I was sad to hear about the death of Donde West, rap artist Kanye West’s mother. It reminded me of the author Olivia Goldsmith who died in a similar situation. Plastic surgery has risks and though some may snicker or sneer (cruelly so) cosmetic surgery is big business.

Do looks matter to writers? Yes.

I recently attended a workshop with other small publishers. Okay let me be honest, most were self-publishers eager to learn how to sell books by the truckload, incidentally that was also the name of the workshop. There were fantastic speakers, but they weren’t the only people to grab my attention. As one who crosses the world between author and publisher I saw a key difference between those traditionally published and those out on their own.

A physical difference. With the self-publishers most had come into this arena from real estate, insurance, or sales in cosmetics, office furniture, etc…. They looked good. They dressed well, ate well and presented themselves well. Ever wonder why realtors always put their pictures on their business cards or in their ads? Because they know that how they look matters.

I don’t see this when I attend writer’s conferences. I won’t name any in particular, but let’s just say that jeans and sweaters rule the day. While business casual is fine, looking like you just came in from working out in the garden isn’t.

So what am I saying? When you’re presenting yourself as an author, looks matter. You don’t have to be gorgeous, but you do have to look professional. This is one of the golden rules for Mary Kay cosmetologists and it works.

As an author you need to remember that you’re representing your brand. This doesn’t mean you have to go to the post office dressed in pearls or an Italian suit, but it does mean that you want to keep your nails clean, your shoes polished and your smile on the ready.

Do you need surgery for that? No, thank goodness you can do that for free.