Polaroid Photo

Tue
20
Apr '10

And the author photo is….

Thanks to the help of loads of people, and after much consideration we got the selection narrowed down to two author photos. I finally decided that I’ll use both. How so?  Simple, in Shades of Milk and Honey itself, people already know that I’m a writer so I decided to use one of the puppetry photos as a way to help me stand out in a sea of other authors.

And the winner of the survey drawing is…  Harold Gross! I’ll be sending him a signed copy of Shades of Milk and Honey the moment I have a finished book in my hands.

The other photo, which we’ll use as the press photo when sending out packets to bookstores, newspapers and the like is one of the ones with typewriters.

This was actually marginally more popular than the puppetry one, and it does a great job of saying “I’m a writer! I write historic stuff!” It’s just, I figured, if you have the novel in your hand that should be obvious.

By the way, the typewriter is an Oliver and no, I do not actually compose on typewriters. I use a computer because I can’t go fast enough on a manual.

Since I decided to use two photos, I’m going to give away a second book.  I’m sending the second one to Patty Bigelow!

Thank you all for your help!

On, since I know people were curious, 221 folks participated plus some other people that I consulted on the side.  Here’s how the results broke down. My favorite? Brown jacket looking up a camera…

10 Comments »

  • Julia

    Yay! I picked that one! Because it shows your boots, and I’m a sucker for sexy boots. That, and yeah. The puppet thing. It needs to be shown as you get more famous for writing, because it’s an integral part of you, or so I assume from reading you over the time.

    • http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com Mary Robinette Kowal

      It really does shape my whole worldview. Even though I made more last year as a writer than a puppeteer, for the first time, I still think of myself first as a puppeteer.

      • Julia

        “Puppetry” and “Iceland” are your biggest tags besides “Rob”. I think that says something.

        Also, to be honest, while the typewriter one is cute as a general photo, it’s…not as special as the one with the puppet. Someone sees that and it might just draw them in, get them interested, and then they might buy the book. Because you’re not just sitting there smiling behind a writing implement (or with hands neatly crossed over each other such as every other author photo out there).

        The puppet in your hands also resembles the ball-jointed dolls I collect in an abstract way, it makes me happy :)

  • Spring

    I think the puppetry one was the cutest. It just shows verve.
    And congratulations to my buddy Harold for winning the contest!
    Way to go! (Can I borrow it after you and Eve read it???)

  • http://mcurry.livejournal.com/ Michael Curry

    I’m glad you came up with a way to use both photos, since they were my top two picks.

    Plus it meant two winners rather than just one! Congratulations to both of them!

  • -e-

    Love the one with the Oliver… just noticed how the diagonal carriage of the machine plays with the diagonal pin tucks on the dress… genius!

  • -d-

    So I went back to look at the losers and they aren’t there. Can we see the whole batch somewhere?

    • http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com Mary Robinette Kowal

      I’ll send you the link, Dad. I didn’t want to take advantage of the photographer’s copyrights by leaving them on the web.

  • Meg Holmes

    Very nice choices. It seems that you and I were thinking the same thing. :)

  • Rob Reed

    I think you are missing an opportunity here.

    You really should sent out the phto of you with the puppet with the press packets and other info packets.

    That is because being a puppeter *and* a writer is one of the most interesting things about you, at least to an editor.

    There are lots of SF writers out there: How many others are also pro puppeters?

    Go with what makes you different, at least far enough to “get your foot in the door” and get some interviews or press attention.

    Prepare some info on how being a puppeter makes you a better writer, or how manipulating puppets and manipulatng characters in your ficiton is the same thing. Yeah, you’ll get a lot of references to being a “puppet master” in both lines of your work, but any attention is better then none.

    The pic with the typewriter is cute, but doesn’t say anything except, “I’m a writer and this typewriter is a prop.” The pic with the puppet says so much more about you and goes to what is interesting about you, at least to the people who don’t know you personally.

    If it’s not too late to change your mind and send out the puppet photo with the press packs, I urge you to do so.

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