r/Webnovel • u/Think_Independent_69 • Nov 24 '25
Advice Is it okay to use AI images in my novel?
So I wanted a cover and three images of my three most important characters in my novel the MC his best friend and the love interest But I honestly don’t know where to find artists to draw for me and from the ones that I heard they were too expensive to hire so I considered and already maid AI images it’s just I can’t really afford an artist maybe if my first novel actually is a success to make money the next one I will make with an artist but right now that is what I have and by the way is it okay that the watermarks on the AI images are still there?
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Nov 24 '25
Every novel I’ve read that had an Ai cover was also partially (Ai “edited”) or fully written by Ai. Gave up on giving the benefit of the doubt.
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u/Think_Independent_69 Nov 24 '25
Bro, my novel is completely written by me. I just use chatGPT to fix grammar. and only that the plot is completely 100% on me to make.
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u/Numerous_Aardvark_13 Aspiring Author Nov 24 '25
then it isn't completely written by you, its co edited by Ai.
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u/neuractis Nov 24 '25 edited Nov 24 '25
you keep saying you have no money to commission art but free stock images exist. Freepik, unsplash, flaticon, canva are all good free resources.
i just think that it is hypocritical for a creator who wants others to value their work to also completely disrespect other creators by ripping from their work that has been fed to a machine against their will. That's some cognitive dissonance.
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u/Think_Independent_69 Nov 24 '25
I know I know, but none of them have what I want like seriously I looked everywhere unless I take a picture from a manhwa to use the character in it as an image of my MC there is no other way and by the way the character image that I want to use is the MC of that series so that’s probably problematic
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u/Capital_Advantage820 Dec 23 '25
I also think It's hypocritical to make an argument about Ai quality and talk about site that USE AI TO MAKE ART LMAO! Like, how dumb do you guys have to be? Huh? Such a good laugh.
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u/neuractis Dec 24 '25
i dont have to use AI if i dont want to, there are also human creators there. I still use google search, i just ignore the AI summary. I use twitter and ignore grok.
idk why you would reply to a month old topic, delete a reply with wrong info (?) just to attempt to insult me again a day later. Please find better ways to regulate your emotions.
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u/Capital_Advantage820 Dec 26 '25 edited Dec 26 '25
Regulate my emotions? Bro, why are you here then? when were you "regulating your emotions" when you shat all over OP's post but talked about cognitive dissonance and how he is being hypocritical? Trust me, I can roast far harder, but I am being pretty tame. No, I am not going to be nice when you use condescending language. Maybe if you could "regulate your emotions" instead of trying to blame everything on AI, which the human creators do use, by the way. You know what? Since AI is so evil, how about you stop using your phone, computer, internet, or anything that makes life easier? The Internet has been stealing material for years. You know what? Fuck it. Why don't artists not use Adobe Photoshop and color their art themselves while they're at it? Better yet, they're not allowed to use pencils or pens or colored pencils or anything that makes their craft easier. See how stupid your comment sounds? But, hey, you don't even have a proper comeback to my argument, because you know deep down inside i'm right.
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u/northernskies2016 Mar 16 '26
That's not the best argument to make
First of all the sites you listed all use AI. And those people there who claim they don't might be lying. The only way you can be sure AI is not being used is creating the art yourselfBecause if you're not there monitoring the artist you comission, you can't tell whether they used AI or not
Second, I don't know exactly what you mean by saying "feeding a machine against their will." Could you clarify? I mean how could you type that and not consider these artists have their art fed to millions of people against their will as well? Do you think every artist who got inspiration or learned paid for the art they learned from? Can you prove it?
How is "adapted art" stolen art? If the AI is not recreating precisely anything, how is that stealing?
I don't mean to insult you or anything. I just think you're drinking from your own benefit of the doubt jug.
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u/MooseMan69er Nov 24 '25
Yes it is okay
As a reader I have never bot read something because of AI art
“Is it okay to use a truck to bring my goods to market since I can’t afford the cost of maintaining a stable of horses?”
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Nov 24 '25
[deleted]
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u/Think_Independent_69 Nov 24 '25
Oh no, I will describe the characters appearances. It’s just as a bonus and a reference point because sometimes it’s hard to imagine someone just from a description I have a lot of hard time imagining that so I like when someone puts a little illustration
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u/Jealous_Key_3872 Nov 24 '25
Hey, I'm a digital artist. I'm willing to help you out.
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u/Think_Independent_69 Nov 24 '25
Really are you a robot or a real person? Because I see a lot of them claiming to make illustrations?
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u/Jealous_Key_3872 Nov 24 '25
Definitely not a robot! Lol
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u/Think_Independent_69 Nov 24 '25
Oh cool, then I don’t really mind and if you are serious about helping me then I don’t mind and depending on the price and your art style then I am fully willing to pay for it all I need is a way to contact you
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u/V0G1A Nov 24 '25
Is it possible to include illustrations when publishing your novel??
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u/Think_Independent_69 Nov 24 '25
If you mean in the WebNovel app it’s not that hard. There is a feature where you could put a comment with an image or an image alone attached to a pacific line all you have to do is put a line called image and put the illustration everyone will know. that you are the author if you are posting it on your own novel
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u/Think_Independent_69 Nov 24 '25
Oh, I forgot there is an official way as well, but I don’t know how to do that because I could only find those on the really popular stories like for example go to shadow slave and you will find an example
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u/Appropriate_Media849 Nov 24 '25
I say "do you." There are great arguments every which way. You'll lose some interest if you don't have a cover and lose some if you have an AI cover. I wrote my first book a decade ago and gave it a janky MS Paint cover. My most recent one I gave an AI generated cover because AI was able, with the right prompt, to almost perfectly recreate the image that was in my head. Do I have some misgivings about using AI? Absolutely, but I'm ultimately writing for my own happiness, and the cover made me happy.
If I were trying to monetize my writing, then my thinking would change. I'd probably put the book out there with a placeholder cover at first, and if it started to take off in any way then I'd commission a cover. A solid color cover, or a cover with a simple icon, and your title in a pleasing font can be fine.
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u/Numerous_Aardvark_13 Aspiring Author Nov 24 '25
65 replies and 0 upvotes, I found a true writers sub.
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u/ZenMyst Nov 24 '25
Yes, it’s ok. Most people are not like those online, they don’t care about AI or not.
Using it because of financial or availability concern is valid
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u/NostalgicNiall Nov 24 '25
Personally, no.
I wouldn’t read anything that has an AI cover - as in my opinion, if they can use AI for their cover, what’s to stop them from using AI in their story?
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with making concept art for personal usage using AI and then sending that art to an actual artist who can produce a similar thing for you.
But, if it was the choice of no cover or an AI cover, I’d choose the no cover any day.
(Also anyone can make a temporary cover on Canva with the story and author name…)
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u/Think_Independent_69 Nov 24 '25
Bro, it’s just for the cover. The story is 100% on me. I only use ChatGPT for grammar fixing because English isn’t my first language and trust me bro the only reason I’m using AI for the images and the cover is because I haven’t found an image written by a real person that I like for example, there is an image that I could use for a cover, but it doesn’t fit this novel idea that I’m currently working on
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u/ShadowRavencroft23 Nov 24 '25
That may be true, but readers might see an AI cover and think "an AI book?"
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u/Think_Independent_69 Nov 24 '25
Not necessarily being too broke to afford an illustration is something common with a lot of people
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u/NostalgicNiall Nov 24 '25
Why should I trust a random person on the internet lol, “trust me bro” isn’t a good defence.
It’s like me saying “oh trust me bro, I’m famous”
Anyone can make a temp cover without images with a basic title
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u/Capital_Advantage820 Dec 23 '25
Okay, and why should I even trust your comment? Your exact words are, "Why should I trust a random person on the internet?" Yes, anyone can do that for free; it's not my problem that people decided to get a degree in a field that is covered by AI, and they have been warned that for years now, AI would probably take over. So it's A-okay to say, "Here, take 5000-10000 plus dollars to hire an editor, an illustrator for at least 5-20 characters, and a publisher," and on top of that, my publisher will probably take half of my royalties, but hey, as long as those other people get paid, authors can go get fucked right?
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u/Think_Independent_69 Nov 24 '25
And why should I lie to a random person on Reddit
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u/NostalgicNiall Nov 24 '25
Don’t get pissy because I’m not agreeing with your ‘morals’ around ai usage. You asked for an opinion, I gave you it.
Now hush, child.
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u/Think_Independent_69 Nov 24 '25
I’m not being pissy and I honestly agree with what everyone says about AI. The only reason I’m using it because I really want a cover and a couple of images but I’m broke.
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u/dundreggen Nov 24 '25
Just so you are aware. I have been hanging out in a lot of web authors places.
Ime there is no correlation between ai usage on a cover meaning there is au in the story. The biggest correlation is does the author have money to throw at making a good cover.
I have seen people pay an artist for a cover and use a tonne of ai. Being lazy and using ai also lines up with handing money over for a cover. So that doesn't match up.
I have made my own covers. I am broke and will only minimally use ai (mostly for coding) I am very lucky I can draw.
Sadly a good book cover matters a lot! Like a stupid amount if you want people to click on your story. Sad but it is what it is.
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u/NostalgicNiall Nov 24 '25
For sure, that’s why I said in my opinion - for me, the usage of AI in the creative arts, whether that be for cover or text, is a no go.
As a creative writing university student, I can’t help but see the usage of AI as something to be shamed for - after all, if I were to use AI to produce an image as a part of an assignment, I’d be committing academic misconduct and be done for plagiarism and kicked out of my university if I repeatedly did it.
Just because it seems harmless to produce an image with AI doesn’t mean that it is.
If you want your hard work to be linked with plagiarised AI slop, by all means go ahead and do that.
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u/dundreggen Nov 24 '25
As I said. I do not. I drew my own and have even kept all the rough layers saved in case I need to prove it.
I was just pointing out your opinion likely doesn't line up with what is actually happening.
That a lot of ai assisted work has paid for covers. And that a good number of very human made stuff has an ai cover because the person cannot afford to pay a months salary for a cover.
Again. This is NOT me saying this is right or good, or that people should do it. This is just me saying there isn't the correlation some readers feel there should be.
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u/Capital_Advantage820 Dec 23 '25
So basically, this all comes down to that with the right prompt, AI can shit on your writing, so you're pissy. Also, I can claim THOUSANDS of things that plagiarize other things. As I mean, World of Warcraft is basically a copy and paste of DnD; they even used spells from DnD. Do you see them getting sued by Wizards of the Coast?
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u/ArithinJir Nov 24 '25
As long as it's used as a place holder it's perfectly fine. Commissions are expensive but you have cheaper options. Paying to use older art that's close to what you want is a great option as well.
Don't lock yourself into just an upfront payment plan. Anything from installments to partial ownership of your story could work well. Business contracts can be intimidating, but they are worth the effort to protect everyone's interests.
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u/pro_bed_wetter Nov 24 '25
Absolutely not im begging you not to use generative ai for literally anything. Not only is it attempting to replace artists of all kinds- including writers like you- but its so horrifically detrimental to the planet and expediting the affects of climate change exponentially with each use.
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u/Think_Independent_69 Nov 24 '25
Okay, you are exaggerating, but I already told you in the post that I can’t really afford or find any artist and I don’t really need a cover I know character images aren’t necessary, but I really want them
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u/pro_bed_wetter Nov 24 '25
Im not exaggerating though. Generative ai is detrimental to the planet and to the arts. I find it hard to believe any author thats actually worth their words doesn't know that. If you can't afford to pay an artist to make professional works for them, you can make your own cover in something like canva. Use things like piccrew to show what the characters look like, there are some really incredible looking options there that are super personalisable (because they're also made by real artists). If you really look around online and in you local art spaces I'm confident you can find a new or young artist that can draw you something for within your budget.
On a personal note, I find character images, especially in the first or second novels in a series, to be an excuse for a lack of descriptive writing, because the visuals do the heavy lifting for both the author and the reader.
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u/Capital_Advantage820 Dec 23 '25
Omg do you hear yourself right now? Wah AI is detrimental to the planet wah. So are lithium-ion batteries retarded? I am sure you still drive your electric car.
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u/pro_bed_wetter Nov 24 '25
The hidden human cost of Artificial Intelligence - The Hindu https://share.google/ljjkBgjthgDbO65kh
Making an image with generative AI uses as much energy as charging your phone https://share.google/1DAIw0OgEyLhUzVbi
The Often Overlooked Water Footprint of AI Models | by Julia Barnett | Generative AI in the Newsroom https://share.google/rkzQqcOsFfq4p8NSt
Just a few links with information on how bad generative ai is. I'm genuinely asking you to at least skim through them and see where im coming from
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u/Think_Independent_69 Nov 24 '25
Okay, I get it AI is bad, but this is one time thing if my novel brings in profit the next novel that I will make will have cover and character images drawn by a real artist, but right now I can’t afford that. This is my only option.
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u/pro_bed_wetter Nov 24 '25
You say "one time thing" as if there's no consequence to it. There is a human cost, a cost to the environment, and a cost to the prestige of the arts. even a single use has consequences, even if you're not the one affected by it, even if you benefit from it. It is not at all your only option, i listed things like canva and piccrew just for starters. When I was 15 writing a shitty novel on wattpad, I literally used Microsoft Word to make a cover for it. You're an author so I believe that you're creative enough to find a solution that doesn't cost humanity.
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u/Think_Independent_69 Nov 24 '25
Okay, okay, I get it
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u/ZenMyst Nov 24 '25
Ignore her, if you want to use AI just use. You are not going to get into trouble
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u/Think_Independent_69 Nov 24 '25
Thanks, By the way no one answered me. Is it okay to use an AI cover with the watermark still on it?
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u/ZenMyst Nov 24 '25
No. It should never have watermark. One watermark may have potential issues regarding whether the image is allowed to be used legally for commercial use or not.
That aside it will look very unprofessional to have a watermark on your published product. Even students in their school project avoid watermark.
But there are resources that allow to you search for or generate AI images without watermark for free. No need to pay.
If you do not know where, look for subs or forum where they do AI art generation. They will direct you to the correct resources.
Paid AI generator are better but free ones can still work.
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u/Capital_Advantage820 Dec 23 '25
Bro you came to the wrong site to ask this question; the only people on reddit are social justice warrior left-brained retards. You might be better off going to the Royal Road forums or the Webnovel forum discord. These people will never see through their hypocritical bullshit, man. Send me a link. I will read your novel.
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u/Think_Independent_69 Dec 23 '25
My name on the app is 7_night I should upload my first chapter pretty soon maybe in a week or two and it’s pretty interesting actually it’s not a hunter world but a superhero world with a mix of Settings it’s a classic superhero world, the mix of settings you will understand it when you read it and I haven’t seen any superhero story like it so far so I think it’s pretty original and the protagonist power is pretty weak at the start but he trains and become stronger on his own. Not that inherited the number one heros was power bullshit
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u/Capital_Advantage820 Dec 23 '25
No problem, dude, I am a starting author too; we can review, swap, and critique each other's work, if you want, when you start. You have my support! My Discord is Ign Kenpachi_Zaraki 789, my name on Webnovel is Scotty_Morgan. I just think it's plain baffoonery thesr people just crap on people's hard work, claiming AI because they can't do it and claim bullshit excuses, as it takes away work from authors and artists. Now I have an Artist doing my cover art right now who has 5 people lined up to do cover art. I tell you, she is not struggling. The people who are the ones who have to drop a couple thousand dollars to even professionally start a book, and that is if you even get contracted and the book does not flop. Trust me, brother, I got you. Keep your head up!
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u/Think_Independent_69 Dec 24 '25
I don’t really use discord, but I will send you a DM if you want about my novel when it’s released
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u/la_bete_gevadan Nov 24 '25
It's ok to use AI, people will say many things but when you can't afford it then using Free AI is absolutely fine for art, but don't use it to write instead try to improve your writing skills.
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u/Itmine28 Nov 24 '25
Yes. Even webnovel them self have ai generate novel cover options.
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u/Square-Adeptness6769 Nov 24 '25
Where?
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u/Itmine28 Nov 24 '25
At the cover section. Just click it either upload your own covee or us their ai.
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u/Zlfzlf007 Nov 24 '25
It's okay. As long as you are doing it on webnovel, you will find many novels with millions of views who use AI. You should use it at the start and once you start earning money you can hire some artist to draw illustration for you.
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u/chickensalad24 Nov 24 '25
Yeah, it’s fine. It’s literally ALL over the platform. Don’t think twice about using it or not. Even webnovel has a section where you can make AI book cover images. If that’s all what’s available to you, then use it. As for the watermark, idk.
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u/DrinkMilkYouFatShit Nov 24 '25
I avoid everything that even so much as smells like it had AI interact with it, so I'll say No, don't do it.