speaking simply as a reader, i don't care what an author looks like. the authors i like look like the kinds of people who should be writing sword&sorcery and zombie novels lol. i'm a nerd so its ok if they are too
.the one thing that is guaranteed to turn me away from an indie novel is a goofy pen name. it doesn't happen very often but when it does its a doozy. your ww2 alternate history tale about zombies vs robo-nazis might be a great read but if its published under the name Satan Demonseed or Rain Mourningdove i'll never know because that screams 'bored teenager' or 'talentless goth whose only writing experience is in their journal' to me.
cover art is important too. i'd rather they use a theme appropriate public domain image than hand their kid paper&magic markers or let their dog try their paw at photoshop. i shouldn't feel embarrassed for the author but it does happen quite regularly. that space ship might have looked sweet in a pc game from 1991 but its 2012 and you're trying to be thought of as a serious author.