So Glynn was reading "Come In Alone", a non-fiction collection by Warren Ellis, and...let me stop right here. Isn't Come In Alone just a great title? I can absolutely see those words on a terrific Ramsey Campbell horror novel.
But I digress.
So Glynn was turning pages in the middle of one of the collection's essays when he told me, "The website needs an author photo." Because somewhere in this book about the comic industry, Ellis apparently talked about how writing professionals need "branding" if they want to be remembered. According to Mr. Ellis (according to Glynn), Neil Gaiman made an effort to brand himself and look how it worked out for him.
Because of this, my guy argued that, if people saw my face, they'd remember me -- and "Anne Glynn" -- and our stuff would be this much closer to being branded. But what I thought was, where's Warren Ellis' author photo? It's not on the book that Glynn is holding.
Before I could press forward with my argument, he told me that he first picked up a Patricia Cornwell "Scarpetta" novel when he noticed the writer's pic on the book's back cover. He bought the thing. Bought another one, too, even if he never quite became a rabid fan. He said he probably wouldn't have even flipped through the pages if the photo hadn't attracted him.
*sigh*
I had so many points I wanted to mention to him. To begin with, Patricia Cornwell (in the picture on the upper left, but you knew that) is unreasonably attractive as a person. I wasn't delighted to learn that Glynn thought, Hey, P.C. is good-looking, maybe she can write. Really, Glynn?
Secondly, Ms. Cornwell appears to be clearly more comfortable in front of a camera than I am. Thirdly, she dresses like a woman who knows fashion. If you're male, you might think all women know fashion but not so. This morning, I dressed in jeans and a Mister Rogers' t-shirt. On the t-shirt, it shows the image of a smiling Fred Rogers over the words, You Are Special.
And, the thing is, I put this on intentionally. This was my clothing of choice today when I went out for pancakes. Patricia Cornwell is so stylish, I doubt she'd let her housekeeper go out in my regular wear. All of which I shared with Glynn, once we agreed that his two Scarpetta novels were going to the donation box at the local Goodwill.
But then he looked all sad-eyed that we didn't have an author photo for this website. So, with another *sigh*, I changed outfits and we went into the backyard for a photo session. (Which brings up, do you believe P. C. would have posed for her back-of-the-book photo if her cameraman had to rely on a $149 Canon Powershot? I don't think so, either.) The photo session took a couple of hours and, in every picture, my smile is kind of...frozen, like I can't wait to stop having my picture taken. Which was not untrue so good job, Canon Powershot.
Glynn was kind of committed to the idea now, so he chose the least awful of the terrible photos and I stuck it on this blog. I was willing to brand "Anne Glynn" as a writer who hates having her author picture taken -- but, a few days later, I pulled up a not- really-great, kind of fuzzy, cell shot from when we went to the rodeo in Prescott and put it on the website, instead. I felt it was a little more true to who I am and, I'm certain, Fred Rogers would have approved the switch.
Glynn noticed the change immediately. He didn't say a word.
But I digress.
So Glynn was turning pages in the middle of one of the collection's essays when he told me, "The website needs an author photo." Because somewhere in this book about the comic industry, Ellis apparently talked about how writing professionals need "branding" if they want to be remembered. According to Mr. Ellis (according to Glynn), Neil Gaiman made an effort to brand himself and look how it worked out for him.
Because of this, my guy argued that, if people saw my face, they'd remember me -- and "Anne Glynn" -- and our stuff would be this much closer to being branded. But what I thought was, where's Warren Ellis' author photo? It's not on the book that Glynn is holding.
Before I could press forward with my argument, he told me that he first picked up a Patricia Cornwell "Scarpetta" novel when he noticed the writer's pic on the book's back cover. He bought the thing. Bought another one, too, even if he never quite became a rabid fan. He said he probably wouldn't have even flipped through the pages if the photo hadn't attracted him.
*sigh*
I had so many points I wanted to mention to him. To begin with, Patricia Cornwell (in the picture on the upper left, but you knew that) is unreasonably attractive as a person. I wasn't delighted to learn that Glynn thought, Hey, P.C. is good-looking, maybe she can write. Really, Glynn?
Secondly, Ms. Cornwell appears to be clearly more comfortable in front of a camera than I am. Thirdly, she dresses like a woman who knows fashion. If you're male, you might think all women know fashion but not so. This morning, I dressed in jeans and a Mister Rogers' t-shirt. On the t-shirt, it shows the image of a smiling Fred Rogers over the words, You Are Special.
And, the thing is, I put this on intentionally. This was my clothing of choice today when I went out for pancakes. Patricia Cornwell is so stylish, I doubt she'd let her housekeeper go out in my regular wear. All of which I shared with Glynn, once we agreed that his two Scarpetta novels were going to the donation box at the local Goodwill.
But then he looked all sad-eyed that we didn't have an author photo for this website. So, with another *sigh*, I changed outfits and we went into the backyard for a photo session. (Which brings up, do you believe P. C. would have posed for her back-of-the-book photo if her cameraman had to rely on a $149 Canon Powershot? I don't think so, either.) The photo session took a couple of hours and, in every picture, my smile is kind of...frozen, like I can't wait to stop having my picture taken. Which was not untrue so good job, Canon Powershot.
Glynn was kind of committed to the idea now, so he chose the least awful of the terrible photos and I stuck it on this blog. I was willing to brand "Anne Glynn" as a writer who hates having her author picture taken -- but, a few days later, I pulled up a not- really-great, kind of fuzzy, cell shot from when we went to the rodeo in Prescott and put it on the website, instead. I felt it was a little more true to who I am and, I'm certain, Fred Rogers would have approved the switch.
Glynn noticed the change immediately. He didn't say a word.
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