I choose many of the images for my blog from those offered by Wix. If none appeal, I either change the subject of what I'd painstakingly pondered for weeks, or use Publisher to create a 'good enough' visual match.
Creative d.i.y. takes a lot of time.
The absorbed girl in the picture is on a rooftop. From her left; coffee, mobile, other hand on keyboard, finally a cactus. Is she an actual writer? I like the picture because there's plenty catching my interest. But once this is published, what then? Have I chosen well for others?
Details and relevance matter.
What if in the future there are copyright issues with my using this photo, even though there aren't now? Copyright is an especially big issue right now. Writers need book covers. Truly original designs are going to come from expensive cover designers. People are people. Time costs. Some value their worth more than others. I've seen social posts with 'professional covers mean more sales'. Hm. Always? Really? There are tons of great covers, created 'affordable' for the lower-income writers.
We know many authors have little-to-no-book sales. Not because of the quality or content of their books, but because they can't afford to pay what quality book cover creators deserve/charge for their work. 'Affordable' covers tend to look alike. How different and extraordinary is anything these days?
For indie authors, a book's cover is one tiny piece of the whole picture. Especially for those who go completely solo; drafting/writing to editing, to proofing, to making the book cover, to publishing and finally promoting. IT is forever evolving and can be something else to add to the tab. Going it alone takes an incrdible amount of time. Sometimes barely one book every year or two years. Many authors write because that's what they want to do; if they make minimum wage from it, they consider themselves lucky!
If you know an indie author, and they're offering you their book free of any expectation, ie feedback, or a review, then please, at least offer to buy them a coffee or a cup of tea.
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