Is it better to have no cover art or AI cover art?

[Hans.Trondheim]

It is better to have @Ed.Spain free cover art.

Just to be clear, I offer free cover artwork to peeps who might direly need it, and if I can make space in my schedule. Besides, lotsa peeps say my artstyle is retro, so I do not offer it to everyone.

 

[Tyranomaster]

Incomplete as in lacking in proper progression?

Incomplete as in you aren't skilled enough as an author to do everything peripherally that an author should do. It shows that you probably don't have a good grasp on being an author, and that could indicate other quality issues in writing.

It's like if you went to a mechanic's shop, and all the windows were broken. Even if the mechanic is skilled and has good reviews, you might decide not to go because it isn't appealing visually. The same rules apply to covers. It's the first thing a user sees, even before they read your title. First impressions are the most important thing.

 

[naosu]

One of the things I've noticed is that there's a big gray area now. Legally you aren't supposed to sell a book with an AI cover... sort of but there's a gray area allowing for if its changed enough? I don't quite understand this myself. What I'm trying to say is there's limitations of how AI book covers are supposed to be used.

BUT when I go to look at books in my genres that I write in, on Amazon. EVERY single one of them HAS AI book covers. Its not that hard to tell. You can look at a book cover and tell many of them are AI worked up. What I mean by this, is I don't think very many people are following the rules.

There is an alternative if you aren't comfortable with AI book covers, you can pull pictures bought from a photo bank website. Some people do this. It used to be like 5 years ago+ a lot of book covers were altered pics bought from photobanks. And the way it would work is you'd pay like 10 to 30 bucks and that would usually let you download 10 to 30 pics per month. Its pretty cheap to do this. You can then hire an artist to alter a pic from a photobank, say add cat ears to it for cheap also say on a site like Fiver. Not a lot of people doing this method of it, but this method is probably safer than AI done stuff. Many of my book covers for my books have been done this way with Fiver alterations from photo bank pic sources.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

BUT when I go to look at books in my genres that I write in, on Amazon. EVERY single one of them HAS AI book covers. Its not that hard to tell. You can look at a book cover and tell many of them are AI worked up. What I mean by this, is I don't think very many people are following the rules.

I think they put their own covers on, even if you submit one. Not sure though.

There is an alternative if you aren't comfortable with AI book covers, you can pull pictures bought from a photo bank website. Some people do this. It used to be like 5 years ago+ a lot of book covers were altered pics bought from photobanks. And the way it would work is you'd pay like 10 to 30 bucks and that would usually let you download 10 to 30 pics per month. Its pretty cheap to do this. You can then hire an artist to alter a pic from a photobank, say add cat ears to it for cheap also say on a site like Fiver. Not a lot of people doing this method of it, but this method is probably safer than AI done stuff. Many of my book covers for my books have been done this way with Fiver alterations from photo bank pic sources.

I almost went this route, using merged images from Pinterest and Google Images searches (plan was to create a "hybrid" of several photos, and then apply a either a "sketch" or "watercolor" filter and then add text and other details) - but then an AI prompt came closer to the character than my own efforts did, and I went with that for Strange Awakening.

 

[Zagaroth]

In my experience, the people who complain about AI covers usually do so because they're pissed that you didn't commission them, specifically, to draw it for you. It's less about artistic integrity or whatever, and more about the money that isn't going into their pockets.

That being said, if your story ever gets to the point where you're actively trying to make money off of it, then you need to hire an artist and get yourself a real cover.

Having just commissioned art from a fairly successful artist; yeah, she had no issues with my having used LLM images and was of the opinion that they could make a good reference point once one does commission art. LLM generated images are not a threat to her.

However, I do prefer being more accurate about terminology. LLMs are not AI, and the images they generate are not really art.

 

[soupsabaw]

I'm completely anti AI. Hate it. I always vote no AI, but I'm one person and can't stop the way it's growing. All I can do is say that I think you should either commission an artist or create your own using canva. They have a ton of free element options you can throw together and use to make something presentable enough for a cover

 

[VertisGuguChalimoth]

I'm completely anti AI. Hate it. I always vote no AI, but I'm one person and can't stop the way it's growing. All I can do is say that I think you should either commission an artist or create your own using canva. They have a ton of free element options you can throw together and use to make something presentable enough for a cover

I'll try using this Canva thing you speak of.

 

[tiaf]

I believe that anyone can make an awesome shitty stickmen cover that screams shitpost but depicts the plot nonetheless. But this is my very own eccentric opinion and bias.

AI cover has pretty much become your standard stand-in placeholder and my great fishiness hates AI to the bone. Can't lie that I have not felt 2 point negativity to any story with AI cover. A TL site has changed covers to AI for the stories they host. Normally I'd 100% read them, but the AI cover was such a bummer that I didn't in the end. I'd read the slower tl by another group though with the normal original cover.

I get you want a nice cover, but a simple only title cover is classic and gives a more sophisticated impression.

 

[VertisGuguChalimoth]

I believe that anyone can make an awesome shitty stickmen cover that screams shitpost but depicts the plot nonetheless. But this is my very own eccentric opinion and bias.

AI cover has pretty much become your standard stand-in placeholder and my great fishiness hates AI to the bone. Can't lie that I have not felt 2 point negativity to any story with AI cover. A TL site has changed covers to AI for the stories they host. Normally I'd 100% read them, but the AI cover was such a bummer that I didn't in the end. I'd read the slower tl by another group though with the normal original cover.

I get you want a nice cover, but a simple only title cover is classic and gives a more sophisticated impression.

Yeah, I thought about that, then I did it. But now the cover just looks dull so I am having second thoughts about continuing to use that.

 

[SarahsBuzzard]

I have an AI cover but will pay somebody down the road when I take off my writers cap and put on my "OK it's time to consider monetizing this now" cap. At which point, it will be used as a proof-of-concept for a real artist on Fiverr or something of that nature. Did that with a mystery story.

 

[StoneInky]

Guys, guys... I present the best, Gigachad option:

Draw it yourself.

 

[davimai]

I have no problem with AI covers. I can't afford to pay for someone to create a cover sometimes, because writing is just a hobby. (and I'd never sell enough copies to get the money back. lol).

 

[Edenc2708]

one stupid dumb question, for example:
I comissioned artist to do my cover, then in the backstage that guy use AI to generate my cover (which I don't know and i can't differntiate is it ai generated or no) now I make that cover as my novel cover, i still judged using AI as my cover?

(just friendly question, no hate intended)

 

[beast_regards]

You are expected to have a cover.

The audience expects a certain degree of ... professional ... from the amateur writers, which includes, but isn't limited to, procuring a cover for your novel.

Where would you get such a cover is the entirely different matter...

If there wasn't the "AI" you would simply download the pictures you like from the Internet and call it a day (something the artists often forget), but you wouldn't leave your story without the cover if the site allows one to be uploaded.

Of course, there are sites which don't allow for covers, such as AO3, but that's because they realize that the covers create another layer of IP infringement for them to worry about.

 

[kagayaki-hime]

I make art with my own hands, and I would much rather see a badly made book cover than an AI book cover. Do you know how much water it takes to cool down the AI generators after just using it to make ONE image?!

By the way, if you learn basic principles of design, typography, and color theory, you can make a great book cover with just text on a plain colored background. Clip Studio Paint has some backgrounds that can be used for free or a small price. And it has some brushes and gradients if you want to make your own simple art.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I make art with my own hands, and I would much rather see a badly made book cover than an AI book cover. Do you know how much water it takes to cool down the AI generators after just using it to make ONE image?!

More than most computers but far less than a liquid-cooled Cray supercomputer (and, I've seen some personal rigs designed for ultra-high end gaming that use water cooling systems that are far in excess of what AI requires).

By the way, if you learn basic principles of design, typography, and color theory, you can make a great book cover with just text on a plain colored background. Clip Studio Paint has some backgrounds that can be used for free or a small price. And it has some brushes and gradients if you want to make your own simple art.

Well, yes but that might not stand out enough in a crowded marketplace (and sometimes you don't have an option, like if you post stories to PocketFM; I got lucky with their first one that it was CLOSE; the second one, I had to give them a detailed description and it wound up more of a "near miss")

 

[Kalliel]

Learning how to draw and design a crappy but personal and presentable cover is definitely easier than finding the right prompts to make a good AI image, trust me.