Oh, wow! Some top quality photos right there 😃 I haven't seen one of those in a while. Interesting though; I hadn't thought about it but it did always seem to be female authors having to pose and pout. Like you, I don't know (or really care) what the authors of books look like, and often think I could walk right past a famous author and not recognise them! In fact, I always thought it would be the ideal way to be "famous". But I never thought of them now being all over social media...(I don't have any SM either).
As a side note...I remember reading Bradford and Steel books as a young teenager and thinking I was so grown up...oh dear!
I think I’d more inclined to write a book if I could use a nom de plume and then hire someone to be “me” for all the socials and public appearances. I get that many authors genuinely enjoy the promotional side of the publishing process but oof. Just thinking about it makes me cringe!
i love 80s book design, especially romance novels! the unabashed glamour is so fun. there's also a really great documentary about jackie collins's life that i highly recommend!
Oooh I will look that up! And I agree. They look like celebrities or models. I couldn’t quite get it into words during the writing of this post but I also love what these photos say about the 80s attitude toward glamour more generally. Unabashed is exactly right! In its place now, we have loads of content about how unglamorous the writing life really is. Which is probably very true, but I rather enjoy the fantasy version these photos inspire.
Think seeing those type of glamour shots of authors would actually put me off reading the book! They make it seem shallow & not worth the time or effort to bother with. I choose books based on subject matter & whether I make a connection. If it’s as good as I first thought it would be I will then read everything the author has written.
That’s so interesting, Wendy! I think i understand what you mean - the style of photo does reflect the content in the book (quite literally, as a friend of mine pointed out, in the case of Lady Boss and Zoya) - but also less literally. Like does a kinda goofy, full colour author photo imply that the work is light and entertaining, while a more arty, black and white shot imply the work is more serious and literary? I think it does, and of course we as readers respond to that. We are supposed to judge books by the cover - it’s why designers put so much time into them!
These were fun to look at and remember. No, I don't need an author photo but I do appreciate seeing what they look like, especially if I like them. It strengthens my connection to the author. That said - no glamour shots, just a smile sitting at the desk or wherever they work would be nice. I love Ann Tyler's work and went for years without knowing what she looked like. Later, she had this nice easy photo of her that was making the rounds and I was so happy to see it. Who knows why?
I’m also a Tyler fan and until I looked her up just now, had no idea what she looked like. I think I just found the photo you’re thinking of and you know what? I smiled back. She looks exactly the way her books sound - warm and intelligent but never pretentious. Like she’d be good company.
Oh, wow! Some top quality photos right there 😃 I haven't seen one of those in a while. Interesting though; I hadn't thought about it but it did always seem to be female authors having to pose and pout. Like you, I don't know (or really care) what the authors of books look like, and often think I could walk right past a famous author and not recognise them! In fact, I always thought it would be the ideal way to be "famous". But I never thought of them now being all over social media...(I don't have any SM either).
As a side note...I remember reading Bradford and Steel books as a young teenager and thinking I was so grown up...oh dear!
I think I’d more inclined to write a book if I could use a nom de plume and then hire someone to be “me” for all the socials and public appearances. I get that many authors genuinely enjoy the promotional side of the publishing process but oof. Just thinking about it makes me cringe!
I know what you mean, especially onsidering that writing is a pretty introverted thing to do. How much fun it would be to pick out a "you" though!
Exactly!
i love 80s book design, especially romance novels! the unabashed glamour is so fun. there's also a really great documentary about jackie collins's life that i highly recommend!
Oooh I will look that up! And I agree. They look like celebrities or models. I couldn’t quite get it into words during the writing of this post but I also love what these photos say about the 80s attitude toward glamour more generally. Unabashed is exactly right! In its place now, we have loads of content about how unglamorous the writing life really is. Which is probably very true, but I rather enjoy the fantasy version these photos inspire.
Think seeing those type of glamour shots of authors would actually put me off reading the book! They make it seem shallow & not worth the time or effort to bother with. I choose books based on subject matter & whether I make a connection. If it’s as good as I first thought it would be I will then read everything the author has written.
That’s so interesting, Wendy! I think i understand what you mean - the style of photo does reflect the content in the book (quite literally, as a friend of mine pointed out, in the case of Lady Boss and Zoya) - but also less literally. Like does a kinda goofy, full colour author photo imply that the work is light and entertaining, while a more arty, black and white shot imply the work is more serious and literary? I think it does, and of course we as readers respond to that. We are supposed to judge books by the cover - it’s why designers put so much time into them!
I like the Jackie Collins look! 🤩 Reminds of that woman in the TV show Life on Mars. Love her blazers.
Yes! Collins’ vibe is very fierce. And her hair is amazing, definitely the kind of gravity-defying ‘do I once envied as a preteen :)
These were fun to look at and remember. No, I don't need an author photo but I do appreciate seeing what they look like, especially if I like them. It strengthens my connection to the author. That said - no glamour shots, just a smile sitting at the desk or wherever they work would be nice. I love Ann Tyler's work and went for years without knowing what she looked like. Later, she had this nice easy photo of her that was making the rounds and I was so happy to see it. Who knows why?
I’m also a Tyler fan and until I looked her up just now, had no idea what she looked like. I think I just found the photo you’re thinking of and you know what? I smiled back. She looks exactly the way her books sound - warm and intelligent but never pretentious. Like she’d be good company.