Instant Photos

Author Headshots
for the Back Flap and Beyond

The manuscript is done. Now the publisher wants an author photo by Friday, and 'a nice one, please, high-res'. Free preview, no account needed.

Create My Author Photo
Professional author headshot of a woman in a blazer
Writing desk selfie of a female novelist before headshot generation
The selfie
Jacket-ready
Professional book jacket photo of a man in a casual shirt
Cafe selfie of a male writer before headshot generation
The selfie
Jacket-ready

You Wrote 90,000 Words. The Photo Shouldn't Be the Hard Part.

Every author hits this moment: the book is finished, the marketing questionnaire arrives, and item four is "author photo (high resolution)". Writers famously respond with a cropped holiday picture or a decade-old portrait from a previous life. The photo then follows the book everywhere — jacket, Amazon, Goodreads, festival programs, press.

A portrait photographer solves it for $150–$400 if you can get a slot before your deadline. Or you upload one selfie, pick a tone that matches your genre, and have a print-ready file before your tea is cold.

What a Working Author Photo Needs

The jacket designer, your publicist, and your readers each need one thing:

High resolution — jacket printing is unforgiving of soft, small files
A tone that matches your genre, from warm to wry to severe
A clean background that won't fight the jacket design
A face readers will recognize at your first signing
Recent — the photo should be of you, not of you fifteen years ago

How It Works

Step 1:

Upload a selfie

Step 2:

Our AI goes to work

Step 3:

Download ready in seconds

Author Photo FAQ

Is the photo high-resolution enough for a printed book jacket?

Yes. The full-resolution download meets print requirements for jacket flaps and back covers. Publishers typically ask for the largest file you have — send them this one.

What should an author wear in their photo?

Match the shelf you're aiming for. Thrillers and literary fiction lean serious — a blazer or dark casual shirt. Romance, self-help, and cozy genres want warmth — casual shirt, real smile. Business books expect the suit. All of these are presets; pick the one your readers expect.

Smile or brooding literary stare?

Browse the bestseller table in your genre and copy what you see. Generally: warm smile for commercial fiction and nonfiction, composed and thoughtful for literary work. The expression presets cover both, and the preview is free, so try each.

Where will I need this photo besides the jacket?

Amazon Author Central, Goodreads, your publisher's catalog, festival and event programs, podcast bookings, press coverage, and your newsletter. One good photo serves all of them — and consistency helps readers recognize you.

What does it cost?

The preview is free. The full-resolution photo is $5 — roughly the royalty on two paperbacks, instead of the $150–$400 a portrait session costs.

Doing podcasts and panels for the launch? See speaker headshots. Need a square crop for Goodreads? The free crop tool has a 1:1 preset.

Answer the Publisher Today

One selfie, a free preview, $5 for the high-res file. Item four: done.

Get My Free Preview