I’ve put this on all the book pages I am doing new covers for my Springhurst Sweets series. When I first printed them, everything was aligned and perfect, but since then, even though it is the same file, something has changed and it is unacceptable. While I have some of the older covers left, I am switching over to a simpler design without a couple and a background that will not have alignment issues for the spine, etc.
I would like this known that I am not putting this out there because someone accused me of using generative AI but with the cover being a completely different style, I wanted to say something about my process of making it and writing the books.
AI, especially generative AI, is a hot-button issue lately (trust me, if you are part of any creative groups like writing or covers, it might as well be politics). While I make my own covers and choose to exclude generative AI-created stock photos that I purchase to make my covers, I also run those pictures through AI detectors, which may or may not be useful. Some say they are, and some say they aren’t. I have noticed that sometimes they say an image is real and the next time; the image is fake. I have made sure that more than one detector says my images are likely real.
I do not use generative AI in my books nor do I judge anyone who does because I am not the book police. I do, however, do things through Book Brush and Canva to remove backgrounds, turn things into line art, fade, or put on filters. That is the extent of my photo manipulation. As far as writing is concerned, besides showing to other people for editing, I use ProWritingAid, but I use it for spell check and to make sure my commas are in the right spot (those darn things). I do not use it to make new sentences or anything like that.
Anyways, that’s it. No angry words or bashing of people or calling things “AI slop” (not sure why that is the phrase I see all the time but something about it makes me giggle a little).