PAY ARTISTS !!

[Envylope]

And it was made with love. Didn't stop you from getting tons of readers either. Let the work speak for itself.

It still says "By Crimson Queen" even after I changed my name.

Btw, you don't need to have a good looking cover to attract readers. I mean not some good looking AI cover. I had a couple stories that gained 500 readers in a couple months with only covers like this one. It might make you stand out more in this landscape, since a reader might see it as unique.

 

[Eldoria]

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Honestly... it's unfair for someone to complain about AI art. They're probably using pirated software. If someone wants to be honest about their principles, they should use all the paid features: OS, Ms. Word, CorelDraw, Photoshop, etc.

Well, luckily, Linux developers aren't upset that their OS is being used by millions of people for free, because it's open source.

 

[CountVanBadger]

Because cover art prices are nonsensical, unless you know someone

I do happen to know someone, and she gives me an awesome price for my book covers considering what professional artists tend to charge. And even then, there are times I just can't spare that much money.

 

[Envylope]

---

Honestly... it's unfair for someone to complain about AI art. They're probably using pirated software. If someone wants to be honest about their principles, they should use all the paid features: OS, Ms. Word, CorelDraw, Photoshop, etc.

Well, luckily, Linux developers aren't upset that their OS is being used by millions of people for free, because it's open source.

I see your point but disagree because those are corporations. The principle behind this one is more about paying people and not soulless corporations.

 

[L1aei]

I do happen to know someone, and she gives me an awesome price for my book covers considering what professional artists tend to charge. And even then, there are times I just can't spare that much money.

See? That gets my full support.

 

[ForestDweller]

Idk I hate the hypocrisy some authors have I've seen around the internet. Why do we complain about AI Writing then turn around and use AI art? We are all in this together. You hate all of it or none of it here. If you hate AI Art, then PAY YOUR ARTISTS! They need to eat just like you or I. Idk, It's been simmering in my brain for a while.

I like both ngl. Though ai writing is still shit because no company or open source is focusing on that. I dream the day an ai can copy my writing style and just let it write novels based on my ideas.

 

[Envylope]

I completely forgot to mention how bot artists are screwing people over. Yeah, actually, don't trust any artist ever for any reason. Unless they are on a site like Vgen. Even then, take them with a grain of salt, unless they have regular customers.

 

[just_darkjazz]

The thing that gets me the most about covers is the false idea that you need AI if you can't comission or make something yourself. @Envylope has the right idea, you can work miracles in any photo editing software, and without that much effort either. Its certainly harder than just prompting Grok to do it for you, but if you aren't willing to go that extra mile for your story maybe I won't be as willing to give it a try. Plus at this point I'd wager AI covers work against you, considering all the publicly available models work with 2-3 different styles and every AI cover here looks the same.

And, just so I'm not talking out of my ass here, I'm attaching a few mockups I made for a story that wasn't meant to be, all within a crappy photo editor I got off Microsoft Store for free.

 

[L1aei]

I like both ngl. Though ai writing is still shit because no company or open source is focusing on that. I dream the day an ai can copy my writing style and just let it write novels based on my ideas.

I think I remember reading something like that being invented or mentally tuned in from the novel Tommyknockers.

 

[Vitriol]

---

Honestly... it's unfair for someone to complain about AI art. They're probably using pirated software. If someone wants to be honest about their principles, they should use all the paid features: OS, Ms. Word, CorelDraw, Photoshop, etc.

Well, luckily, Linux developers aren't upset that their OS is being used by millions of people for free, because it's open source.

It’s unfair to equate “stealing from corporations” with “corporations stealing from people”.

 

[Envylope]

The thing that gets me the most about covers is the false idea that you need AI if you can't comission or make something yourself. @Envylope has the right idea, you can work miracles in any photo editing software, and without that much effort either. Its certainly harder than just prompting Grok to do it for you, but if you aren't willing to go that extra mile for your story maybe I won't be as willing to give it a try. Plus at this point I'd wager AI covers work against you, considering all the publicly available models work with 2-3 different styles and every AI cover here looks the same.

And, just so I'm not talking out of my ass here, I'm attaching a few mockups I made for a story that wasn't meant to be, all within a crappy photo editor I got off Microsoft Store for free.

I am the same as you at this point. Much less willing to click on AI covers. But remember, the sentiment on the forum is not indicative of reader preference. Most readers never touch forums, and most won't care that its AI cover.

However, this is also a good reason to not do AI cover. If you consider it from a logical standpoint, having something different on trending will attract eyes more than having same looking covers. People will scroll past something they saw a hundred times, even if they are slop enjoyers.

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

As a commissioning artist, I want to get paid for the stuff I do for other authors.

However, cut the authors some slack. They write free stuff, so they are entitled to free stuff. The serious authors I know don't want to keep using AI art, but their real life circumstances force them to, since we all know that we have to attract readers to convince some of them to shell out money for us.

"But Hans, are you in favor of having AI-written stories?"

Nope. The use of AI artwork is mainly because of the author's need to have a decent cover so his work can attract readers.

AI-written novels are often born out of one's need to mooch off from unsuspecting readers' money.

"Are you okay with AI stealing someone else's work?"

As an artist, I do not condone it. However, unless governments will take this matter seriously, I can't be bothered for something I can't control. Living off thru unstable commissions isn't really gonna pay bills regularly, so I went back to teaching high schoolers. Likewise, let's get real; unless you're someone legendary in the art world, you'll have to treat commissions as a sidejob, rather than your bread and butter.

Note: I am an artist and an author.

 

[Envylope]

As a commissioning artist, I want to get paid for the stuff I do for other authors.

However, cut the authors some slack. They write free stuff, so they are entitled to free stuff. The serious authors I know don't want to keep using AI art, but their real life circumstances force them to, since we all know that we have to attract readers to convince some of them to shell out money for us.

"But Hans, are you in favor of having AI-written stories?"

Nope. The use of AI artwork is mainly because of the author's need to have a decent cover so his work can attract readers.

AI-written novels are often born out of one's need to mooch off from unsuspecting readers' money.

"Are you okay with AI stealing someone else's work?"

As an artist, I do not condone it. However, unless governments will take this matter seriously, I can't be bothered for something I can't control. Living off thru unstable commissions isn't really gonna pay bills regularly, so I went back to teaching high schoolers. Likewise, let's get real; unless you're someone legendary in the art world, you'll have to treat commissions as a sidejob, rather than your bread and butter.

I also thought of this point earlier. The people who were going to buy commissions before are likely still buying them. Probably even more out of spite for AI.

 

[L1aei]

I also thought of this point earlier. The people who were going to buy commissions before are likely still buying them. Probably even more out of spite for AI.

Why does spending more and more as a vendetta remind me of that quote... uh... how does it go? "Cut off your nose to spite the face" I think?

 

[Eldoria]

Plus at this point I'd wager AI covers work against you, considering all the publicly available models work with 2-3 different styles and every AI cover here looks the same.

I'm not so sure. Go to RR and see how many fictions use AI covers and even AI-assisted. Tens of thousands to millions of views and hundreds to thousands of readers. Then try going to Amazon and see how many AI-contained fictions are sold?

Here's the harsh reality... casual readers don't really care how the creative process of fiction is produced. Most readers aren't authors with artistic visions. Most casual readers only care about fiction that's entertaining and relatable to them.

Do people care? Of course there are, they're anti-AI readers with premium reading tastes.

Using paid (or self-created) covers and illustrations is more like a guarantee of avoiding future copyright issues when your fiction generates profit. But making readers care about your fiction... that's another matter.

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

I also thought of this point earlier. The people who were going to buy commissions before are likely still buying them. Probably even more out of spite for AI.

In my experience with commissioning, peeps often return to hand-drawn art because, really, AI art lacks personality. From my personal POV, AI is eye-candy, but it gets tedious the longer I look at it.

Tis the same as how @Assurbanipal_II can immediately tell it's my artwork.

I have yet to encounter a client who commissions me because they hate AI.

 

[ElijahRyne]

Idk I hate the hypocrisy some authors have I've seen around the internet. Why do we complain about AI Writing then turn around and use AI art? We are all in this together. You hate all of it or none of it here. If you hate AI Art, then PAY YOUR ARTISTS! They need to eat just like you or I. Idk, It's been simmering in my brain for a while.

Is why I have done my recent cover art myself instead of using AI like I used to 3 or so years ago.

 

[Eldoria]

It’s unfair to equate “stealing from corporations” with “corporations stealing from people”.

This is more like normalization than an argument with valid evidence, isn't it?

 

[L1aei]

I'm not so sure. Go to RR and see how many fictions use AI covers and even AI-assisted. Tens of thousands to millions of views and hundreds to thousands of readers. Then try going to Amazon and see how many AI-contained fictions are sold?

Here's the harsh reality... casual readers don't really care how the creative process of fiction is produced. Most readers aren't authors with artistic visions. Most casual readers only care about fiction that's entertaining and relatable to them.

Do people care? Of course there are, they're anti-AI readers with premium reading tastes.

Using paid (or self-created) covers and illustrations is more like a guarantee of avoiding future copyright issues when your fiction generates profit. But making readers care about your fiction... that's another matter.

@TinaMigarlo Said something similar about who cares where the bristles of a brush came from as long as it achieves its purpose.

 

[empalgepuk]

I commission my covers and artworks because I simply love Miss Ditya's art style. And I happen to have the money.

In this economy, I'd just shrug when I see AI art. I stopped caring long ago. My regular artist made a point that she always has something that prompted art can't emulate. Even my own crappy artwork made a guy said "this lives rent free in my head." A crappy artwork of mine, imagine. So I'm not threatened by AI's existence anymore.