In my latest poll, I asked the question: Is having an author photo on a book jacket important to you?

In one of the strongest showings of like-thinking, 64% of respondents said YES. So, I’d say that without a doubt, readers like to see what the author looks like.

I know for some writers, this is a conern. Like many of us, some authors simply don’t like to have their photos taken for whatever reason, or don’t think they are photogenic. We’re writers, not models! Others feel strongly that a piece of writing should not be judged by the attractiveness of the author – the whole ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ axiom, at its most literal.

There’s also the joke about people going to a book reading or fan conference and not recognizing an author because the photo they use on their book jacket was taken twenty years ago, or was so airbrushed it barely resembled the subject. In truth, I have seen this happen. To be fair, however, I wonder if sometimes this happens because the author cares so little, they don’t bother updating the photo. Or maybe they decide to play the game, that – supposedly – beauty sells, and for the most part, the majority of their readers never will see them in person.

I think today, in the age of websites and YouTube and camera phones, an author honestly attempting to hide their real appearance is a non-starter.  I don’t know the actual stats on this, but I would think this is similar to the fact that fewer and fewer writers choose to use non-de-plumes. Hiding from a public who wants to know who you are, has become almost impossible.

I might be naive about the whole thing – and I know of colleagues who will bitterly disagree with me – but I’d like to beleive that the desire to see an author’s face is simply a facet of the reader wanting to be more attached to and involved with a good book. There is something satisfying, after the last page is turned, about taking a gander at the author’s mug, reading their bio, and maybe going to their website to find out more about the person, the mind, that created a story you enjoyed. It’s as high-touch as you can get in a no-touch environment. Not every reader has the opportunity to attend an in-person book launch or a writers conference.

All that being said, I’ve made the promise to myself that I will – if at all possible – have a new author picture with each book – wrinkles and all (grey hair…well, not quite yet…). I think I’d be mortified if ever someone came to one of my events and told me they couldn’t recognize me from my dust jacket photo. I’m sure it will happen one day. Especially if someone is referring to the photo on Amuse Bouche, my first book, now several years old.

Anthony - 2003

But I can’t help that. Actually, just the other day, a friend of mine told me they didn’t like the author photo used for Stain of the Berry.

Anthony - 2006

She thought it made me look older than I am. You know, I kinda liked that. The idea that someone might tell me I look better than my author photo…yeah, I like that. Shame on me.

Just FYI, 9% of respondents on the poll stated they did not think an author photo was important; for 27% it didn’t matter one way or the other.

A new poll about your use of e-book readers has begun.

Go to www.anthonybidulka.com/home to vote.