Book Cover Headshot Guide: Author Photos That Work in Print and Digital

Your book cover headshot may be the most widely seen professional photo you'll ever have taken. Here's how to ensure it works beautifully in print, digital, and all the contexts your book will appear in.

The Book Cover Headshot's Unique Requirements

A book jacket author photo has specific requirements that differ from LinkedIn or corporate headshots. It needs to reproduce beautifully in high-quality offset print (on book jackets and covers), look compelling in small sizes on Amazon and Goodreads, work in both color and black and white, and express your personality and voice as an author without overwhelming the book's design.

Your author professional headshot for a book cover will be seen by potentially millions of readers — some will buy the book based in part on the impression it creates. This is not a moment to economize on photography quality.

Working with Your Publisher's Design Team

Most publishers have an art director or designer who will be placing your headshot within the overall book jacket design. Communicate with them before your photo session about: the space reserved for the author photo (back jacket, inside back cover, or full inside back page); whether they prefer a tight headshot crop or wider frame; background color preferences that will complement the book's design; and any specific technical file format or color profile requirements.

Some publishers send authors a design brief for their author photo. If yours does, share it with your photographer before the session.

Style Guidance for Book Cover Author Photos

Background: For book jacket use, a simple, clean background (white, light grey, or soft neutral) gives your publisher's designer maximum flexibility to integrate your photo into their design. High-contrast or busy backgrounds can clash with cover artwork. If you have an environmental preference, discuss it with your publisher first.

Expression: Your expression should be consistent with your book's tone and your authorial voice. A memoirist might choose a more open, vulnerable expression. A thriller writer might prefer something more intense. A business author might project confidence and authority. The photo should feel like a natural extension of reading your book.

Attire: Dress consistently with your authorial persona. Literary fiction authors often favor timeless, distinctive attire that communicates intellectual personality. Nonfiction authors typically lean more professional. Children's book authors should appear warm and approachable.

Technical Requirements for Book Cover Headshots

• Minimum 300 DPI at 5 × 7 inches for print
• Uncompressed or minimally compressed TIFF or large-format JPG
• Shot in RAW by your photographer and delivered in the publisher's required color profile
• Ask your photographer to retain the raw files for potential publisher requests

Find a professional photographer experienced in author portrait work through ProShoot.io in major publishing markets: New York, Chicago, Boston. See our author headshot cost guide and post your job free on ProShoot.io.