The Lazy Person’s Guide to Making AI Book Covers (July 2025 Edition)
So… You Want Free Book Covers, Huh?
You’re broke. You’re busy. You want book covers that look good but cost exactly zero rupees, dollars, or moral compromise. No trials. No upgrades. No “sign up for Pro.” You want the real tools that actually work right now.
This is that list.
Option 1: Make Unlimited Covers On Your Own PC (a.k.a. “Full Control Without Selling a Kidney”)
Tools: Stability Matrix + ComfyUI
What It Does:
It’s like Photoshop and a vending machine had a genius AI baby that eats text prompts and poops out book covers.
How to Set It Up:
- Download Stability Matrix — it’s free, legal, and portable.
- Inside it, install ComfyUI and a model like “SDXL” (yes, that’s the good stuff).
- Type your prompts like:
“fantasy book cover, glowing castle, dramatic sky”
- Press play. Watch 50 covers appear. Go make tea while it works.
You can feed it a whole text file of prompts and it’ll auto-generate images for each one. Batch generation = done.
Requires a halfway-decent GPU. Don’t try this on your grandma’s Chromebook.
Option 2: Use the Internet’s Shared Brain (No Install, No GPU)
Tool: Stable Horde
No software. No signup. No “premium this” or “limited that.”
How to Use:
- Go to https://stablehorde.net
- Click “Get Free API Key”
- Use it in your browser or with simple scripts
- Type your prompt → Wait a minute → Download image
This is basically AI socialism. Everyone shares computing power like it’s a big hippie art commune. And it works.
Option 3: Use AUTO1111 (The OG That Looks Like It Was Built in 1999 but Slaps Hard)
Tool: AUTOMATIC1111 Web UI
It’s local. It’s powerful. And it has more buttons than a spaceship.
How to Use:
- Install from GitHub
- Run the file. Open in browser.
- Use Batch Mode to auto-generate covers from a folder of prompts.
Looks ugly. Works beautifully. Like most geniuses.
Which One’s Best? Quick Comparison:
| Use Case | Best Tool | Needs GPU? | Max Speed | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zero setup | Stable Horde |  No |
 Slow |
But super easy |
| Best quality + fast | ComfyUI (local) |  Yes |
 Fast |
Full control |
| UI + easy batching | AUTO1111 Web UI | Yes |
 Medium |
Overkill for some |
Bonus Tip: Stack Free Credits Like a Hoarder 
| Platform | Free Stuff You Get | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Leonardo AI | 150 tokens/day | Batch 8 images at once |
| NightCafe | 5+ credits daily | Watch a video = more credits |
| Freepik AI | 40 images/day | Great for clean covers |
| Fotor | Unlimited basic | Fast + has templates |
| Canva AI | 50 lifetime | Save this for when desperate |
Rotate platforms like you rotate leftovers: use everything before it expires.
Smart Trick: Make Vector Covers (Sharp AF)
Use Recraft AI → choose “vector mode” → export SVG → drag into Figma or Canva → add text → done.
Looks fancy. Scales forever. You can print it on a billboard and still see every pixel of your dragon.
Hidden Gem: Flux AI (Looks Like Midjourney but FREE)
Try Flux Schnell
- No login
- Ridiculously good quality
- Midjourney vibes
- Free forever (until someone ruins it)
Too Lazy to Install? Meet Pinokio AI Browser
Pinokio.ai installs ComfyUI, Fooocus, and more with 1 click.
It’s like an installer that doesn’t ask stupid questions.
Works on Windows, Mac, Linux. No PhD required.
Final Tips (a.k.a. “Don’t Be That Person”)
- Don’t use Marvel/Disney/Anime stuff if you plan to sell.
- Don’t prompt “cover for Harry Potter sequel” unless you enjoy lawsuits.
- Check if your AI-generated art is okay to use for profit (most tools here are
for that).
Free Tools You Should Bookmark
Stability Matrix- ComfyUI
- Stable Horde
- AUTO1111 Web UI
- Flux AI
- Pinokio AI
- Prompt Generator
- Free Cover Mockups
In Summary:
Want book covers?
- Use local AI = unlimited images
- Use Stable Horde = no GPU needed
- Use prompt lists = generate 50 at once
- Stack free credits = never run out
You’re now officially more productive than 90% of “AI influencers” on YouTube.
Now go pretend you made them with your bare hands. We won’t tell.
!