As much as we're told not to, it's only natural to judge a book by its cover. After all, the author has chosen that image specifically to represent his or her tale. So, after days, weeks, months, or even years of hard work, in creating a story for the masses to enjoy, it's crucial to choose a base image that fits your story.

What's a base image? Simply put, it's just the image that you start with (as a base) for your book cover, before adding any other elements to it (such as special effects, overlays or titles). 

Where does one find base images to use for book covers? Well, countless graphics fill the space of the interweb. Really, you could find cool images just about anywhere. If you're simply typing keywords into Google Images and picking a graphic that you like from the results, however, just be aware that you may be using a photo that belongs to somebody else.

Why is it a problem to use an image that somebody else owns? Isn't everything on the internet free for the taking? Without getting into the nitty-gritty legalities of it, I'll just speak ethically: it's unfair to the person holding the rights to that image. The copyright owner may not want his or her photograph to be used in such a way, or to be representing your story (as good as it may be). Having someone's else name on your creation is never a nice feeling. Whether it's an actual photograph or something created entirely in Photoshop, the creator has spent lots of time and energy on it. That's not including the time that person has spent beforehand, learning their craft, in order to produce something of quality. Simply put, it's stealing. The equivalent for us writers would be someone plagiarizing one of our chapters.

Well then, how do I find a base image that's safe to use? Luckily, some websites do exist to serve this very purpose. The best one I've found is Unsplash.com. There, you will find hundreds of thousands of high resolution, royalty-free images. What that means is, the photographer (or image creator) has released all rights to that photo on Unsplash. You are free to edit the photo as much as you wish. You can even use the photos commercially, if you'd like. You do not need to ask permission to use the images, nor do they require attribution. 

But will I be able to find an image that I actually like? I think it'd be difficult not to find one or two that are visually appealing to you! On Unsplash, there are tons of categories to choose from, including (but not limited to): love, nature, technology, travel, food, space, health, friendship, fashion, animals. With so many different photographers (and therefore, unique styles) coming together in one place, you're sure to find something you like. (Hint: try using creative keywords to find a base image that really suits your story!)

Happy editing! 

Tutorial by: ReeReverie

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