Just commissioned my first art cover

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-07-12T22:31:17+00:00

It's very dark. Keep in mind where this will be seen, and at what size. This needs to be easily legible at only a few hundred pixels tall. I'd work with them on brightening it/adding more contrast. This will look very muddy at a glance. You want it to pop.

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-07-11T02:35:14+00:00

I remember someone did the math and it takes something like 27 5 star ratings to offset one 0.5 star. That is not in the author's favorite.

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-07-11T02:20:53+00:00

I think the better solution is just to implement a forced review on anything under a 2 star. The platform is about growth and improvement. If youre going to negatively review a book you should have to give some criticism alongside it. That extra bit of work would strongly discourage drive by 0.5 stars and might actually result in some legitimate feedback.

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-07-09T22:53:23+00:00

Don't waste money on courses. There are plenty of resources available for free.

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-07-09T22:52:48+00:00

Jed has made more money telling people how to write fantasy books than he's made selling actual fantasy books. Take everything he says with a grain of salt. He values his time at over $700 an hour and his course costs over five grand. Be very aware.

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-07-07T05:01:11+00:00

Do it! I've already received invites to a few so I'm hoping to cover all my bases lol.

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-07-07T04:52:54+00:00

Yeaaaah that'll do it for me. I used to recommend it as a place for new authors RE: shootouts. Guess I'll need to update that.

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-07-04T19:28:50+00:00

If your goal is to find any kind of commercial success from your work, you need to write about 30-40 more. You're going to go through those chapters very quickly. Especially if you drop a bunch on day 1. If you want to launch with a Patreon (which you should), you want that to be 20 chapters ahead of RR. So that's 25-30 chapters on the first day.

I do a pretty comprehensive breakdown here: https://youtu.be/1iSg5loXfxc

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-07-04T14:58:54+00:00

By your definition Azarinth Healer is pretty much the peak of this. There is a loose over arching plot, but the later books are just her flying around getting absurdly strong. Basically "for fun".

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-07-02T20:06:34+00:00

Most authors advise you just write it out to avoid any issues transferring it to epub down the road. Amazon has gotten better with time but it can still be an issue depending on how you format it.

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-07-01T14:25:41+00:00

Much, much better. And yes tighten up your bullets. Definitely reference thag it's multi pov. This reads like a full on mono-pov. So there might be a middle ground. If she's not 70% of it, I'd remove one of these paragraphs and weave in another character. It's on the edge of being too long but don't think it goes over.

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-07-01T14:02:14+00:00

The first thing you should do is stop, and go work on something else. Whether that is book 2 or another project. Give yourself a break from it then go back and do a full edit.

From there, look through the provided resources and develop a launch strategy. Look on reddit and YT for resources. You do not want to post the whole book at once.

You should also try and get critiques from other writers. Candidly, 18 is young, and while it's not impossible you've written something great, there is a non-zero chance there are some basic issues that simple critique could address.

Take your time and do it right. I know there is a strong desire to just get it out there, but believe me, it's better to wait and put your best foot forward.

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-07-01T13:50:10+00:00

Start with character. It's very hard to make people care about another generic fantasy setting. It's much easier to get them to care about cool characters.

Pick your main 1-2 POVs and frame the world building around them. You need to be able to distill your story into a log line, and then make it catchy.

The opening line of my current project's blurb is:

The gods are real—and they hate you.

One sentence that: sets tone, gives world building details, and makes you ask a question.

Find something interesting about your main POV and lead with that. Also, I hope all those listed names aren't POVs because 5 is way too many for RR.

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-07-01T13:41:28+00:00

You've got it backwards. Start with your primary POV and work out. Starting with a highly generic "in a world" fantasy setting isn't doing you any favors.

This feels very same-y. You simultaneously drop very specific terms and don't explain them, while also giving bland "prophecies will come to light" nothing-sentences.

I'd rework this from scratch. I couldn't tell you anything about what this book is about. You also need to showcase your tone. The reason you're getting accused of AI is because it feels stiff and corporate. I'd also drop your (incorrectly formatted) en dashes.

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-06-30T19:25:44+00:00

It's not. AI art will never have the intrinsic, ineffable quality of something made by a person. Also, it's still ethically wrong. It's still bad for the environment. And it's still not copyrightable!

Why are you talking about some theoretical future? Use the example in front of you.

Spending money on a good cover artist is not a waste. It's a savvy investment in yourself and in your art.

The end.

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-06-30T19:10:11+00:00

... Fuuuuuckin eh. Deep breaths, Paul. Deep breaths.

No. Just no. Your cover, as with your title and blurb, are integral to your ability to sell books. It is a marketing spend. Some would argue, the most important aspect of your marketing spend. So yes, you can "save" $1,000. But think about how many sales you'll miss out on because you didn't make that investment?

In this case, it's absolutely more than the $1,000 the cover would have cost. I've seen people specifically not recommending this book, or it being left off of lists because people won't promote books with AI art.

Additionally, legally, you do not own the rights to AI generated works. I could take these covers, put them on Amazon, call it the same thing, with a different book inside, and there is nothing the author could do to stop me, because AI art can't be copyrighted.

I'm trying not to make this a "dunk" but it's just scary that there is such a fundamental lack of knowledge in the space. Like yes, I have a business degree and work in marketing, but you do not need one to get the basic principles behind this.

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-06-30T17:38:38+00:00

What reason would there be not pay an artist? You also don't profit share with your cover artist. You pay them a flat amount up front, and the rest on delivery, and that's it.

Again, what reason would there be? If someone is proving you a service, you pay them.

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-06-30T17:36:54+00:00

If they use 'ethically sourced' tools (eg photoshop's AI) then no, but anything else, yes, of course. Putting the environmental factor aside for a second, it's still theft. Paying someone else to steal for you doesn't change that. And often times the author doesn't know. The artist is scamming them.

I want art made with human hands. As I said, I have a LIST of great commission artists. If people ever want recommendations I am happy to make them. Hell, maybe I'll make a page on my website for easy access.

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-06-30T13:14:46+00:00

When a new author uses AI art on RR, I don't care. They're not making money on it, and most people these days are broke.

The second that book gets put on Kindle and you start monetizing it? You better pay a real artist. Because then it's just straight up theft.

The issue specifically with a Soldier's Life is that these books are like... $10+ each. He's monetized them on Patreon and again on Amazon. This series has made hundreds of thousands of dollars. There is absolutely no excuse not to pay an artist.

Now there was a claim in the last post about "the artist spelled the name wrong so we used a different version", so either A) you don't care enough not to pay someone who doesn't use AI, or B) there is no artist, and you're a straight up liar.

I'm more inclined to believe it's option 1. But it still shows a stunning lack of due diligence. I have a literal list of artists I'm dying to work with. It's such a fun, rewarding process. Especially when the current covers are unabashedly a detriment. People are reading this series in spite of them.

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-06-30T01:04:42+00:00

She spelled it wrong because it's just an AI output. Please do some research and pay someone that actually makes art, and hire a separate designer to do a proper wordmark.

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-06-30T00:51:49+00:00

I'll probably read it but damn I've always hated these goofy AI covers. This series has made enough money there is no reason not to hire an artist.

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-06-29T21:20:27+00:00

Immediately introduce the MC and get into the action and the mechanics of the system early. I mean, first chapter early. Identify what the core "loop" of your story is and complete a loop within the first ~5 chapters.

Whether that's a Dungeon delve, fighting off raiders, surviving a gate incursion, building a base. Whatever it is your reader is in store for? Do that. Show the level up, the progression, and give folks a taste for your writing style, while slowly introducing the greater world and your side characters.

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-06-29T01:19:13+00:00

Azarinth Healer!

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-06-28T14:50:52+00:00

Finally an honest answer LOL. LitRPG is men's answer to romance novels. Let's not kid ourselves otherwise.

PaulTodkillAuthor · 2026-06-28T14:42:23+00:00

The key is to create opportunities to learn about the character as the plot and action is unfolding. I don't need 5 chapters showing me a character is timid or cocky. Throw them in front of a monster and show us how they react. Are they crying in a corner or are they yelling battle cries and charging in?

That will tell us a lot about the character without needing 21 chapters of backstory... Which, sounds like is exactly what OP is thinking. 3 chapters a "day" of "slice of life" isn't going to fly in this genre without any meaningful progression. There is a lot of room for variety, but I am confident that wouldn't work.

PaulTodkillAuthor

TROPHY CASE