How to Create an AI-Generated Book Cover

In this blog post, you’ll learn how to create an AI-generated book cover

Some say you’re at a disadvantage the moment you choose the self-publishing route.

With all the conveniences of working with a traditional publishing house out the window, you’re left to fend for yourself.

Writing your book and marketing it right after is a lot of work, but one area that often gets overlooked is the book cover.

A publisher typically covers the creation of a professional-looking book cover, but as a self-published author, you need to figure out how best to design your book covers.

If you don’t have any background in design, you’ll feel like it’s trouble for you.

But you’re good; there’s a way to get around this, and you’d be surprised how simple (and fun) it could be!

How AI Factors in Designing Book Covers

You’ve heard about how chatGPT shook the industry with AI-based writing capabilities.

Its impact is felt across multiple industries, and the continuous development of the algorithm is even more incredible.

It doesn’t end at mere writing; AI may now create art by analyzing and processing visual data.

Instead of relying on a professional designer to create a cover design, you can now use AI to do it for you.

It’s amazing how quickly the algorithm can generate a professional-looking book cover based on input data and text descriptions.

It’s all about transformation.

Gone are the days when you’d be hard-pressed to hire a professional or get some training to learn design fundamentals.

AI is paving the way for almost everyone to create book covers with ease and speed, regardless of their design background.

And we’re not talking about generic templates; the AI-generated covers are customized to your specific project.

Getting Started with AI Cover Design

Developing a book cover with AI is relatively simple and easy.

All you need to do is find an online platform that provides the service and upload their data, such as visuals, titles, author names, etc. The algorithm will take it from there and generate a professional book cover.

It’s all about making your cover as unique and eye-catching as possible.

You can customize the design further by adding fonts, colours, images, and text. Once you’re happy with the result, you can download the file in JPEG, PNG, or PDF format.

But before we dig deep into how to use AI for cover design, let’s look at why you should use it.

The Perks of Using AI for Book Cover Design

Using AI for cover design is cost-effective; you don’t need any experience or expertise in graphic design.

It also cuts down on production time as the process can be completed in a few minutes to an hour, depending on the complexity of the task.

Another great thing about using AI for cover design is that you get to create several versions of it at once.

The algorithm allows you to generate multiple covers with initial design variations, saving you time and resources.

It’s a nifty way to experiment and discover which design works best.

Creating a Book Cover with AI (Step-by-Step Guide)

Step 1 – Mind the genre and target audience first.

You can’t possibly begin imagining designs for your book cover without first getting into the mindset of its genre.

Comprehend why your book is categorized under a certain genre or target audience and if there’s something unique about it.

It’ll help you create a design concept that fits your project’s overall feel well.

You see, books are categorized in certain genres because the topic or its context is similar to other titles in the same category.

Hence, you must consider what other book covers in your genre look like.

Doing so will give you a good idea of the design elements used for that category and how to differentiate yours from others.

As for your target audience, they need to be considered during the brainstorming process as well.

Are they teens?

Young adults?

Adults?

Middle-aged people?

All these things play a role in your design, so see that you factor them in.

Step 2 – Think about what images or visuals you want on the cover.

The moment you have a concept in mind, start thinking about what visuals are needed to bring it to life.

Do you want an illustration?

A photograph?

Maybe both?

Keep in mind that the image or visual must be related to your book’s content and should also grab the attention of your target audience.

Researching various design trends makes sense, too.

This is because you want your book cover to have an appeal towards the present.

It’ll ensure your book stands out from other titles in the same genre and competitively grab attention.

The keyword here is “grab,” as you don’t necessarily have to go overboard just to be unique; you can experiment with subtle elements.

Never move away from your book’s concept and the overall design theme.

If you have several images in mind, pick the one that best fits your project.

Now, this would normally be the time when we tell you to collect stock photos and free-to-use images, but that’s where AI comes in.

Step 3 – Use AI for cover design.

Most platforms provide you with a library of high-quality photos and visuals curated by their algorithm to choose from.

And if you’re not quite sure what visuals would be best for your cover, the algorithm will generate them based on your book’s topic and its genre.

You may customize the design further by adding fonts, colours, images, and text.

Once you’re happy with the result, you can download the file in JPEG, PNG, or PDF format.

Obviously, you’ve got a few options when using AI to create a book cover.

Now it’s time to dig in on the specifics.

Every tool or website differs in one way or another, but we’ll save you the trouble of finding them yourself by providing you with a few of the most popular choices.

1 – StarryAI

This tool is loved by many for its user-friendly interface and simple drag-and-drop features.

Arguably its best attribute is the fact that you don’t need to provide input to get started.

As an automatic AI image generator, it uses advanced machine learning algorithms to come up with the best design options for your book cover.

Unlike some AI art generators, starryAI gives you full ownership of your cover design, so you don’t have to worry about copyright infringements.

You get to use the art for personal or commercial use at no additional cost.

2 – Canva

Canva’s AI text-to-image generator does what its name says quite literally.

All you must do is describe the image you want to create with specific words.

The AI generator does the job for you by integrating hundreds of thousands of images and visuals from its library.

Once the image is generated, you may customize it as needed.

You have the option to add effects, edit colours, change fonts, and include elements like frames or lines – whatever is necessary to make your book cover unique and attractive.

If you have an existing Canva account, simply go to the “Discover Apps” section of the website, where you’ll see the text-to-image feature. Don’t forget to choose the “Book Cover” template to get started.

3 – Fotor

It’s fair to say that Fotor is one of the most established online photo editing platforms out there, and the best thing about its AI image generator is that it’s completely free. So, no trial period or subscription is needed.

In addition to AI-generated images, Fotor also provides a huge library of handpicked visuals from its content partners. You can create an AI-generated book cover in two ways: image-to-image and text-to-image.

Either way, you get to customize it further as needed.

The website is quite fast in generating an image, so if you can’t decide on a particular image, you may run the AI generator more than once for more options.

4 – Dream by WOMBO

Considered by many as the internet’s best text-based AI generator, Dream by WOMBO works flawlessly with only two inputs: a sentence that best describes what image you intend to get, and then you choose an art style.

That’s about it!

The website is also generous enough to provide you with a preview before downloading the file.

Once downloaded, you can customize your book cover further by adding effects – like any other AI generator.

And perhaps the best offering from this tool is the ability to upload an image which you may use as a reference for the AI to come up with the best possible design.

5 – NightCafe

An elite AI generator, one could say, thanks to its industry-best set of algorithms and image generator options.

This one takes the cake when it comes to versatility. It offers two image creation options, including your book cover: text-to-image and style transfer.

The former requires you to write a short description of the image you want to generate, while the latter lets you upload an image from which the AI will use as a reference.

The resulting AI images are quite good, and you get to customize them further with effects and other tools offered by the website.

You may generate multiple versions of the same image for different purposes, such as hardcover and eBook versions.

The high-resolution images will serve you well if you choose to print the book cover.

Step 4 – The book theme must coincide with the cover.

Don’t get too caught up in the excitement of getting a great-looking book cover.

It may be tempting to go all out and create something over-the-top, but don’t forget the importance of having a consistent theme throughout the book – from top to bottom.

Your book should have a unified look and feel, meaning everything must work together harmoniously: title, cover page, illustrations, chapter headings and content.

Take your time coming up with a theme that stands out.

Pick colours that will help communicate the mood while still remaining attractive to readers.

For example, if you’re writing an adventure novel, you may opt for bolder colours like red or orange.

But muted tones like blues and greens may work better if it’s a more introspective narrative.

Ensure that the fonts you choose for your cover page are legible and easy to read.

The typography should be appropriate for the genre and not too flashy.

And most importantly, you should come up with a serious book cover design if your book’s theme is a serious topic.

Meanwhile, a humorous book should also have a light and playful cover.

See that it looks cohesive, too, so readers easily identify what your book is about – even from a distance.

Step 5 – The back should be as enticing as the front.

The back cover of your book should show readers what they’ll expect from reading it and why they should read it in the first place.

You may use a short biography to introduce yourself as the author, but don’t get too long-winded here – keep it brief yet intriguing.

You may also include a few lines of praise or reviews from readers or industry experts.

And then there’s the spines. Spines help your books stand out on the shelves, so don’t forget to design them.

You may choose a colour or add symbols relevant to the book’s theme, but remember that they should be simple and easy to read.

Also, the background must be consistent with the front and back covers.

Final Thoughts

Self-publishing comes with it a few challenges, but at least an AI tool rids one of the stress – coming up with an attractive book cover. At this point, you realize it doesn’t take a pro designer to create an eye-catching cover.

All you need is the right tool, creativity, and a dose of patience.

Once you get your feet wet with these tools, you’ll soon find creating book covers to be the unlikely “fun” part of self-publishing.