Does Avatar influence sale of your books?

[*DrDln* (dr.s.dhillon)]

I was wondering if avatar like a book cover have any impact on sale of books. It does appear to attract attention.

I also wonder, what is the best avatar--book cover, your picture or something else.

Another question: How often you change the avatar or keep the same. I have kept almost the same.

Any input and your personal experience will be appreciated. Thanks and wish you all the best.

[Bards and Sages (Julie)]

May the gods save me from getting to the point where I micromanage my interpersonal relationships to the point that I weigh the market value of my avatar.  I'd like to have one thing that is just a reflection of my personality and not a carefully crafted attempt to sell books...

[Chrystalla]

What Julie says... I don't hang around here to sell but to learn and discuss.

[altworld]

If you are that worried about your Avatar reflecting and influencing sales of your book, just post an Author picture of yourself at least that way you can cover all your bases. Really though influence of an Avatar graphic is negligible compared to the influence of seeing that the Poster is a human being and not a spambot.
Arigato,
Nick Davis

[Millard]

If I see an interesting looking cover in a sig, I'll click on it, but avatar? No.

[Guardian]

Cover avatars are simple tools of marketing, so of course they influence the sales of your books, otherwise no one would use them. However it has a general purpose; to identify the author with the newest brand or product.

[jljarvis]

If you are that worried about your Avatar reflecting and influencing sales of your book, just post an Author picture of yourself at least that way you can cover all your bases. Really though influence of an Avatar graphic is negligible compared to the influence of seeing that the Poster is a human being and not a spambot.

Right now it's just a crazy dream, but I hope that one day my writing, alone, will distinguish me from a spambot. 

[Millard]

Coincidentally, I've just changed my avatar. Let's see if Klaus Kinski was a deciding factor after all.

*drums fingers on the desk, waits*

[Terrence OBrien]

"I was wondering if avatar like a book cover have any impact on sale of books."

I'm not sure how much it can help, but I think we can all dream up avatars that would depress sales.

[Krista D. Ball]

Mine affects the number of internet fights I get into, which can influence sales 

[Monique]

I'm in the "I don't think they help sales too much, but they can hurt them" camp.

[KayBratt]

I think our avatars are an opportunity to show a spark of who we are other than our books. I know I always like to see who I am talking to if I go into a back and forth conversation. Sometimes I'll even go to that person's Amazon Author page. Nosy? Maybe. But I prefer to think of myself as a people person--someone who would like to look past the computer screen for a snippet of who I am communicating with. I even like it when an author lists a bit about their life, their hobbies, animals, etc. And it's not just WC authors I am curious about, it's authors in general.

Krista, your avatar fits the personality you present here just perfect.  But I did go to your Amazon page to see what you look like weeks ago.

*is that stalking?*

[SentientSurfer]

My avatar image never uploaded correctly and remains an error box.

I think it makes me very mysterious. What could it be? 

[R M Rowan]

Krista, your avatar fits the personality you present here just perfect.  But I did go to your Amazon page to see what you look like weeks ago.

And she has such a sweet, innocent face!     One of the mysteries of nature, I guess! 

[Krista D. Ball]

Krista, your avatar fits the personality you present here just perfect.  But I did go to your Amazon page to see what you look like weeks ago.

*is that stalking?*

I used to have a photo on my website of a cat on mu bio page. It would annoy bloggers because they'd want to put a photo up of me and I'd make them use the cat. But, I made the mistake of the photo on Amazon and that photo is used everywhere. It's time to get a new one.  

[Betsy the Quilter]

SentientSurfer--

The system might be having trouble with sizing your avatar?  Max size is 140 wide x 160 tall.  It will resize files but if the initial image is too large, it will shrug and give up.    I always crop/resize mine in a graphics program and then upload.

As for the topic... As a reader, I look to the signature to learn about an author's books, and the avatar to learn about the author.   And if I find the author interesting, I'm more likely to buy his or her books.

Betsy

[LisaGraceBooks]

On some sites I use a cover, on others like this one, I use me. On this site, the one showing my long hair (down to my butt) I don't think would load. Sometimes pixel requirements decide (for me) which one is getting uploaded. Writing YA supernaturals, I think when I go to teen events, the long hair puts me less in the mom category, and more in the YA author one.

[R M Rowan]

On some sites I use a cover, on others like this one, I use me. On this site, the one showing my long hair (down to my butt) I don't think would load. Sometimes pixel requirements decide (for me) which one is getting uploaded. Writing YA supernaturals, I think when I go to teen events, the long hair puts me less in the mom category, and more in the YA author one.

Hmm.  I was thinking of getting my hair cut, Lisa, (it's 5 inches beyond my waist) but now you've got me thinking.  My husband wants me to keep it long anyway,    so maybe I'll indulge him a little longer.  Not too long, though, as it's getting on my nerves. 

[CoraBuhlert]

Coincidentally, I've just changed my avatar. Let's see if Klaus Kinski was a deciding factor after all.

*drums fingers on the desk, waits*

And I thought you actually were Klaus Kinski's ghost writing under a pen name. 

[SentientSurfer]

Snip

But...my....mystique...

[Lisa Scott]

I'm in the "I don't think they help sales too much, but they can hurt them" camp.

I agree, Monique.  Something inappropriate or offensive would be a turn off for me.

[LisaGraceBooks]

Hmm.  I was thinking of getting my hair cut, Lisa, (it's 5 inches beyond my waist) but now you've got me thinking.  My husband wants me to keep it long anyway,    so maybe I'll indulge him a little longer.  Not too long, though, as it's getting on my nerves. 

Lol, I can sympathize. It has been a great marketing tool and instantly sets me apart. The last writer's conference I went to, I felt like a star. Everyone knew who I was because my hair makes me stand out in a crowd.

Also, I think it lends an air of a modern Morticia to me. I plan on getting together some v-log author interviews up on the web. Just haven't had time. For me, it's part of my brand.

[Millard]

And I thought you actually were Klaus Kinski's ghost writing under a pen name. 

I deny nichts nothing.

[George Berger]

Since switching from the kitten photo I used here previously to my current avatar, I've not noticed any measurable effect on sales either way, leading me to believe that the vast majority of people simply don't care.

[DevonMark]

I'm in the "I don't think they help sales too much, but they can hurt them" camp.

In your case, Monique, it can only help, however, when I removed my author picture from Amazon I saw sales increase. It was probably only the result of a coincidence, but my wife refuses to allow me to put it back again!