How did you find your covers?

[Kyonio]

I just started writing and I found a few illustrations on pintrest to create covers. But seeing other authors use such differnt covers for their stories becasuse I really wanna make my cover look "better" than before. <3

 

[Deleted member 45782]

I just started writing and I found a few illustrations on pintrest to create covers. But seeing other authors use such differnt covers for their stories becasuse I really wanna make my cover look "better" than before. <3

Sites that allow you to use images on that site for free to use. Attribuation not required but welcomed.

• Pixabay - https://pixabay.com/service/license/#:~:text=What is allowed?&text=All content on Pixabay can,"What is not allowed".&text=Attribution is not required.,always appreciated by our community.
• Pexels - https://help.pexels.com/hc/en-us/sections/360007188853-New-to-Pexels-
• Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/license

I like Pixabay. Lot of digital art can be found there as well.

Pexels and Unsplash so far has just photos. But its great quality.

As with all things, do read the policies on those sites.

Also: https://forum.scribblehub.com/threads/free-photos-you-can-use.5944/

 

[SailusGebel]

Asked my friend to heavily edit an art in photoshop.

 

[KittraMcBriar]

I painted all but one of mine from scratch. The individual stock assets I used for the other one (Lunarborn) came from Adobe Stock, but the design I did myself.

 

[Biggest-Kusa-Out-There]

the first one i found when looking for copyright free pictures of forests
the second and current one i paid an artist on fiverr and edited it myself

 

[JM_Webb]

I commissioned Drinker of the Yew, and then built the other two on shutterstock.

 

[LostLibrarian]

I don't actively look for covers but rather use artstation or deviantart to look on art, when I have a few free moments. Just scrolling through and saving nice looking ones. And when I'm in a need for a cover, I'll look through it and either find ideas for a new one or an image I might use after I asked the author.

My main story has commissioned on designed by me (based on other images I had seen). My side project has one where I just went and asked the artist if I could use it. Most - especially smaller - artists have no problems with it when you ask friendly and don't make money out of it...

 

[EternalSunset0]

Commission a friend

 

[tridetect]

I draw my own covers but I'm looking to commission another artist to lighten my work load.

 

[CupcakeNinja]

I just started writing and I found a few illustrations on pintrest to create covers. But seeing other authors use such differnt covers for their stories becasuse I really wanna make my cover look "better" than before. <3

There is literally no reason to not use a really nice cover off of Pintrest or Deviantart. Everyone who uses shitty covers are just baffling to me. I mean I wont say they cant, but stick figures? Or similar stuff? ...Why?
Unless you are SELLING your story, gaining money from official channels like Amazon, it literally doesnt matter.

Even if you dont ask permission from the artist to use the cover, how often do they even notice you are using their work? Almost never. A lot of times you cant find the artist anyway.

Find yourself a pretty cover, my dude. Go wild.

 

[Paul_Tromba]

My first cover I paid someone to make. The other's I made myself.

 

[tiaf]

Join BL Palace discord and get help with your cover. We have a small tutorial and many artists to ask for opinions.

Back to the main topic. I see a lot of authors using a random pic from the internet, but a lot are also using free-to-use stock images. I used 'Book Covers' app (the one wattpad recommends) for one of my stories. The app is really easy to use to add titles and move the elements around to figure out a good composition (I used my own drawing though).

Commissioning or drawing yourself is probably the most customized way

 

[DetectiveRed]

I just started writing and I found a few illustrations on pintrest to create covers. But seeing other authors use such differnt covers for their stories becasuse I really wanna make my cover look "better" than before. <3

I make mine. They arent fantastic but i think they stand out and im prous of them. Usually I make an image, sketch it, turn it into a vector then use Canva to arrange a cover that I think looks anywhere from acceptable to pretty good. I recommend playing with Photoshop alternatives ans Gravit.io to make your covers

 

[K5Rakitan]

I got mine from people on the forums.

 

[ConcubusBunny]

I use wallpaperhere

 

[Lloyd]

I commissioned an artist.