As a decades-long fan of science fiction and fantasy, I’ve always been enamored of illustrated book covers. I’m old enough to remember the time when SFF and romance covers with stunning art by human artists filled bookstore shelves. It was a real feast for the eyes.

Of course, that was also when publishers had no choice but to market books with illustrated covers. Technology like Photoshop didn’t exist yet. But that worked out well because illustrated covers were and are perfect for many SFF book covers. The artists routinely and effectively captured the fantastical characters and settings from the stories.

Then came the rise of stock images, which are used in everything from marketing to book covers these days. Publishers perceive stock images as more cost-effective and such images often fast-track the creation of book covers. Yet SFF and romance book covers made with stock images are hard-pressed to replicate the level of artistry and specific detail of illustrated covers.

Skilled graphic designers can enhance stock images in many ways, but they’re limited in others. All of this means that illustrated book covers by human artists are ideal even as market forces routinely conspire against them.

Looming on the horizon: AI text-to-image generators

AI text-to-image generators like MidJourney and Dall-E 2 currently have the tech world abuzz with possibilities. While this type of software is still in the development phase, traditional publishers are already using it to create illustrated book covers. That choice comes with a price because AI-generated art software poses a significant threat to the livelihoods of human artists. If publishers perceive AI-generated art to be cheaper, human artists might be displaced from the market even more than they already have been.

As if that strategy wasn’t questionable enough, the companies behind AI art generators reportedly aren’t being transparent about their sourcing. Are they stealing from the art of human artists to perfect their software? There are too many legal and ethical questions at play, which is likely why City Owl Press released a statement indicating they won’t “…use AI artwork in its design projects…” (AI (Artificial Intelligence) Artwork Policy)

The advantages of illustrated romance book covers made by human artists

When I first started releasing science fiction romances through small-press publishers, they made the cover art using stock images, which had become standard by then. While serviceable, they didn’t truly capture the characters and world of the story. So, whenever I had a chance to commission an illustrated cover for my sci-fi romance books, I seized the day.

Artist Christine Griffin illustrated an amazing cover for my steampunk romance, Iron Guns, Blazing Hearts. She depicted the characters, story action, and setting in ways that exceeded my expectations.

Shop at the store of Christine Griffin.

For my steampunk romance quartet, A Villainous Affair, I had the honor of working with Elizabeth Peiró. She made stunning, highly detailed covers and her illustrations reminded me of the amazing SFF book cover art I’d seen decades earlier. The AVA covers are also 100% specific to the story—a feat that only a human artist can achieve.

Learn more about Elizabeth Peiró.

My next book was an f/f time travel romance. Julie & Winifred’s Most Excellent Adventure is geeky in nature, which demanded a comic book style for the cover.

During the story’s development, I decided to lean into the energy of the time travel comedy Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (which you can kinda tell from my title, ha ha!). The stories are wildly different but share a sensibility as far as their lighthearted tones and the close bonds between the main characters.

The book needed a cover that promised a romance as well as conveyed the time travel element. By working with a human artist, I would only have to spend minutes communicating my ideas for the cover, as opposed to the weeks/months it would have taken using an AI text-to-image generator. The learning curve just isn’t worth it—especially since I’m not an artist and there would have been zero guarantees the cover would have suited the book.

Evolution of the illustrated book cover for Julie & Winifred’s Most Excellent Adventure

The first step was finding an artist who could channel the energy of my story into a fun, compelling cover. Thanks to romance book Twitter, I discovered the vibrant work of Eileen Widjaja. Even better, she’s also a comic book artist, which made her a perfect fit for this project.

Enjoy the fantastic cover she created for Julie & Winifred’s Most Excellent Adventure:

Next, I put together a file of reference images for the characters as well as some general composition possibilities. I also gave Eileen the freedom to pitch her own ideas in case mine weren’t workable. This was the time for the artist to work her magic and I couldn’t wait to discover the spell she would weave for the illustration.

Then came the initial round of sketches—a super exciting moment, let me tell you! Eileen provided three terrific options to choose from. The first featured Winifred leaning against Julie, with Julie posed in a way that was an homage to the Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure poster. The second showed Julie and Winifred standing back-to-back while holding hands. The third featured them walking through a time tunnel while holding hands. All versions featured them smiling, so the cover could convey the story’s joyful tone.

I chose the version of Julie and Winifred walking through a time tunnel because it included all the elements that the cover needed: a kinetic feel, happy vibes, romance, and a sense of adventure.

Coincidentally, one of the reference images I’d given the artist was from the time travel movie See You Yesterday. In that action-packed promotional image, the two main characters are wearing time travel gear and running toward the viewer. My reason for sharing it with the artist was for the aesthetic/colors, but I had never imagined a cover with Julie & Winifred in motion against a time travel backdrop. Turns out that dynamic concept clicked with me the most!

My experience demonstrates how important it is for authors to avoid investing too much in one idea for their commissioned covers because an even better idea could be just around the corner. After all, we’re hiring an artist for a reason! That kind of expertise is also why human artists will always surpass AI text-to-image generated art.

More excited anticipation on my part followed. Eileen proceeded through the line art and color rough stages, followed by the final illustration. The result thrilled me to no end. Hearts were popping out of my eyes!

Disaster Pets For The Win!

To provide even more entertainment, I also commissioned an image featuring the story’s Disaster Pets: Shelby the Pomeranian and Spritle the American Shorthair cat. Eileen Widjaja nailed this illustration from the start. Check out these adorable cuties:

Eileen did an amazing job, eh?! I hope you have as much fun reading about Julie, Winifred, Shelby, and Spritle as I did writing the story and collaborating with the artist for the book’s fantastic illustrations!

About the Illustrator

Eileen Widjaja is a writer and artist currently working and living at Indonesia. She has worked for numerous clients throughout the years and contributed to a great variety of projects. Eileen is always looking for new projects and experiences, especially in the comic industry.

Website: https://www.eileenwidjaja.com/

Twitter: @eileenwdj

Store: https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/eileenwdj/

About the Author

Heather Massey (she/her) is a geek mom who's the proud parent of a terrific daughter and married to the love of her life. Heather is best known for her sci-fi romance blog The Galaxy Express.

Though she’s neither an award-winning nor bestselling author (thank you for not judging!), her stories provide quality entertainment by way of fantastical worlds, action-adventure, and larger-than-life characters who fall in love while battling evils such as classist jerks, corporate greed, the patriarchy, and corrupt politicians.

Website: heathermassey.com

Twitter: @thgalaxyexpress

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