As you read this post, a debate is raging on author Twitter about A.I.-generated book covers.
Some are hailing these art algorithms as the best publishing innovation since Gutenberg.
Others are … denouncing A.I. as demonic? Or something.
To be honest, I can’t get a read on the most emphatic anti-A.I. art positions. It looks like they just have visceral, emotional aversions to the concept.
The most coherent argument I can find is that images generated by algorithm aren’t real art.
OK.
Maybe that’s true.
Art is work performed to a standard.
So if you just plugged some keywords into Midjourney and let it fly with no oversight, yeah. I could see that not being art.
Conflating someone doing that and slapping it on a book cover with what industry pros are doing – and have been secretly doing for years – is an equivocation.
But just the thought of an author using a refined A.I.-generated cover may offend some folks’ aesthetic sensibilities. I get where they’re coming from. That’s cool.
Here’s the part where most A.I. art enthusiasts will say, “If you don’t like it, don’t use it.”
But I’m not gonna hand you that platitude.
What I will say is that of course authors are free to decide what kind of art goes on their books.
Total creative control over every aspect of publishing has always been the animating spirit of newpub.
What some appear to have forgotten is that the main reason newpub exists is that oldpub outfits were playing gatekeeper, smothering nascent careers, and all around making it harder to earn a living as a writer.
Most newpub authors turned to Amazon because it offered a viable way to make an end run around the gatekeepers.
And it’s a good reference point, since Amazon uses search and marketing algorithms that helped new authors reach readers.
At first.
Now Amazon’s algos make it impossible for anyone to find anything, so newpub authors are moving on.
And that’s the beauty of newpub. We’re not wedded to any market, tool, or method.
When a new one comes along that can help realize an author’s vision, improve his productivity, or bolster his margins, we take advantage of it until it no longer serves authors.
That’s where a majority of newpub authors I’ve seen throwing their hats into the great A.I. debate are coming from.
They’re not fanatical about A.I. art, but they recognize its potential to aid their business. So they’re open to using it.
And that majority attitude relates to “Don’t like it? Don’t use it.”
Because most authors are going to use it.
And it will give them a definite market advantage.
Let’s try a thought experiment.
Author 1 hires artists to design his covers. He spends $500-$1500 per cover and spends 3-6 weeks giving input to the author, approving pencils, and suggesting changes to draft images. Every time he publishes a book.
Author 2 spends $0 and four hours on a Saturday afternoon generating the exact cover he wants every time he publishes a book.
That’s not a dig at anyone. That’s economic reality.
Which makes it more vital than ever for authors to understand why they want to write and publish books.
If you have an awesome story idea clamoring to get out of your brain and onto the page so you can express yourself, that’s great. Use whatever cover art you want. Go ahead and user finger paint if it genuinely expresses your vision for the book.
Just don’t expect to make any money from it.
If, on the other hand, you’re a working author who wants to earn a living by self-publishing, understand that refusing to use A.I. altogether is a business decision with implications analogous to refusing to publish on KDP.
You can do it. There are authors out there who refused to do business with Amazon and succeeded.
But the overwhelming majority who did succeed used the new tool that gave them a competitive advantage.
My intention here is to help authors understand the choices that forces beyond our control have set before us.
You need to figure out if you want to be an amateur who writes mainly for self-expression or a professional who pays the bills with his craft.
And you need to pick one. Before you start writing the book.
To be frank, I’m suspicious of any meme that tries to convince authors to disadvantage themselves.
A lot of the anti-A.I. art talking points have the ring of anti-SP, anti-GG, and anti-Trump rhetoric from back in the day.
It doesn’t help that oldpub stands to benefit most from newpub authors swearing off A.I. art.
Cui bono?
From what I’ve seen, a lot of accounts like these:
Anti-A.I. art sentiment has come to a head in the past few days. And attempts to backtrace it keep turning up oldpub witches.
This new round of yelling at clouds doesn’t feel organic. In fact, it smells like freshly mowed astrotruf.
Maybe I’m wrong. But I’ve been covering industry movements like this for a decade now. And my track record’s pretty good.
Guess we’ll see.
It’s no skin off my back either way.
I’ve always hired artists to design my covers or designed my own.
My interest here is the same as always: Reaching up for the next rung of the ladder while reaching one hand down to help the next guy up.
One thing we can all agree on is that newpub authors should support each other and deny support to people who hate us.
My best selling book yet, whose cover I made myself, shows you how.
