Amazing Covers and How The Daggarbincles to Get One

[AuntieMaysLittleCousin]

Seriously. I use the Royal Road platform. And let me tell you this: while RR is more... eh... 'Professional', in a certain way (AKA all manganime worshipers go here to start their new stories, I'm probably the only fool who went there first) there is something I've noticed Scribble Hub has the lead by one well of a big difference.

That is, badass covers.

Let me be honest. Most of the views a story gets are thanks to the cover (that's basically half of the advertising) and, to me, most covers in this site are good enough to be used in selling actual books with them. Of course, most of them don't have any text, but who the shnuckles cares about that when you've got a cover cool enough to say "Ah snuck this shoot, I'm reading this"? Granted, this is also a con since half of said stories end up being either shuckily written, too jap to fit in an English writing site, or simply have a plot that... well... sucks.

But. But!!!

I'm still dazed at this enormous amount of quality covers! I mean, seriously man! Where the heck did you get those? Even those who started just now have one already! Even those whose story is (and I'm taking a risk to say this) crappy!
So just tell me already. What is your secret?!

Totally not using telepathic waves to make you more susceptible to answer me

--Lil Cousin​

 

[SailusGebel]

I asked a friend who is good at Photoshop.

 

[StrongArm]

shamelessly stealing images from the internet and slapping a title on them, thats how

 

[Saileri]

Not to offend anyone who doesn't count into this, but SH doesn't chase after unauthorized use of images and artwork like RR does. Therefore, quite a lot of the nice covers are borrowed from Uncle Google or the rest of the more artistic family. Not all of them, naturally.

 

[Paul_Tromba]

I pay someone or I use stock images or free use images, Photoshop it, add a title, and extra flair if needed. @Hans.Trondheim and @BenJepheneT on the other hand, just draws their own.

 

[AuntieMaysLittleCousin]

I pay someone or I use stock images or free use images, Photoshop it, add a title, and extra flair if needed. @Hans.Trondheim and @BenJepheneT on the other hand, just draws their own.

I see... well, I'll dogeza will all my might just ask for a tiny favor and if they refuse I can always curl up and cry in a corner move on like the adult I am not

 

[KrisVFX]

Since i am broke, I learned how to draw and made them myself.

 

[Deleted member 54065]

I pay someone or I use stock images or free use images, Photoshop it, add a title, and extra flair if needed. @Hans.Trondheim and @BenJepheneT on the other hand, just draws their own.

I sometimes give free covers. @BenJepheneT is my witness.

Edit: I'm going through some shitty moment right now though, so the will to draw is kinda down.

In any case, here's my WIP at the moment.

Here's a sample of my style. This is from my novel's new series of cover arts.

 

[AuntieMaysLittleCousin]

I sometimes give free covers. @BenJepheneT is my witness.

Edit: I'm going through some shitty moment right now though, so the will to draw is kinda down.

In any case, here's my WIP at the moment.

View attachment 16130

View attachment 16131
Here's a sample of my style. This is from my novel's new series of cover arts.

Well, that's a bit different of the style I normally have on my mind... But beggars can't be choosers, especially if the quality is so good.
That said, mind if I trouble you with one free cover request?

 

[Deleted member 54065]

Well, that's a bit different of the style I normally have on my mind... But beggars can't be choosers, especially if the quality is so good.
That said, mind if I trouble you with one free cover request?

Just drop it on my PM if you find my style good. Got to warn you that my style is a bit on the retro side, though.

Though, you can find other artists that align with your style if you find my art off, really.

 

[BenJepheneT]

I pay someone or I use stock images or free use images, Photoshop it, add a title, and extra flair if needed. @Hans.Trondheim and @BenJepheneT on the other hand, just draws their own.

I only do sketches of 'em and crop them according to the site's cover resolution. Most of what I do are more like posters than actual covers, if I'm being honest. I deal with black and white but do occasionally use colours as highlights.

But I have done traditional covers before, with titles and authors.

They're far from @Hans.Trondheim's level but hey, I've done a few covers for some lads and they're pretty satisfied with what they got.

I sometimes give free covers. @BenJepheneT is my witness.

I can testify. He redid an old cover from mine some years ago.

 

[Cipiteca396]

You can try AI generated stuff like Midjourney or Nightcafe. That was where my second cover came from. The first was a lazy thing I drew as a temporary cover, but never managed to work up the will to replace.

Otherwise, learn to draw or pay someone else who's got the will to live.

 

[tiaf]

I just gotta ask, what do you define as amazing cover?

 

[AuntieMaysLittleCousin]

I just gotta ask, what do you define as amazing cover?

Covers that look amazing enough to be used professionally

 

[tiaf]

Covers that look amazing enough to be used professionally

That's a very broad definition. So as long as it has boobs

Joke aside, the best covers I have seen were either selfmade or commissioned. AI is a good alternative, but I'm hella creeped out by some with misplaced eyes, missing or additional bodyparts.

 

[Cipiteca396]

AI is a good alternative, but I'm hella creeped out by some with misplaced eyes, missing or additional bodyparts.

What do you mean, that's the best part?

 

[kophzi]

I would like it if the leading novels at the top of the ranks would use artwork with permission though.

A Pervert’s World

Our protagonist gets transmigrated to a free-use world where sex can be bartered for. It's a world with all kinds of magical beings, from angels to demons and everything in between. Protagonist will have to work hard to keep his little life, when he finds himself in the middle of...

www.scribblehub.com

4million views, still uses someone's art without permission.
"If you are the owner, let me know and I will take it down." The disclaimer says.

Reminds me of home squatters, who live in people's homes without telling anyone, and only removable once caught...

 

[Cipiteca396]

I would like it if the leading novels at the top of the ranks would use artwork with permission though.

A Pervert’s World

Our protagonist gets transmigrated to a free-use world where sex can be bartered for. It's a world with all kinds of magical beings, from angels to demons and everything in between. Protagonist will have to work hard to keep his little life, when he finds himself in the middle of...

www.scribblehub.com

4million views, still uses someone's art without permission.
"If you are the owner, let me know and I will take it down." The disclaimer says.

Reminds me of home squatters, who live in people's homes without telling anyone, and only removable once caught...

Tbf, that's closer to a squatter who's rich enough to buy a block and still doing it.

 

[tiaf]

I would like it if the leading novels at the top of the ranks would use artwork with permission though.

A Pervert’s World

Our protagonist gets transmigrated to a free-use world where sex can be bartered for. It's a world with all kinds of magical beings, from angels to demons and everything in between. Protagonist will have to work hard to keep his little life, when he finds himself in the middle of...

www.scribblehub.com

4million views, still uses someone's art without permission.
"If you are the owner, let me know and I will take it down." The disclaimer says.

Reminds me of home squatters, who live in people's homes without telling anyone, and only removable once caught...

I don't even know how this cover was approved. My eyes feel sexually harassed.

 

[Ararara]

I used AI to generate mine, and the free site "Canvas" to try and put some text onto it. Also Paint.Net to fill in the (arguably crappy) background.

The website I used is free, it's a version of Stable Diffusion, and it has lots of different models to pick from. I just played around with it until I got what I wanted, it's kind of tricky, but you can google examples of good prompts (and, very importantly, negative prompts!). Its img2img is also a really powerful tool that you can use to enhance/change certain details from a pretty-good image you got to turn it into an amazing image.

Not sure if I'm allowed to share links to it, but I will because it's a really useful tool that could help many new authors: https://aqualxx.github.io/stable-ui/

Big shoutout to Erios, the author of https://www.scribblehub.com/series/265541/shipcore/ , for showing me how to do it.