How much do profile pictures matter?

How important do you guys think it is for a profile picture on social networking sites to be professional-looking and smiley?

I've read advice that your picture should be a close-up of you with a duchenne smile (a genuine smile-- broad with squinting eyes). And that it should be a professional quality photo and one that people look at and think "author."

If you go to an author's profile and see a picture that is more serious looking or more artistic, does it impact you wanting to buy their book(s)?

Here are some examples of what I mean by "artistic" portraits:
http://nataliaciobanu.deviantart.com/art/artistic-portrait-180235316
http://www.liveitoutphotography.com...artistic_photojournalistic_vsco_film_0051.jpg

I understand some of that is genre-specific (a children's book author with an artistic photo might not work as it would for the author of a memoir), but I'm just not sure I want the typical commercial looking picture. I used to work as a photographer, so getting a professional photo isn't the issue. I can do that on my own for free.

Maybe too it matters if I'm taking about Linked In for Facebook, as Linked In is a business networking site. I do think it would be a good idea to have a more professional looking photo on that site, but maybe another picture on another site? Specifically, I'm wondering about my profile picture on Goodreads. Not sure what to do for it.

Have any of you noticed a difference in sales if you switched photos? Or maybe you just have a good vs. bad response to certain profile photos of others?

Thanks all!

Good call, Southpaw, on looking at author's I like to see what they've done. I will do that!

Maybe profile pictures are just something that stand out more to me because of my photography background.

NicaCurt said:

Hey, me too. Photography is a part of my life, although I've been neglecting it for the last couple of months. The photo I use on my social networking site (twitter, fb, g+, tumblr, and forums) is the one I have as my avatar. I'm in the Urban Fantasy genre, I'm tempted to do a little artsy. But for my Amazon page, I might choose to do a self-portrait that is "industry standard"... Don't really want to do that though.

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Oh hey, thanks for sharing that! I like your profile picture, and I think it definitely works in your genre. I love black and white pictures too, but for a fantasy genre, I think color is best (like what you've got). Nice mask!