Why your Author Portrait is important.

* Americans put a lot of importance on how someone looks.

* A bad portrait can ruin a good book cover.

* It is not about being objectively pretty. It is about having a good photo.

* We are relational. We want to buy from someone we know.

Tip #1 Hire an Actual Professional (you get what you pay for)

* How to tell a good photo from a bad photo: look at the eyes. If you can’t easily see the eye color, it is not a good photo.

Tip #2 Shoot for your audience (not the author).

* Tell your photographer who the audience is for your book.

* Tell your photographer what feeling you are wanting the portrait to convey.

Tip #3 Bring Lots of Outfits for the Photographer to pick from.

* Go with solid colors and simple/minimal jewelry.

* Consider bringing a prop to use as an option.

Tip #4 Insist the photographer shoot in landscape mode.

* You can always crop a portrait shape photo from a landscape image. This give you more options with the design of your website and more options when speaking at event.

Tip #5 Use caution with Photoshop techniques.

* You don’t want someone’s first thought when they see you is “wow you look old.”

* The idea with touching up a photo is to make you look like your best self. Not like someone else or a younger version of yourself.

Tip #6 Buy the full copyright to the photo.

* Negotiate this ahead of time.

* Pay for the time not the image.

Tip #7 Update your photos frequently.

* At least once per book or once per year or two if you are prolific.

Announcement #1

100 Episode Live Event July 11th 7pm Central Time. Register here.

We will post the recording afterwards but we will have giveaways and bonus content for the folks who come live.

Free!

Announcement #2 Raising the Price on the 5 Year Course

Ending the Jim Coaching Option

Not too late to get the discounted price or the Jim coaching session.

* More info on the 5-year course