Beauty matters. It sucks that it matters but it does. That’s the unfortunate reality.
The results of the study, which used an algorithm on facial beauty analysis site Anaface.com to rate the attractiveness of 677 CEOs, confirmed that better-looking CEOs make more money (sometimes called a “beauty premium”). It also found that stock market returns were higher on M&A announcement dates for companies whose CEO ranked high on the Facial Attractiveness Index.”
One would think that beauty wouldn’t matter in Romanceland. Sales should be all about the stories, about the yummy heroes and the intriguing heroines, right?
Yeah, no. If appearances didn’t matter, writers wouldn’t be asked for their photos… ALL the time. Our photos wouldn’t appear next to our online bios, in the back of print books, in the media kits.
And how we look in these photos makes a difference to our careers. The average reader is more likely to buy from an attractive writer. The media is more likely to feature or interview attractive writers.
There are a number of reasons why you won’t find my photo anywhere online. The main reason is that my dear wonderful supportive mom-in-law is very religious and would be embarrassed if one of her church-going friends knew what I was writing. I don’t ever want to hurt this terrific woman. I love her to bits.
But another reason is… I’m beauty impaired. The plain Jane heroine whom only the hero finds attractive? That’s me. Ironically my super awesome hubby IS handsome and he DOES think I’m beautiful, even twenty years and twice my original weight later. (Oh, and we fell in love at first sight – yes, I base my romance stories on real life).
I had to work ten times as hard in business to overcome this lack of beauty issue (because in business, beauty also matters). When I followed my dream into writing, I thought this wouldn’t be an issue. I was naïve. It IS an issue.
I use cover art for my bio photo. I prefer to look at Henley’s handsome face than mine. Some media won’t accept that, won’t cover the story unless I supply my real photo. I miss out on these promotional avenues. Some of my beauty impaired buddies (big hugs) use avatars, logos, and other clever images. They also miss out on opportunities.
I’m as guilty as the next person about judging writers based on their appearances. I’d rather not see who is writing the erotic romances I enjoy reading. I love my fellow writers but I don’t want to picture their faces while the hero is boinking the living daylights out of the heroine. SO not sexy. (grins)
And I don’t begrudge my beautiful writing buddies their successes. (big hugs) I merely wish their successes were due 100% to their wonderful stories. I wish we all stopped judging each other on our appearances. (And since we’re talking about fantasies, I also wish eating Nutella qualified as a form of exercise)
Have you been judged on your appearance? Does a writer’s appearance make a difference to you?
Henley, the head of cyber security at Blaine Technologies, is a man no one crosses. He watches employees constantly using his network of cameras and enforces his rules by any means possible. Rumors of his violent past, his scarred hands and huge size have resulted in him being feared by everyone… almost everyone.
Katalina, the new intern, worries about the revelation of her most painful secret much more than she fears her sexy boss’s wrath. She sees the loneliness in his dark eyes, feels the gentleness in his marred fingers, tastes the need in his kisses, and she knows he watches her. His silly rules about not stripping for the cameras and no sex at the office are destined to be broken.
Kat likes to be watched. Henley can’t look away. Will this beauty be able to tame her beastly boss?
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Flashes-Me-Novella-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00F2I2GXO
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-flashesofme-1411711-149.html
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flashes-of-me-cynthia-sax/1117322925
I’ve gotta tell you, with e-books as me books if preference, I could care less about what the author looks like. Mostly because there usually isn’t a picture, just the bio. When I read hard cover & paperbacks I generally read about the author….still don’t care if there’s an picture. However, when reading a book, talking on the phone or online it’s human nature to visualize what the person looks like and when presented with a picture the result is usually “huh! I thought she was tall with blind hair.” Totally cannot imagine seeing an author’s picture & thinking “holy crap! She looks like THAT???” If there is a much publicized face attached to a company I imagine that people being human would think “wow he/she looks really smart & savy….wonder what their stock is” . With authors, I’ve always looked at the stories being the selling point, not the author. To me, the author is the tool the story uses to come into being, so it really doesn’t matter what the author looks like so much as the hero/heroine on the cover.
The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. I’m 6’0″ and modeled for Ford for 4 years but I’m damn smart, I have Masters degree from Brown and I get treated like the office bimbo (think Dolly Pardon in 9 to 5). The men make snarky comments, stare at my ass and probably couldn’t tell you the color of my eyes if their life depended on it. And the women are really no better, I’ve obviously had sex with every male in the office. It’s sad that anybody in today’s society is judged by their appearance, maybe some day that will change.