But for those who drool over the coat like I did here is a great site that even custom fits if you give them your measurements: http://www.leatherattractions.com/productadetail.php?proid=139&catid=3

I can understand why authors want their work to stand for itself and may resent the extra attention that the young and glamorous get from their photos. But it’s a fact that a glamorous young photo can sometimes pick up its own momentum for the author.

Anything that sounds like jealousy from other authors is off-putting, but more importantly, I think it says something unfortunate about the way we judge achievement. If an author isn’t beautiful, is she ill-qualified to write romance? If her photo’s ordinary, is her writerly imagination lacking? If she’s young, has she not put in her time in the trenches? If she looks good, is that why her books sell?

Take the flap about Marisha Pessl. From Sarah Weinman’s blog:

we’ve got the many of the necessary ingredients for being news-worthy: Pessl is young, she’s female, and her book sold in the mid-to-high six-figure range with lucrative foreign rights sales. But that’s not all!

For Pessl, you see, is an “actor, writer and dancer,” who has acted in a “surreal adaptation of Edward Albee’s Lolita, in which she appeared as a mechanical doll,” and who studied English and creative writing at Columbia. But that’s still not all!

Because — as I’m sure you’ve likely guessed by now — she’s the latest in a long, long line to suffer from “Hot Young Author Chick” Syndrome. I mean, look at that face (after scrolling down a bit.)

Putting down another author’s interests is an odd way to criticize the publishing world. They’re not even that unusual a combination of interests. Would Pessl be more acceptable if she were older or couldn’t dance?

And Jennifer Weiner, on Salon.com:

For me, 2006 marked the lamentable triumph of style over substance. Designated PYT Marisha Pessl’s much-hyped debut came tap-dancing in, all bells and whistles (and footnotes, and illustrations). There may have been a strong brew underneath, but I couldn’t get through the froth.

That may be a fair review, or it may also be part of a pattern of hating on uppity young female writers. That “designated PYT” sneer is what puts the doubt in my mind.

As it happens, I enjoyed Pessl’s debut novel, though I wouldn’t argue with those who find it self-indulgent or ornate. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to debate it within a framing that says youth and/or attractiveness means lack of literary merit:

Attractive photo > Book contract must be based on photo > Book must suck

(BTW, Pessl’s editor says her face wasn’t part of their strategy, not that that would convince her critics.)

Well, thank you. Sincerely. But at 5′4″ nobody would call me tall. And while I’m not . . . chunky, I’m not slender either. I have red hair, not brown.

But it’s flattering, really, to have anyone look at my picture and perceive I’m portraying Eve. Since I’m old enough to be her mama! (Ouch.)

Nora

And is anyone else having posting trouble?

OH! And did I mention shoes? Love shoes ;-)

There is little reason for this girl from Florida to own such a coat…but damn.

BTW, I never even thought about the authors trying to look like their characters. I saw the pictures more as a representation of theme and voice. I could never look like my heroines…though a few have red hair, most are much taller, much thinner and much more beautiful. And that’s okay by me!

description of Eve: tall, slender, short brown hair, works in New York City, wears long black leather coat.

description of Miss Roberts: tall, slender, short brown hair, backdrop in picture in question – New York City, wearing long black leather coat.

Just sayin.

Either way – the point of my comment was not that the picture in any way shapes my opinion of the book, but rather it shapes my opinion of the author and for that reason, I prefer to see a just a plain picture of the author in a natural setting. Love the picture of Miss Roberts in the chair with the great shoes – she looks like an author to me there, not like she is trying to portray the character from the books.

Since we’re all talking about our pics… the one I have of me that I will use (under duress) is blue. Or rather, I’m blue. *G* That’s why I like it.

The most interesting thing in the picture is the daylily and the concrete deer behind me. Heh.

Most interesting thing about the one I do use (under duress) is that I’m blue. :)

I personally heart Nora’s coat. Not so much on shoes, but I love the coat. And I don’t wanna hear her talking about losing weight either.

Ooooh…shoes! I Love shoes!

As long as Miss Roberts wears that leather coat, she can update her picture every week. I really like that coat ;-)

And come on, Rocki. The Glock’s not that heavy. Were you carrying extra clips? ;-)

I also think Nora should have her picture updated annually. Wearing different shoes each year. Not that I in any way covet Nora’s shoe collection. ;-)

So one of these days I will have to suck it up, get another photo and hope the photographer is as talented as the one from 2003 (who is no longer in business). Truth in packaging, I guess. At least I still have my red hair.

It’s unfair that you look so damn good, as well as all your other talents.

Hey, it’s my coat! Which I love, deeply. If I’d wanted to represent Eve, I’d have had to lose a couple of decades, a whole lot of weight, cut my hair and dye it brown.

Actually, I wouldn’t mind doing the first two.

Nora

I do have to say that I prefer just a small, studio headshot to other photos. I find it comical, sad, and somewhat demeaning both to the author and to the story when the author photo is made to somehow represent the heroine of the series. Sorry Miss Roberts – I am pointing to your JD Robb shots in the long leather coat here. Patricia Cornwall’s photo’s became more and more a caricature of Kay Scarpetta the longer that series went on and I found it to be a sad statement about the author. I suppose that it was more a publisher decision rather than an author decision, but given that the photo is of the author, it leaves an impression with the reader that the author is projecting herself into the book, and not in a good way.

And I have a hand on face shot. Which is reprehensible, because a friend took that, and I’ve been too lazy to have my photographer husband (who does portraits) do another.