The 4-1-1 On Images For Book Covers
Exclusive Images, Stock Images, & Everything In-Between
One of the most important aspects of designing your book cover is deciding on what image to use.
Youβve heard the saying, an image speaks a thousand words. Well, this is certainly true for book covers.
There is a lot to learn about images for book covers so buckle up and letβs dive in.
What Type of Images For Book Covers Should You Look For
From a designer stand point, the whole point of your book cover is to market your book,
so you want to get a cover image that makes your book stand out and tells your
prospective readers what the book is about.
There are two basic (and I mean very general) types of book covers.
You have people covers and object covers.
People Covers
Covers that showcase people are the most common and still on-trend for romance authors.
You want to find an image that captures peopleβs interest,
tells them your book is a romance, and correlates to some degree with what your characters
in the book look like.
Also, think about your cover in terms of the spiciness factor.
Itβs a romance, so you know you want a little spice BUT too much spice
may cause Amazon to flag your book as inappropriate.
This was definitely an issue when there were more females on the cover
so the trend started towards male-only covers.
Now, we are seeing Amazon flagging male-only covers for being a bit risqueβ¦
so keep this in mind as you decide on your cover options.
Object Covers
Object covers are becoming more popular and can be a way to stand out
from the sea of images for book covers that are usually people-focused.
It can also be a way to stay true to your characters,
especially if they are minorities or have atypical romance qualities,
without paying for an expensive exclusive photoshoot.
Where to Find Images For Book Covers
First off, where do you even start to get images for book covers?
There are two main places to get images for book covers -
from stock images or exclusive images.
Letβs talk about the two.
Stock Image Agencies
You get stock images from stock agencies.
A few well-known stock agencies are:
There are more out there but those are some of
my personal favorites for finding images for book covers.
Pros to Stock Images
Stock images are great. They are more affordable
and the usage fee is generally included with custom design work.
Cons to Stock Images
Multi-Use Images
One big downfall is that the same image mayβand probably will at some pointβ
be used on another cover. Stock agencies do not generally sell single-use rights
(and if they do the price point is gonna be mega-big)
so images for book covers are likely to used in other places.
It makes sense, there are only so many available stock images that are good
for book covers and book designers all tend to use the same sitesβ¦
so it is inevitable that the same image will be used multiple times.
The good news is that if your chosen cover image has been used on another book cover,
then a good cover designer should be able to make it look a little different,
whether that be through an embellishment, a unique typography, or a different background.
Lack of Diversity & Ethnicity
The other big downfall is a huge lack of diversity and ethnicity within stock images.
You have been warned: if your lead male character is anything but tall, dark, and unshaven,
be prepared to do a bit of searching for your perfect cover image.
For whatever reason, there is a definite lack of any diversity in this genre of images.
It is very difficult to find images with males models that have red hair, blonde hair,
or even sandy hair. And even more difficult to find other ethnicities like Indian or Asian.
Your options are to be flexible with your image selection, consider purchasing an exclusive image
(see more below), or write every single male lead as tall, dark, and handsome (I joke).
Considerations
When purchasing a stock image for your book cover,
make sure you have the correct license and permission to use it on a cover.
If you are using a cover designer, they will most likely do this for you!
Exclusive Images
Pros of Exclusive Images
Exclusive images will generally come directly from the photographer. These are a great investment because they are, well, more exclusive, meaning only you will have the rights to the image.
Now, this doesnβt mean there wonβt be similar images out there (the photographer probably uses the same models for multiple shoots) but it does mean that the chances of you having a similar cover image for your book is less likely.
Having an exclusive photo for your cover is great if you are looking for something very specific as you can have more of a say in the image creation. A lot of seasoned authors use exclusive images because they have the funds available but newer ones will too if they understand it is an investment.
Cons of Exclusive Images
The biggest negative of exclusive images is the cost. They cost more than a stock image will.
The other downfall is that, like stock images, there can be a lack of diversity within the models. However, unlike stock images, you are more likely to be able to work directly with a photographer to find models that work for the look you are envisioning, which is always a good thing.
How Exclusive Images Work
Most exclusive images will come directly from the photographer
but there are two main ways you find photographers will operate:
1 - You hire a photographer to direct a shoot with a specific look.
You will pick your model(s) and have a say in what the final image will look like.
2 - You can get exclusive images from photographerβs in
what is basically a mini-stock agency situation.
In this case, the photographer has already taken the images
and is selling them through their own site directly.
The fees range greatly, but you can expect to pay anywhere
from $200-$1500 for an exclusive image.
If you are working directly with a photographer to create
the shoot of your dreams, it must be said to make sure you are
taking care of the legal aspects of things. Iβm not here to give legal advice,
so make sure you consult your lawyer about
contacts, copyrights, and model fees (as some executive image purchases
require you to pay the model directly).
I also recommend using photographers that are experienced in creating images for book covers.
There are lots of little caveats when it comes to creating such a specific type of image.
The worse thing would be to spend all of this money on the
perfect shoot and find out the images are not usable.
Here are a few of my favorite exclusive photographers:
CJC photography www.cjc-photography.com
Wander Aguiar Photography
Which Option Is Best For You?
Now that you have a better idea of what options are open to you,
itβs time to decide which route to take.
My best advice is for you to talk to your cover designer
and get their honest opinion regarding what they think would be the best fit
for what you are looking for. You can also start pursuing some of the sites listed above
and see if any of the stock sites have images that speak to you or if any of the photographers
have models that fit what you are looking for.
Do your research and spend some time contemplating what you want for -
the perfect images for your book cover is out there, I promise!
