Compare this to the second photo. He’s dressed in dark and fash- ionable clothes and is set against a pleasant background, all of which signal competence and professionalism. He’s also signaling quirkiness and humor: sitting cross-legged, retaining his trademark curly fro, and with a mischievous smile. It reflects who James is, while still signaling that he’s serious and professional and has taste. Same person sending totally different signals and creating totally different emotional reactions in the viewer. HOW TO TAKE YOUR AUTHOR PHOTO STEP 1: DECIDE WHAT SIGNALS YOU WANT TO CONVEY Before you even pick a photographer, you need to decide exactly what it is you want your author photo to signal, and to what audience. If you have already done the positioning in this book, then this should be relatively easy. There are really only two questions to answer: • Who is my audience? • What do I want them to think about me? Once you have a good idea of that, then you are ready to pick out your photographer. STEP 2: PICK A GREAT PHOTOGRAPHER Do not shoot your own author photo. Period. I don’t care how good your Instagram account is, there is no substitute for the skills of a professional photographer. 276 · ThE SCriBE METhOD