Build your author presence
Get a headshot you can use everywhere
Choose or commission one author photo, record the photographer credit and your right to use it, and use the same picture on the jacket, every profile, and every press request.
Authors often hire help with this: design or production.
Why it matters
Media outlets won't run a photo without a credit and permission, and they won't wait for you to find out who took it. Retailer profiles and search engines also match faces across sites; one consistent photo makes it obvious which author you are. Having the files and the credit ready removes a small but real source of delay every time someone asks.
Your part
- What you do
- Do it. You normally do this yourself.
- Who normally owns it
- Author. Author supplies; publisher may commission or specify requirements
- When
- Any time, and before the catalog, profiles, and media kit need it, about six months before publication (Build your author presence: any time, and the earlier the better)Checked September 14, 2026
How to do it
The full walkthrough
An author headshot is the photo that goes on the jacket, the retailer profile, the event listing, and the newspaper feature. It should be the same recognizable face in every place, at a resolution good enough for print, with a credit line that you can supply on request.
Traditionally published authors are often asked for a headshot early, sometimes at contract stage, because the publisher's catalog goes to sales reps months ahead of publication. Ask what size and format the publisher needs and whether it plans to commission a photo or use yours.
Hybrid and self-published authors handle this themselves. A professional session is worth considering but not required. A well-lit photo taken by a competent friend, with a plain background and your face filling the frame, is better than an expensive photo you dislike.
Whatever you use, confirm in writing that you have the right to use the photo for publicity, in print and online, without additional fees. Photographers vary on this. Record the photographer's name exactly as they want it credited.
Common mistakes
- Using a cropped group photo, a vacation shot, or a selfie for the jacket.
- Sending a tiny web image when print is needed.
- Losing track of who took the photo, then guessing at the credit.
- Refreshing the headshot every year, so no two profiles match.
What done looks like
- One primary headshot and one or two alternates, in both color and black and white.
- High-resolution files (at least 300 dots per inch at print size) plus web-sized versions.
- The photographer credit and a written note of the usage rights, stored with the files.
- The same primary photo on the publisher's page, the retailer profiles, the Goodreads profile, and your own site.
- A file naming convention that includes your name, so a busy editor can find it in a download folder.
Sources and last checked
- Official source
- No single official page for this step.
- Last checked
- September 14, 2026
- How confident we are
- Verified
Rules and deadlines change. We last checked this information on September 14, 2026. If you see something that needs updating, please tell us.