Here you'll find all the relevant information of where you stand when it comes to AI artwork used on my book covers.

Why I Use AI

Because it's 100% Legit

If AI image generation wasn't completely legit I simply wouldn't be using it. I'm running a business. And it would be commercial suicide to do something dodgy. I use MidJourney which gives me Full Commercial Rights to use the images I create.

The Most Eye-catching Covers

My job is quite simply to make the best book covers I can, for authors to grab potential reader's attention. As such, AI is great for for this, it makes great eye-catching images. It's that simple really. I try to do the best work I can.

Unique Covers

Authors that have been around for a while will have run across two different books with exactly the same great Stock Image, maybe used in different ways. It's like turning up to the party in the same dress as someone else. With AI every single thing is unique and bespoke. So that'll never happen again.

Unlimited Imagination

Royalty Free Stock Images always limit a designer to whatever the photographers and illustrations are offering on those websites. Basically we're limited to what is out there. This can be stifling, especially when books can be super-imaginative, niche, cross-genre offerings from the authors. So AI allows me to match things more closely. Or if I have great ideas when doing my pre-made covers AI allows me to follow that imagination no matter how whacky and daft. And I love whacky and daft. It makes me happy.

Representation

With Stock Images we are limited to what is available from photographers or illustrators that list their work there. With Stock Images it is pretty impossible to have things like disabled space captains, black fantasy characters, gay spies, or female pirates. Not with AI, which makes me happy.

Because It's Fun

If I'm using my imagination to come up with ideas then it's a hundred times better than wading through all the dross on ShutterStock to find one or two gems. Anyone who's tried to find the right stock image on there will know what I'm talking about. Using your imagination as a starting point is a much more pleasant experience.

Because Readers Don't Care

MidJourney has come so far along in the last six months it is pretty impossible to tell if an image is AI generated or not, and readers only glance at book covers to see if it's their sort of thing. If it catches their attention it does its job. It's only other authors that have ever been bothered about AI. This I think is for two reasons. Firstly, they may think they're getting replaced by AI, this is not the case. It's a tool. It's not a replacement for imagination. Secondly, and more controversially, maybe the successful authors that can afford to pay hundreds of euros for book covers are probably worried that AI is going to level the playing field price-wise for great book covers, and are stirring up the controversy for commercial reasons. Or thirdly they have made up their mind without doing their due dilligence because they simply enjoy picking sides in a fight. Or least, that's what it feels like to me. Maybe I'm wrong. But at the end of the day, readers simply want to be engaged by interesting covers and good writing.

What I Do Not Do

I Do Not Hide the Fact

The offerings on my website now have stickers informing authors if I've used AI generated images in that book cover. And when it comes to commissioned work I always ask if an author is comfortable for me to use AI in my process of making them the perfect cover. Interestingly enough, when it comes to commissioned work about 80% of my authors are happy to use AI, over trying to find stock images for source material that would work for their cover.

I Do Not Magically Cheat (if only)

If AI magically made covers then everyone would be doing it. There is an immense amount of learning and graft that goes into generating good images. To put it into context I probably use about 3-5% of all the images I generate. And even then there is a lot of editing and refinement to get images right for a great book cover.

I Do Not Step on People's Copyright

I'm very careful not to steal a single artist's style when generating images with AI. I'm also careful to make sure that I don't step on any other copyrights, such as image rights, or commercial rights.

KDP Information

Intro

Amazon has recently updated their upload process for KDP when you upload any new book or edit it, now asking, to what extent was AI used in the process of making the contents of your book and the book cover. So here I just want to give you some clarification of book covers designed by me. As ever, I'm completely upfront with my authors.

Good News - Don't Worry

First of all I think this is a good thing, it's good news, because at least Amazon has put out a statement about AI. Their silence was palpable and I think that this caused quite a lot of noise and confusion with authors, and created a lot of clickbait articles in the Self Publishing arena.

This is what they say:

"We are actively monitoring the rapid evolution of generative AI and the impact it is having on reading, writing, and publishing, and we remain committed to providing the best possible shopping, reading, and publishing experience for our authors and customers."

Which, reading between the lines they're saying they don't want low quality junk being pumped out by bots on their platform. And we can all agree my book covers are not low quality work, I put a lot of time and love into them, whether they're from stock images or AI generated images.

And what they're not saying is we're banning AI. I suspect they just want to catch the low quality offender.

If that was the case they would have come out and said that. Further to that I got in touch with a contact higher up in support and they confirm this won't happen. So AI is fine, they just want to know. If anything you'll probably see Amazon introduce their own AI tools. Which at some point might cut me out of the equation, maybe. Surveys are always undertaken for business decisions.

What Does this Mean for You Now, the Author

Well, if you upload a new book, or edit a book's content on KDP you're going to have to tell them. You don't have to do it retroactively, unless you want to, I guess. But when it comes to uploading a book with a cover where I have used a cover from me where I've used AI this is what you need to tell them, under AI generated content.

- YES
- Images: One or a few AI-generated Images, with Extensive Editing
- Tools: MidJourney

MidJourney actually is the only service out there that offers full commercial terms on images it generates, so it's 100% above board. Thankfully, it's also the best one.

And of course if you've used any other AI tools in the process you need to tell them. But for the Images artwork you need to at least specify the above information.

Which Covers Does this Apply To

Commissions: If I've designed a commission since 20th July 2022, I have generally asked if you're okay with AI generated images being used in the process. So you'll know this answer already.

Pre-made Covers: I've been using Mid Journey for my pre-made covers since cover number 23860 or anything higher than that will be AI generated. Although there are probably one or two exceptions (there were a few nonfiction books and a few erotic ones). But 99% of them were AI generated. I'd run out of good ShutterStock images. Ha!