I was reading today’s YA newsletter from Book Riot, which contains an article with a selection of YA titles from 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 years ago–and it was interesting to see that some of the YA books and authors I most closely related to some 25-30 years ago were actually ones published closer to when I was born, as well as the ones published while I was a tween/teen reader. It’s worth taking a look at the article to see which ones you remember!
Then, that inspired me to check out THIS very blog to see what was happening 10 years ago today. Lo and behold, I posted something 10 years ago today, and it was called Obsessions, Links, and News Bits. I used to post a lot more random thoughts and “in case you missed it” links to articles and other blogs. That was before the blogosphere became akin to a rapidly expanding universe spinning endlessly off into infinity. Anyway, in that post I wrote this little tidbit–ah, the memories:
I realized that my personal book-related obsession these days is author photos and jacket bios. One of my favorite author photos is one of Carol Plum-Ucci’s, which looks sort of like this only she’s lounging on some stairs with a cup of coffee looking like a cranky writer up too early. I actually get sort of annoyed when there isn’t an author photo or at least an informative bio. In my head I plan out what sort of author photo I’d want to have, and what I’d write in my bio; I debate whether I will keep with my current plan of having a byline of S.J. Stevenson instead of my full name, and how much information to release to my reading public. Of course, this is contingent on having something book-length actually published. I’m still working on that…
Well, A) I actually found the author photo in question on Amazon, right here, so you can see what I was referring to, and B) heh, now that I actually HAVE an author photo and bio I’m already thinking ahead to a new one…and C) clearly I did NOT keep with my plan of being S.J. Stevenson–so much for plans! But it was almost exactly 4 years later that my first book came out, so I guess I could be thinking about positive January-related associations like that instead of…yeah.
oh my god, that author photo — I loved this post!
Thanks for coming by! I feel like I need to elaborately stage my next author photo somehow…with props, of course. 😀
@Sarah Stevenson: My fave author photos are the ones in the library's large print section – the woman in question is Jayne Castle or something – she has a few pseudonyms – and they're hilariously 80's. I love to look at the shoulder pads and hair as time goes on. (And she writes the same book most of the time – gloriously the same plot, just new characters. VERY old skool alpha romance.)
I have avoided having an author picture all this time, but I think that, especially now when people are actively looking for authors of color, it might be time? *wince*
Or, maybe they'll just have to take my word for it?
Eek.
At least when and if the time comes, you have a highly accomplished in-house photographer. 😀