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Digitally Altering Your Author Photo: How Far Should You Go?

October 25, 2016 by Steve Bennett Leave a Comment

The Camera Doesn’t Lie—But Photoshop Can

Some aspects of creating an author website are like doing a fandango in a minefield, and few elements are as touchy as the official author photo. All authors want to look their best, and they should. The website is likely to be their first point of contact with the outside world. The photo, along with the overall tone of the site, says a lot about the author’s brand. But “looking your best” is a tricky, subjective concept and can create diplomatic challenges for the web designer.

How Can You Safely Use Photos You Find on the Net?

September 5, 2016 by Steve Bennett Leave a Comment

Why Photo Copyright is a Major Concern

When it comes to author website design, copyright issues are a major concern. This is particularly true when it comes to choosing photos; clients often ask if it’s fair game to snag a photo from the Internet and use it on their website or blog. I’m not an intellectual property lawyer, but I can tell you with 100 percent confidence that if you violate someone’s copyright and you’re caught, there may be consequences. Penalties can range from a takedown notice to a lawsuit seeking damages.

How to Communicate Clearly with Your Author Website Team

July 12, 2016 by Steve Bennett Leave a Comment

A very successful businessperson I met years ago told me, “Clarity is the bane of management consulting.” He should know, as he was a super successful management consultant himself.

Well, that may be true for his line of work, but the polar opposite holds true when it comes to dealing with your web team—clarity is the Holy Grail. While there are lots of things that author website design companies and clients can do to drive each other nuts (and we, at AuthorBytes, are certainly guilty of a number of them), lack of clarity is the root of many of the thornier problems.