naked novelist Archives

It’s true, I was nearly naked in the nineties. At least for this photo session displayed here.

This was the story: I was turning 40 soon, and I thought I should have some pictures taken of myself, because everybody knows what happens when you turn 40.

Suddenly, you’re old, out-of-shape, undesirable, a has-been. Joking, of course, but I’m not immune to our culture’s adoration of youth, even when it was my own.

I knew a photographer and liked his photos, so I booked a session with Jason Wittman. These photos are the result.

Jason likes sepia

Jason really liked printing his film in sepia tones, so that’s why there’s a lot of sepia here. Makes it look like a certain period, yes? I did minimal digital adjusting. These are pretty much what the old-style prints I have look like (I scanned the originals – this was pre-digital).

Kind of a rough look, kind of hinting at low-rent? Sleazy yet inviting, at least that was the intention. I guess you, the viewer, decided if that worked or not.

May do another shoot soon

I’ve been thinking about doing something like this again (naked photo shoot), even though I’m about 27 years older than when these were taken. I guess I’ll call it “Naked in the Twenties” or maybe “Naked in My Sixties.”

I mean, really, why should the kids have all the fun?

Hope you enjoy my “nearly naked in the nineties” photos. (Taken in 1994, I was 39.) All photos (except one as noted) Copyright Jason Wittman, 1994.

Used this for personal ads for a long time.

Always searching, always looking to uncover another (or any) effective way of promoting my novel via social media.

So, I’ve generally neglected YouTube so far, and at my own peril. Well, not any more. I thought, there are tons of shirtless men on YouTube (usually of the younger and hotter variety) and I know they get tons and tons of views. So I got to thinking, what if I read my book, a page a day, on camera, naked (well, you can use your imagination), and posted it to YouTube?

Would it help get awareness for my new book, The Forest Dark? Would it help sales? Is it just juvenile and ridiculous to think people would want to see a 50+ naked guy reading on YouTube? I really don’t know. But I do know this – it’s easy to track. I can find out since the video view counter is there for the world to see.

Even if some people do watch the daily readings, would that translate into people buying the book? Perhaps. Perhaps occasionally. Perhaps never. I don’t know. What I do know is that this is a cheap publicity stunt, emphasis on cheap, in all its myriad definitions.

What do you think? (oh, and my camera angles, delivery and lighting will only get better, I promise. There’s 246 pages to get it right.)