Why do many authors use covers that they got from Google?

[LinXueLian]

Actually, I'm curious about one thing.

Will using images without permission from artists/fanartists, etc, turn potential readers off from reading a work? Would they think, "this author has used art stolen from others, so I refuse to support their work"?

As a fanartist I'm on the fence with them being used. When we put our work out, there's very little we can do to control its use and reuse. But I've seen non-artists and artists alike heavily dislike that sort of thing.

Therefore I wonder how many readers/views authors miss when they use covers made from art they Googled. Does it affect anything?

 

[yansusustories]

Actually, I'm curious about one thing.

Will using images without permission from artists/fanartists, etc, turn potential readers off from reading a work? Would they think, "this author has used art stolen from others, so I refuse to support their work"?

As a fanartist I'm on the fence with them being used. When we put our work out, there's very little we can do to control its use and reuse. But I've seen non-artists and artists alike heavily dislike that sort of thing.

Therefore I wonder how many readers/views authors miss when they use covers made from art they Googled. Does it affect anything?

I think that's difficult to say for sure. I can only say that I, for one, am actively turned off and will not read anything I suspect to use stolen artwork as the cover. I wouldn't even click to see if I'd like the synopsis. Most readers probably don't care and others will even click because they see something familiar though so I'd say it will even out. If there really was a huge chunk of readers anti-stolen artwork covers, it probably wouldn't be done any longer so ... yeah.

 

[LinXueLian]

I think that's difficult to say for sure. I can only say that I, for one, am actively turned off and will not read anything I suspect to use stolen artwork as the cover. I wouldn't even click to see if I'd like the synopsis. Most readers probably don't care and others will even click because they see something familiar though so I'd say it will even out. If there really was a huge chunk of readers anti-stolen artwork covers, it probably wouldn't be done any longer so ... yeah.

I see, that's what I thought. There are indeed people who are turned off from reading anything that's suspected of using stolen artwork as a cover. Even if other readers don't mind and make up for it, that's one view already missed. These are actually the ones I wonder an author may have missed.

Pretty interesting when you think about it.

 

[Moonpearl]

I think that's difficult to say for sure. I can only say that I, for one, am actively turned off and will not read anything I suspect to use stolen artwork as the cover. I wouldn't even click to see if I'd like the synopsis. Most readers probably don't care and others will even click because they see something familiar though so I'd say it will even out. If there really was a huge chunk of readers anti-stolen artwork covers, it probably wouldn't be done any longer so ... yeah.

Won't you end up punishing people who don't have stolen art like that, though, just based on stereotypes?

 

[yansusustories]

Won't you end up punishing people who don't have stolen art like that, though, just based on stereotypes?

I mean, there is usually a big difference between the covers of somebody who stole the art and the ones who draw their own so not necessarily. But yeah, I'm not going to lie that it can't happen in some cases.

 

[Moonpearl]

I mean, there is usually a big difference between the covers of somebody who stole the art and the ones who draw their own so not necessarily. But yeah, I'm not going to lie that it can't happen in some cases.

Some people have permission to use the art, rare as it is, or actually buy them from stock image sites.

You can't really tell until you check for credit on the synopsis, usually.

 

[yansusustories]

Some people have permission to use the art, rare as it is, or actually buy them from stock image sites.

You can't really tell until you check for credit on the synopsis, usually.

At least for stock images, I'll maintain that you can usually tell the difference. (Like, this is just based on things like style, composition, font, etc. Others might not see it that way but at least to me, they do usually look differently. This might also be because I regularly purchase stock images though.)
It's a bit different for the ones who ask for permission from the artists but, like, I can't read everything anyway so I'll just screen the stuff that looks suspicious to me out in the very same way that I will also screen out other books based on some parameter that is important to me but might be completely irrelevant to others. We just all make our own decisions and yeah, that's not always fair to the authors. I guess that's just a risk they're going to have to take.

 

[Moonpearl]

At least for stock images, I'll maintain that you can usually tell the difference. (Like, this is just based on things like style, composition, font, etc. Others might not see it that way but at least to me, they do usually look differently. This might also be because I regularly purchase stock images though.)
It's a bit different for the ones who ask for permission from the artists but, like, I can't read everything anyway so I'll just screen the stuff that looks suspicious to me out in the very same way that I will also screen out other books based on some parameter that is important to me but might be completely irrelevant to others. We just all make our own decisions and yeah, that's not always fair to the authors. I guess that's just a risk they're going to have to take.

That may be but, if anyone is planning to use this method to try and pressure authors to change, they should know that it won't work if you essentially punish someone for having a novel cover you deem "too good for them", rather than based on following or not following copyright laws.

 

[yansusustories]

That may be but, if anyone is planning to use this method to try and pressure authors to change, they should know that it won't work if you essentially punish someone for having a novel cover you deem "too good for them", rather than based on following or not following copyright laws.

I'm not trying to pressure anyone. Not sure where you got that. I have just personally decided for myself that I won't look at stories where I doubt the origin of the cover. It's not about being 'too good' either. Honestly, a well-made cover (! not the picture, the cover) is usually grounds to click on it. Stolen artwork is usually not that though.
The thing is this: We can't know whether a cover image is or isn't following copyright laws. I mean everyone can put in their synopsis something like 'cover image by artist X', 'asked the artist for permission', 'this cover image is a stock picture, I bought the license'. But who is to say that that's the truth? The author might just be lying. (And how many authors that do actually buy don't put anything in their synopsis? I sure never did despite buying because I don't see a reason to.) I'd have to go and find the original artist to ask them whether they gave permission and then it could still be an honest mistake because the author couldn't figure out the real source and actually asked somebody for permission who stole the picture already or maybe I didn't communicate clearly enough with the artist or they couldn't remember or whatever kind of reason there might be. With stock images, it's even more difficult because I can't just ask the creator, I'd have to see the license to make sure. After all, they could have gotten a stock picture from a site that already used it without the watermark instead of buying it and the creators won't even know who exactly buys their pictures afaik.
So since I can't determine whether copyright laws were followed or not anyway, why should I trust a random line in a synopsis more than my own perception? If it's suspect to me, I'm just not gonna read it. I won't go yell at the author, I won't tell anyone else that I think it might be stolen, I won't leave angry reviews or comments or anything. I'll just quietly go and read something else. May I be wrong? Yes, and that in both directions. I might mistake a cover following laws for a 'bad' one and a cover with a stolen image for a good one. That's just something that can happen, I won't deny that. But no disclaimer in the synopsis is going to change anything about that.

 

[Moonpearl]

I'm not trying to pressure anyone. Not sure where you got that. I have just personally decided for myself that I won't look at stories where I doubt the origin of the cover. It's not about being 'too good' either. Honestly, a well-made cover (! not the picture, the cover) is usually grounds to click on it. Stolen artwork is usually not that though.
The thing is this: We can't know whether a cover image is or isn't following copyright laws. I mean everyone can put in their synopsis something like 'cover image by artist X', 'asked the artist for permission', 'this cover image is a stock picture, I bought the license'. But who is to say that that's the truth? The author might just be lying. (And how many authors that do actually buy don't put anything in their synopsis? I sure never did despite buying because I don't see a reason to.) I'd have to go and find the original artist to ask them whether they gave permission and then it could still be an honest mistake because the author couldn't figure out the real source and actually asked somebody for permission who stole the picture already or maybe I didn't communicate clearly enough with the artist or they couldn't remember or whatever kind of reason there might be. With stock images, it's even more difficult because I can't just ask the creator, I'd have to see the license to make sure. After all, they could have gotten a stock picture from a site that already used it without the watermark instead of buying it and the creators won't even know who exactly buys their pictures afaik.
So since I can't determine whether copyright laws were followed or not anyway, why should I trust a random line in a synopsis more than my own perception? If it's suspect to me, I'm just not gonna read it. I won't go yell at the author, I won't tell anyone else that I think it might be stolen, I won't leave angry reviews or comments or anything. I'll just quietly go and read something else. May I be wrong? Yes, and that in both directions. I might mistake a cover following laws for a 'bad' one and a cover with a stolen image for a good one. That's just something that can happen, I won't deny that. But no disclaimer in the synopsis is going to change anything about that.

You may not be, but I know there are definitely people who do try to use this method to produce "change".

Might as well induce some critical thinking in those folk.

 

[yansusustories]

You may not be, but I know there are definitely people who do try to use this method to produce "change".

Might as well induce some critical thinking in those folk.

Well, good luck with that then!

 

[Deleted member 45782]

Well one of the reasons for people like me is that we don't have money to pay an artist to draw a cover or that we can't draw for sh*t. so personally I just grab one on google and set it as my cover because having no cover will not attract people to click on my novel, basically.

Yeah, it also sucks for the artist who doesn't get enough money for their artwork right? You're not the only one that is also living in conditions where there's not enough financial stability?

I see some comments defending themselves like this. Yeah, I get it - a lot of us don't have money for it. I think the artists you took the images from without asking permission may also say the same.

There are specific sites where you can use images for personal and commercial use. There's creative common license. Not just ripping it off of Google.

Sorry.
I just don't like some people who are more likely to complain about their work getting plagiarized or copied or talk about how certain place tends to copy off of others. But in the same vein, some of those also probably don't mind taking someone else's artwork without permission, say "inspired by" when 80% of it is really..., or make money off of fanart, which is basically pulling attraction in from someone else's original work in the first place.

I have seen at least two artists who on their official profile, told people NOT to re-share, but people still do it. If you're not going to respect the artist, just keep in mind, why should others respect the writing work you do and not share it to other places?

 

[lJeDl]

Yeah, it also sucks for the artist who doesn't get enough money for their artwork right? You're not the only one that is also living in conditions where there's not enough financial stability?

I see some comments defending themselves like this. Yeah, I get it - a lot of us don't have money for it. I think the artists you took the images from without asking permission may also say the same.

There are specific sites where you can use images for personal and commercial use. There's creative common license. Not just ripping it off of Google.

Sorry.
I just don't like some people who are more likely to complain about their work getting plagiarized or copied or talk about how certain place tends to copy off of others. But in the same vein, some of those also probably don't mind taking someone else's artwork without permission, say "inspired by" when 80% of it is really..., or make money off of fanart, which is basically pulling attraction in from someone else's original work in the first place.

I have seen at least two artists who on their official profile, told people NOT to re-share, but people still do it. If you're not going to respect the artist, just keep in mind, why should others respect the writing work you do and not share it to other places?

Sure... I guess? just want to write for fun and share it with people m8, so please don't let the cover make you angry, to be honest with you I don't really plan on making any money writing, I just want people see my Ideas and see what they think about it :)

Also I think you misunderstood the purpose behind my comment, I was answering the question of 'Why do many authors use covers that they got from google?' and not because I was defending myself m8, so if you thought that was the purpose behind my comment and it offended you then sorry for that, welp that's about it :)

 

[Deleted member 45782]

Sure... I guess? just want to write for fun and share it with people m8, so please don't let the cover make you angry, to be honest with you I don't really plan on making any money writing, I just want people see my Ideas and see what they think about it :)

Also I think you misunderstood the purpose behind my comment, I was answering the question of 'Why do many authors use covers that they got from google?' and not because I was defending myself m8, so if you thought that was the purpose behind my comment and it offended you then sorry for that, welp that's about it :)

I know what you meant. I was also trying to talk about others on here who think its definitely fine to do and they gave a similar reason (talking about others not really just you), and I have also seen how others mentioned some of the other things before in this forum so I kinda just wanted to point this out all in one comment and put a different perspective on it if it was the other way around how would they feel. Sorry if the words came out a bit harsh or sounded like it was offended.