When promoting your book, the visuals matter just as much as the story itself. From bookmarks to social media graphics, book character art is a great way to help readers visualise your world and build hype for specific chapters (especially if you're doing a serial!). When it comes to character art, though, authors usually have to choose between custom character art or stock images for book marketing, and it can be hard to figure out which one is best.
What is Custom Character Art for Book Marketing?
Custom character art is pretty self-explanatory! Made specifically for you, custom art can help you build a cohesive look with your marketing assets and bring attention to parts of your project that you want to showcase.
Custom book art can be used for pretty much anything, depending on what your artist allows, and there's a wealth of styles and prices to choose from. Most custom art can be printed on merchandise like bookmarks, tote bags and other author swag pieces, and you're not limited by what you can find on stock sites.
What Are Stock Images for Author Marketing?
Unlike custom character art, stock images rely on what's already available. There's a huge collection of stock images for authors in a range of themes and styles, and pricing varies (though as a rule, it'll be a lot cheaper to use and edit stock images than to hire an artist!).
Stock images are quick and affordable, and you can find them almost anywhere. The biggest drawback to using stock images is that you'll often be limited by print run limits, making them less than ideal for large events or printing on merchandise.
Custom Character Art vs Stock Images: Key Differences
Author Branding
Custom character art can help build recognition across your brand, and you're not limited to what a photographer has available of a specific model. Using custom art instead of stock images means your character will always have the same face and proportions, and you won't be stuck with a mish-mash of different lighting, clothing or styles.
Cost
Stock images are, without a doubt, considerably cheaper than hiring an artist. Images from stock sites can run less than a single dollar, and there's millions of stock images to choose from.
Versatility
Depending on your artist, you might be able to use one piece of art across multiple merchandise projects, including interior artwork, bookmarks, banners, and more. Stock images are usually bound to strict license terms including print run limits, which means you may have to pay repeatedly to keep using the images (or you might not be allowed to use it at all!).
Which Option is Best For Your Book Marketing?
If you're a new author, stock images are usually more than fine! They're cheap, fast, and abundant, and you don't have to gamble on trying new artists. All you need to get started is an account with Depositphotos, Shutterstock, or another stock image website, and you can start downloading right away. If you're skilled with photo manipulation, you can create some unique designs - just be sure to read the fine print!
If you're selling direct, building a brand, or want something versatile that you can use however you want, custom character artwork wins out. Custom artwork is stronger and easier to brand for your book promo visuals, though it can be more expensive.
As a middle ground for those on a budget, plenty of artists offer premade character art. It's more affordable than outright hiring someone to create something custom, and there's a wealth of different styles available. Much like premade book covers, though, you might not get something that 100% matches your vision - so keep digging until you find something that works for you!
Both options can work, and you should never feel restricted to one or the other! You can create beautiful merchandise in a range of ways, and combine stock images and custom art to curate your own personal author brand. If you're looking for character art for book marketing, then you can explore my premade pieces or commission custom artwork here.
Comments ()