How I use AI in my cover design process.

AI is everywhere right now, especially in publishing and design.
If you’re an indie author, it can be hard to know what’s actually going on behind the scenes when someone says they “use AI”.

So here’s the lowdown:

I do use AI as part of my toolkit, but in a very limited, very intentional way.
I don’t use it to replace original illustration, and I don’t use it to churn out fully AI-generated covers.

This page explains exactly how I use AI, how I don’t use it, and what that means for your book.

Quick summary:

  • I only use AI on images I own or have properly licensed (e.g. stock photos, my own photos).

  • AI is used as a retouching / editing tool, not as a “make the whole cover for me” button.

  • I don’t ask AI to copy specific artists, styles, or other book covers.

  • I don’t sell AI-generated images as standalone art or templates.

  • You can request a 100% no-AI cover if you prefer.

  • I don’t use AI to fully generate the main character art and pretend it’s custom illustration.

  • I don’t feed your cover or assets into AI training datasets.

If you want the longer version, keep reading…

What I do use AI for

Think of AI in my workflow like an upgraded retouching brush. It helps with technical tweaks so I can spend more time on the creative decisions that actually sell your book.

Here are some examples of how I might use AI:

1. Editing licensed stock photography

I work a lot with licensed stock images from reputable sources. Sometimes they’re close to perfect, but more often than not they need a little help.

I might use AI tools to:

  • Adjust lighting, atmosphere, weather (e.g. add fog or rain)

  • Tweak clothing, a pose or small details (e.g. make a coat flare more or adjust the hair style)

  • Extend a background or clean up distracting elements

In these cases:

  • The base image is a properly licensed photograph.

  • The AI is effectively a smart retouching assistant

  • The final result is still grounded in a real model and a real shoot, not a made-up human built entirely from AI

2. Enhancing my own imagery

If I’m working from my own photos or custom elements I’ve created, I may use AI to:

  • Add subtle texture or atmosphere

  • Fill in edges or extend environments

  • Blend multiple elements together more smoothly

Again: the original work is mine; AI is just helping to polish

3. Supporting, not starring

Any AI-assisted element is always part of a larger, intentional design:

  • The composition, typography, colour choices, hierarchy and overall concept are created by me

  • AI isn’t deciding what your cover looks like; it’s helping me refine what I’ve already decided it should look like for your genre and market

What I don’t use AI for

This is just as important.

1. No “fully AI-generated” character covers

I don’t use AI to:

  • Generate your main character from scratch with a prompt

  • Produce a full “painted” or “photo-real” character and pass it off as a custom illustration

If your cover needs proper character art, that’s done through illustration, photography, or a hybrid approach that I actually build myself, not something I type into a prompt box and call done.

2. No style theft

I don’t ask AI to:

  • Mimic specific artists (“make it look like [Famous Illustrator]”)

  • Copy the style of particular book covers or cover designers

  • Recreate recognisable copyrighted characters

I care about other artists’ rights and about building a visual identity that feels true to your book, not like a knock-off of someone else’s work.

3. No reselling AI outputs as standalone products

I don’t:

  • Sell AI images as stock or clip art

  • Sell AI-generated cover templates

  • Package AI imagery up on its own as “art prints” or similar

AI-assisted elements only live inside a finished cover design or related assets for your book.

4. No training on your work

I don’t use:

  • Your cover design

  • Your character art

  • Your brand elements

…as training data for AI models. Your project stays your project.

Can I request a 100% no-AI cover?

Absolutely. If you prefer no AI at all in your project, just tell me in your initial email or discovery chat.

In that case, I’ll limit myself to:

  • Stock + manual editing

  • Illustration

  • Typographic-only approaches

  • Traditional photo/illustration workflows

There might be a small difference in time or cost depending on the complexity of what we’re doing, but we’ll discuss that openly before we start.

Why I use AI at all (when I’m being so picky about it!)

Short answer: because used carefully, it:

  • Saves time on the boring technical grunt work

  • Lets me try more variations quickly

  • Helps push certain looks that would otherwise require a big photo shoot

But I’m not interested in replacing human creativity – mine or anyone else’s.

My priorities are:

  1. Ethics – respecting other creators and not pretending AI work is something it isn’t

  2. Honesty – being clear with you about how your cover was made

  3. Effectiveness – creating covers that actually work for your genre and audience

AI is just one tool in the box. It’s not the art director, and it’s definitely not the artist

What all this means for your book

When you work with me, you can expect:

A cover designed intentionally for your genre and target readers

A transparent approach to how images are sourced and edited

The option to avoid AI entirely if that aligns better with your values

If you have questions, concerns, or a strong personal stance on AI, please feel free to tell me. I’d much rather have that conversation openly than leave you wondering.