Free book covers
for self-published authors
Most authors can't afford a $500 cover designer for their first book. ZSky AI is what we built so you don't have to choose between writing and visuals. 1080p output, no watermark, full commercial use, free forever. Built by a TBI survivor who knows how hard creative work can be.
Generate book coverWhat you can make
- Book covers Generate 100+ cover concepts in an afternoon. Iterate on titles, colors, mood, character poses until something fits the story.
- Character portraits For your author website, your newsletter, your social posts, or interior illustrations.
- Scene illustrations Pivotal moments from your manuscript, rendered in your chosen style.
- Marketing graphics Instagram promo, BookTok thumbnails, Goodreads banners, newsletter headers.
- Audiobook cover variants Audible requires square covers. Generate them in seconds.
- Series branding Consistent look across multiple books in the same world.
- Author headshots Stylized portraits if you don't want to use a real photo on your jacket.
- Newsletter visuals One image per newsletter, for as long as you want, free.
Genres ZSky handles well
How the math works
ZSky's free tier gives you 200 credits at signup and 100 credits every day, with a 300-credit cap. Each image generation costs 1 credit. That works out to ~100 cover iterations per day, every day, free. Most authors find their final cover in the first 30 generations of a session.
If you've spent $500-$2000 on a cover designer for previous books, your first ZSky session probably saved you the equivalent of a year of mortgage payments. We built this because the founder knows what creative work feels like when money is tight.
Where ZSky fits in your stack
Reedsy, NaNoWriMo, IngramSpark, Vellum, Atticus
ZSky is the visual layer that pairs with your existing writing and publishing stack. Use Atticus or Vellum for interior layout, Reedsy for editing, IngramSpark or KDP for distribution, and ZSky for the visuals. The free tier covers most authors' needs through publication and beyond.
A note from the founder
I survived a TBI that took my words for almost a year. Writers know what creative work means when you can't trust your own brain. I built ZSky so the visual side of your book wouldn't be the part you can't afford. You did the hard part — you wrote the book. The cover should not be the bottleneck.
If you ship your book and want to send me a copy, I'll add it to my reading list. — Cemhan
What authors ask
Can I use ZSky outputs as a published book cover?
Yes. Full commercial use is permitted on every plan including the free tier. You can use ZSky outputs as your final book cover, interior illustrations, marketing materials, or anywhere else.
Is AI-generated cover art allowed on KDP and IngramSpark?
Amazon KDP requires you to disclose AI-generated content during publishing but does not ban it. IngramSpark is permissive. Apple Books, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble all currently allow AI-assisted cover art with disclosure.
Can I copyright my book if the cover is AI-assisted?
In most jurisdictions, the text of your book is fully copyrighted regardless of how the cover was made. Cover copyright may have limited protection due to the AI element, but this rarely affects book sales.
How many cover iterations on the free tier?
200 credits at signup + 100 daily (max 300 at any time). 1 credit per image = ~100 iterations per day, free. Most authors find their final cover within 30 generations.
Consistent character across a book series?
Yes, via image-to-image. Upload your initial character render as a reference, prompt new versions with consistent traits. 2 credits per i2i generation.
Genre-specific tips?
Romance: soft lighting, emotional poses. Sci-fi: cinematic wide shots, dramatic skies. Fantasy: atmospheric environments, ornate composition. Mystery: high contrast, limited palettes.