This is more of a discussion starter rather than “do you think using someone else’s art on tapas is bad form?” I think it could also be relevant for a lot of the people Discovering tapas after Wattpad forums were deleted.
Aug '20
Aug '20
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Using Wattpad first you see A LOT of people using covers they may have hypothetically made but in reality either cropped an original artwork or used copyrighted images off google. The latter of which I have done in the past. It’s a lot easier but obviously we know the downsides. It seems less common on Tapas since people are more comic oriented and if you stole someone’s art for your cover it would be pretty obvious if the inside material didn’t match.
I also feel I’m actually pretty close to the line on this because on the one hand I now make my own covers from scratch. But I’ve also commissioned an artist I like to make a cover for my novel. Just to differentiate between the novel and comic.
Pixabay and Canva free images is what I do if I make a cover myself. When I ask people to make a cover for me, I ask them to use a non copyrighted images. I can't draw to save my life. I wouldn't mind paying for covers, but the payment methods are a bit concerning, plus currency conversions are a pain.
I get why people are doing it for novels, but I think it's the books covers without any actual "artwork" on a cover that are the best. Just take some nice background that one can take from a free source, a good looking font and a few other covers without artworks for reference to create your own. Without any characters faces and all that.
As for comics, I do believe this is actually plain absurd. If you can draw, you can draw yourself a cover. If you drawing skills are not good, people who saw the good cover will drop your comic right away upon finding out your real skill.
I'm not sure how much discussion there is to be had. I and other artists I know have had out images used on Wattpad, and the most annoying part is often if we'd been asked we would have said yes, but it's just used without permission or credit.
And really, on Tapas, if you use someone else's art for your novel and it's discovered, you're going to be reported. It's that simple. Especially when, last I looked, Tapas gives you a link to somewhere that creates novel covers using copyright free images when you create your novel. There's literally no excuse.
Also commissioning is totally different because you've paid for it. As long as the person you commissioned knows you're going to use it for potentially commercial purposes, it's fine. That'll be covered in the commission T&C (and if you they didn't have any T&Cs: worry because now you're in legal grey area)
I think if you have commissioned someone to do it,knowing youre lacking in abilities its fine.However stealing is something that is disapproved of and is even against the forum guidelines if I'm not wrong.
I'd like to second this. I used to do this all the time on other sites and the only reason I didn't on Tapas was because it didn't seem the done thing. For one series I did it was just a nice leather effect in a different colour for each novel with an embossed effect title and one little symbol like a heart or wings or a snake that meant something to the story. And I really loved those.
I had the money so that’s why I splurged this one time ^^’ I totally get why people don’t do it more often
For covers because I am super guilty of wanting people to look at it and read, I put my main characters on the front in some kind of flirtatious image because I find the premium ones that Tapas looks at have this kind of image and it often works?? Like I’ve been featured a ton of times and I feel like it’s a lot due to the cover.
Honestly, I'd refrain from using original artwork from someone else or copyrighted images from Google, unless you have permission from the original author or give at very least some credit (i.e. "illustration on cover by X"). There are plenty of websites where you can find free stock photos (like Pixabay, as mentioned above) and there are free softwares (Gimp, Medibang, Krita + countless free websites) that allow you to edit pictures and add text, so there's really no reason to steal. If you own Photoshop and have a few coins to spare, you could also search GraphicRiver to look for book cover templates or illustrations: you can get one for prices as low as 4$. Or you could commission an artist as you did! 
Anyway, I don't see the issue with using other people's artwork as a cover for novels (provided that credit is given and that the art is not stolen, as mentioned above XD).
For comics... eh, not really sure about that. I mean, if I had an already established series and people were already familiar with my style, I could maybe have a "guest artist" doing a "bonus cover/illustration" or something like that to feature in one of my episodes. But as for using it as my official cover art on Tapas? I doubt I'd do it, as I think it'd be confusing for new readers and probably drive them away once they realize that the style doesn't match.
Well sure it's nothing bad per se! 
People on cover do tend to attract an eye. But when you take an artwork done by someone else (not made specifically for you), it's not your characters, aren't they.
I do believe that characters on the cover are interfering with my own imagination though 
It sure is better when the author is drawing them though, since frequently the covers are done by the artists who have a very slight idea of how author was actually imagining characters, so it's a miss on all fronts for me 
I think the discussion, although admittedly it is generally the same for everyone in the thread and people will generally agree, this thought came to my mind because of the number of people moving from Wattpad to Tapas, it might change the site slightly. If you don’t use Wattpad I cannot stress how rampant art theft is and everyone pretty much accepts it and books that are really popular too, just have covers that they’ve taken and cropped and stuff. It’s not something that I’m trying to fear monger about or anything, there are so many Wattpad users out there that are amazing creators, but the culture there could change the cultural tolerance for art theft here.
I’d have to check out the guidelines! I had no idea, mostly because I feel it would be so difficult to enforce??
Honestly, I wish novels just came without covers. Just a headache for the writers no matter what we do. Ideally, a writer should just be able to write, instead of agonizing over graphics that would not leave them in the dust.
The MODs here are on a whole different level...Also this community is amazing so its just etiquette I guess???
Well here's the clause in the Terms of Service on the main site, while the general idea is that it applies to the content of a series, a cover technically falls under 'Content' as well and you 'submit' it to the site by uploading it in your edit series page to be displayed to the public on Tapas' platform.
I'll only speak briefly but I'm pretty sure the consensus among most comic artist as well as writers who've been on the site for a while is that art theft on Tapas is simply a no go (plus I'm pretty sure it's mentioned within Tapas' own Creator Guidelines)
This bit
Is pretty interesting because sure a mindset of an indivudual will follow them no matter where the go but a person with sense will realize that if it's not approved or allowed you just won't do it. And sure there are the stubborn type who refuse and continue doing what they're doing (this case being art theft). To be honest I've browsed Novels/Comics that are fanfiction of popular franchises and it's pretty common to find stolen art there but I imagine after communication with one person or another they may or may not change it.
Even as a comic artist I can empathize with this but it's one of the reasons we try to share resources to help each other out (which is kind of the point of a community). There are folks who in some cases will offer to do covers for discounted prices or offer tips and tutorials to better polish ones folks already have.
Plus as was mentioned there's no harm in just asking an artist if you can use their art and if they say no you can try to find another. It's one of the reason's I've stuck with the Tapas community for so long is because for the most part people respect one anothers work. It's just common courtesy.
Edit: and Joanne has shared Tapas' clause in the TOS related to the matter
