way to give editors and others who visit your media room is to have a downloadable .pdf of your media kit. Include in that kit:
1. Contact information on every page of the kit and on the media room's home page.
2. A cover letter that's relatively generic so that it will work for most any kind of person who downloads the kit.
3. Your book cover image(s), in high resolution in case the editor needs to use it for print purposes.
4. A professional head shot of you -- also in high res.
5. Two author bios, one very short that editors can pick up and use as a tagline without rewriting it and one that's longer to give them a better flavor for possible feature stories, etc.
6. A page of your publishing credits and experience similar to what you would use in a resume. Keep it simple. Bullet it if possible.
7. A synopsis of your book. A strong, short pitch is even better. Or both.
8. An assortment of endorsements or blurbs.
9. Two sample book reviews, one long for print media, one short for use on the Internet. Both should be available to reprint at no ch * rge and you should say so on the review pages.
10. At least one sample Interview, though you may use several, each with a different focus.
11. An awards page, both publishing and writing awards.
12. A first person essay available for reprint with permission to do so.
13. A list of available seminars or keynotes for your speaking appearances. You might also include ideas for feature stories.
14. A fellow experts page. This makes it easy for an editor or moderator to put together a panel and include you, of course.
Your Media room should also include or have links to:
1. Your Media Releases for news and events, most recent first.
2. Transcripts/audio recordings/video clips and podcasts.
3. Downloadable aids like business cards and sell sheets.
4. Sample chapters of published works or snippets of works in progress. Nonfiction works should have your Contents page available for perusal.
5. FAQ or a facts file.
Don't even ask why you should do this. You don't have time. It is essential this very minute and if it isn't, it will be the minute you have a book, set yourself up as an expert, have a business, begin to consult or whatever work you plan to coordinate with your writing career. You need a media room at least as much as you need a website.
A media room will do for you what you can't possibly do for yourself and what your publicist can't do for you either. It makes your book, your business available to everyone and puts you upfront and center where you'll be on their minds.
You'll find this list with the complete details of writing a media release, putting together a media kit, etc. -- right down to the correct font, structure and indentations -- in The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/193299310X/. You'll find a sample media room (with several media kits each with a different focus) on my website at www.howtodoitfrugally.com.
PS: The photo is one taken by Nancy Cleary, author and publisher. It is of her well-used copy of The Frugal Book Promoter.
-----
Carolyn Howard-Johnson edits and consults on issues of publishing. Find her The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success on Amazon. Learn more about her other authors' aids at www.howtodoitfrugally.com.
Look at all the people who live in studio apartments! The one room everyone seems to think they can do without (and shouldn't!) is a media room.
I'm not talking about a room in your house with a screen, stereo and a popcorn machine. I'm talking about the room on your website that makes life so easy on an editor, agent, blogger, reviewer or publisher that you'll have an edge with them over those who don't have one. Some people call them press rooms, but that's sort of slaps at nonprint media like web editors and radio hosts. So, if you have a "press room" you may want to change its moniker so you look like the professional you are in front of those who can make a difference for you.
But that isn't all you should do. Take a minute to look at this article to see if you're making your media room (aka press room) into the Clydesdale it should be rather than a little pink (and possibly useless) pony.
The media room is an integral part of your website but it is not a place for your readers. It's only for that list of gatekeepers above and it's all business. Meaning no cutsie stuff. Just simple, easy-to-download media kit(s) and a few other possibilities I've listed below. If you think of something else to add to the list, ask yourself, "Will this feature help those who need information access it more easily and save them time?" and "Will this feature only clutter my media room like so much unused furniture and make it harder for editors to find what they need." If the feature is not suitable for the media room, save it for somewhere else on your site.
Because this room will not have music or graphics or any other gee-gaws, you may need to duplicate some information that you have in your media room elsewhere on the site for the casual visitor. Your list of awards is a good example. They'll be in your media kit but you'll probably have a separate page or area for them elsewhere.
The best way to give editors and others who visit your media room is to have a downloadable .pdf of your media kit. Include in that kit:
1. Contact information on every page of the kit and on the media room's home page.
2. A cover letter that's relatively generic so that it will work for most any kind of person who downloads the kit.
3. Your book cover image(s), in high resolution in case the editor needs to use it for print purposes.
4. A professional head shot of you -- also in high res.
5. Two author bios, one very short that editors can pick up and use as a tagline without rewriting it and one that's longer to give them a better flavor for possible feature stories, etc.
6. A page of your publishing credits and experience similar to what you would use in a resume. Keep it simple. Bullet it if possible.
7. A synopsis of your book. A strong, short pitch is even better. Or both.
8. An assortment of endorsements or blurbs.
9. Two sample book reviews, one long for print media, one short for use on the Internet. Both should be available to reprint at no ch * rge and you should say so on the review pages.
10. At least one sample Interview, though you may use several, each with a different focus.
11. An awards page, both publishing and writing awards.
12. A first person essay available for reprint with permission to do so.
13. A list of available seminars or keynotes for your speaking appearances. You might also include ideas for feature stories.
14. A fellow experts page. This makes it easy for an editor or moderator to put together a panel and include you, of course.
Your Media room should also include or have links to:
1. Your Media Releases for news and events, most recent first.
2. Transcripts/audio recordings/video clips and podcasts.
3. Downloadable aids like business cards and sell sheets.
4. Sample chapters of published works or snippets of works in progress. Nonfiction works should have your Contents page available for perusal.
5. FAQ or a facts file.
Don't even ask why you should do this. You don't have time. It is essential this very minute and if it isn't, it will be the minute you have a book, set yourself up as an expert, have a business, begin to consult or whatever work you plan to coordinate with your writing career. You need a media room at least as much as you need a website.
A media room will do for you what you can't possibly do for yourself and what your publicist can't do for you either. It makes your book, your business available to everyone and puts you upfront and center where you'll be on their minds.
You'll find this list with the complete details of writing a media release, putting together a media kit, etc. -- right down to the correct font, structure and indentations -- in The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/193299310X/. You'll find a sample media room (with several media kits each with a different focus) on my website at www.howtodoitfrugally.com.
PS: The photo is one taken by Nancy Cleary, author and publisher. It is of her well-used copy of The Frugal Book Promoter.
-----
Carolyn Howard-Johnson edits and consults on issues of publishing. Find her The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success on Amazon. Learn more about her other authors' aids at www.howtodoitfrugally.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)