eBook Publishing - Cover Art

[Boxlicker101]

Thanks, Box. $2 sounds doable to me. The thing that annoys me about these sites is that one photo might be $2, but you have to buy a minimum number of "credits" to purchase, which is usually $50. Sneaky bastards!

The sites I mentioned do sell credits, and it is cheaper overall to buy and use them, rather than buying one image at a time. You can do the latter, but it will cost between two and three dollars. I have submitted over fifty titles, so it's worth my while to buy credits and use them.

One other caution: If you buy images, be sure they are 600 pixels wide and 900 high, or something similar. That's about the size of an ordinary paperback cover. If they are square or horizontal, they must be resized larger and will get a bit pixelated.

 

[McKenna]

Don't pick at it, it'll never get better! (momma always said)

Oooooh, you know I can't resist picking. *pick, pick, pick* All I need now is a little chianti and fava beans.

The sites I mentioned do sell credits, and it is cheaper overall to buy and use them, rather than buying one image at a time. You can do the latter, but it will cost between two and three dollars. I have submitted over fifty titles, so it's worth my while to buy credits and use them.

One other caution: If you buy images, be sure they are 600 pixels wide and 900 high, or something similar. That's about the size of an ordinary paperback cover. If they are square or horizontal, they must be resized larger and will get a bit pixelated.

I don't have 50 titles, so I think I'm safe buying one or two images. We'll see if anything comes of it; never know until we try, right?

 

[McKenna]

Another question for you veteran cover-makers: Do I need to purchase the "extended license" for a stock photo if I plan to use it for a book cover?

I found an image I like on 123rf.com; the site says "Using this image for resale items? You need to purchase an Extended License for this image." A book is a resale item, yes?

 

[THROBBS]

HEADS UP!

in an attempt to be helpful, I was looking at the 123rf site terms and found:

4. You may NOT:

(a)......(e)......

(f) under any circumstances, use Content in connection with any pornographic, obscene, immoral, defamatory or illegal materials; endorsement of product(s); sensitive mental/health/other similar aspect of contexts or subjects; and / or



Of course they have to catch you first, but it is spelled out in the terms.

 

[sr71plt]

HEADS UP!

in an attempt to be helpful, I was looking at the 123rf site terms and found:

4. You may NOT:

(a)......(e)......

(f) under any circumstances, use Content in connection with any pornographic, obscene, immoral, defamatory or illegal materials; endorsement of product(s); sensitive mental/health/other similar aspect of contexts or subjects; and / or



Of course they have to catch you first, but it is spelled out in the terms.

They'd have to catch a whole lot of people.

 

[THROBBS]

They'd have to catch a whole lot of people.

I am sure.

"i have read, and agree to the terms of agreement" has become the biggest lie beyond "the check's in the mail", "I won't come in your mouth"...etc

 

[R. Richard]

A cover image doesn't have to fill out an entire 6 inch by 9 inch cover. You can place a 'title box' or 'author box' above and below the stock photo. Then, you get the required size, without expanding the photo to where it gets grainy.

 

[McKenna]

I am sure.

"i have read, and agree to the terms of agreement" has become the biggest lie beyond "the check's in the mail", "I won't come in your mouth"...etc

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! OMG, so true!

 

[TxRad]

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! OMG, so true!

Love the new AV

 

[lovecraft68]

Oooooh, you know I can't resist picking. *pick, pick, pick* All I need now is a little chianti and fava beans.





I don't have 50 titles, so I think I'm safe buying one or two images. We'll see if anything comes of it; never know until we try, right?

I think you can do a $20 package on 123rf.

I went ahead bought a pack fro around $90 that way the credits would last awhile.

And of course in no way shape or form would I ever condone using them in any erotic way.

Even though many of them are actually very erotic

 

[lovecraft68]

I am sure.

"i have read, and agree to the terms of agreement" has become the biggest lie beyond "the check's in the mail", "I won't come in your mouth"...etc

I have come to believe that terms and conditions equals "CYA"

They turn their head and don;t give a rats ass until someone complains about something then they use it to get rid of whatever was complained about.

Do you know that in Amazon's "policies" it is forbidden to use sexually explicit descriptions?

Now, let's see, how many erotica titles are for sale there right now?

But, if they ever decide to kow tow to some moral group or get tired of kids stumbling on these things (because heaven forbid they have some type of adult section) they could easily eliminate every erotica title from their site.

Then people would say"But its been there for years!" and they would simply say "terms and conditions" and ignore you.

 

[sr71plt]

Then people would say"But its been there for years!" and they would simply say "terms and conditions" and ignore you.

Why, yes, they can. And always could have regardless of having it in their policy statements. They could choose to decided in the next ten minutes what they would do business with and what not to do business with.

So, isn't the point that we should appreciate what they are permitting for as long as they do so?

 

[lovecraft68]

Why, yes, they can. And always could have regardless of having it in their policy statements. They could choose to decided in the next ten minutes what they would do business with and what not to do business with.

So, isn't the point that we should appreciate what they are permitting for as long as they do so?

I'm not bitching about it at all, just simply pointing out the double standard of it. They'll turn the other cheek (and make the money) until something happens and this would be their "escape" we were all simply breaking the rules.

And yes they can choose who to do or not do business. Meaning that if they wanted to eliminate Indy authors(which many of their recent games indicate they would like to) it is within their rights.

If you think amazon is "interesting" try e-bay. They own paypal, yet when there are issues one basically pretends to have no knowledge of the others policies and as the seller/buyer bounces from one to the other they look the other way and whistle (while holding hands behind their backs.)

In fact one of the biggest BS policy changes ever was a few years ago when E-bay declared Paypal was the only way a buyer could pay.

Sellers could no longer accept MO's or checks it had to be paypal, which of course they own and get a fee for every transaction.

Unethical? yes? Illegal hmmmm. But who would challenge them?

However there was an interesting article on the web from an attorney stating something about if it is "US tender" they would have to accept it and someone could win a lawsuit. After of course they spent tens of thousands in legal fees.

 

[THROBBS]

up to the user... just CYownA

 

[McKenna]

I think you can do a $20 package on 123rf.

I went ahead bought a pack fro around $90 that way the credits would last awhile.

And of course in no way shape or form would I ever condone using them in any erotic way.

Even though many of them are actually very erotic

I was thinking the same thing! In fact, I searched for "erotic" on the 123rf site. I think you're spot on with the CYA malarkey. Grand.

 

[THROBBS]

"erotic"/"pornographic" shurg...go ahead and bicker the definitions.

Me, I'd go elsewhere, their images are not that tasty.

 

[McKenna]

"erotic"/"pornographic" shurg...go ahead and bicker the definitions.

Me, I'd go elsewhere, their images are not that tasty.

Yes. Better to cover my ass in this instance.

 

[_Lynn_]

I haven't paid for cover art so far. This is the newest one I put together using GIMP.

Quite often I check this site for free photos.

 

[McKenna]

I haven't paid for cover art so far. This is the newest one I put together using GIMP.

Quite often I check this site for free photos.

Nice, thanks for the link!

 

[THROBBS]

HEADS UP!

in an attempt to be helpful, I was looking at the 123rf site terms and found:

4. You may NOT:

(a)......(e)......

(f) under any circumstances, use Content in connection with any pornographic, obscene, immoral, defamatory or illegal materials; endorsement of product(s); sensitive mental/health/other similar aspect of contexts or subjects; and / or



Of course they have to catch you first, but it is spelled out in the terms.

whereas istock photo says:
"you may not:
1......5
6. "use the Content in a fashion that is considered by iStockphoto (acting reasonably) as or under applicable law is considered pornographic, obscene, immoral, infringing, defamatory or libelous in nature, or that would be reasonably likely to bring any person or property reflected in the Content into disrepute;
...."

This, I would say allows a bit more wiggle room, because "in a fashion" (if you do not add "obscene" text, or alter the image ... much) would be no more erotic/pornographic than the original image.

While the 123rf terms use "under any circumstances" "in connection with" <<<< that can be your story.

Again, this is not law, it is their terms, which are binding to whatever extent that is.... so scoff the terms or not. You prob won't end up in jail for that. I think they revoke your rights to use the image and ban you..*****b if you persist, you would meet with legal trouble. Again, that would be after they caught you.

 

[JackLuis]

I haven't paid for cover art so far. This is the newest one I put together using GIMP.

Quite often I check this site for free photos.

Cool Mistress, I like your new cover and the site has helpful hints too!

 

[lovecraft68]

I was thinking the same thing! In fact, I searched for "erotic" on the 123rf site. I think you're spot on with the CYA malarkey. Grand.

This is an image I just purchased.

Yeah, umm, nothing erotic at all about this one

http://www.123rf.com/photo_12547844_man-with-two-women-on-bed-portrait.html

What's scary is the women could pass for mother/daughter. That's not the story I am writing but the more I look at it the more I see it.

 

[THROBBS]

This is an image I just purchased.

Yeah, umm, nothing erotic at all about this one

http://www.123rf.com/photo_12547844_man-with-two-women-on-bed-portrait.html

What's scary is the women could pass for mother/daughter. That's not the story I am writing but the more I look at it the more I see it.

sure...but the tricksie part is they say "in connection with" "pornographic" "obscene" "immoral"...which might be your material, which you put "in connection" with theirs.

 

[R. Richard]

In regard to the cover question. I bought a Bigstock photo for the cover of my Topless Adventure story. I was questioned as to the use. I pointed out that the image on the cover was a brunette and the protagonist was a blonde, thus I was not using a character from the story on the cover. That seemed top satisfy them.

 

[lovecraft68]

sure...but the tricksie part is they say "in connection with" "pornographic" "obscene" "immoral"...which might be your material, which you put "in connection" with theirs.

True, but at the end of the day are they really going to start scouring the e-book sites and tracking down thousand of authors using their photos for erotica?

And for "Immoral?" well then they better make sure no politicians have ever used any in a campaign