Identify the expectation the cover creates
Condense the synopsis to who repeatedly does what in which circumstances. Separately state the main reading expectation: romance, investigation, progression or warm daily life. Compare the cover’s implied experience.
| Mismatch | Check |
|---|---|
| Daily life shown as an apocalypse battle | Is action or setting scale overstated? |
| Investigation shown only as an embrace | Has romance displaced the main mystery promise? |
| Wrong historical setting | Do clothing, buildings and tools fit the story? |
Beauty is one dimension. A cover promising a different story creates expectations the manuscript may not meet. Preserve the book’s content before revising its visual choices.
Add synopsis context when title keywords are insufficient
The pinned story-cover workflow checks title keywords, using the synopsis when needed, with priorities for multiple matches and an urban default when none match. Those are workflow starting points, not a substitute for the author’s actual story.
Declare the hierarchy in a mixed genre: for example, space-station investigation first, relationship subplot second. Supply the core setting, protagonist’s main action and tone. Select among the library’s people, backgrounds, palettes and light sources rather than using all of them or treating pink and black as unique genre identifiers.
Compare which composition communicates this book, rather than resembling another popular cover. Add no weapon, romance or supernatural ability absent from the manuscript merely to supply a symbol.
Genre correction example: 下班以后 takes place on a space station
The original 下班以后, by 程舟, follows a space-station maintenance worker who discovers altered air-circulation records at a shift handover and investigates responsibility. Its main experience is mystery in a science-fiction setting. The title is ambiguous. Assume an initial cover shows a business suit, office tower and gold urban lettering, implying conventional workplace fiction.
Keep title and byline. Replace that visual emphasis with the worker, station corridor and altered record, without revealing the culprit or adding mech warfare. Feature one worker, a maintenance fixture and a record anomaly; the record does not require readable tiny text. Use this complete brief:
Illustrated portrait cover for a science-fiction mystery, not an office romance. Title exactly '下班以后'; byline exactly '程舟'. A station maintenance worker examines a visibly altered record beside an air-circulation service panel in a confined station corridor. Keep the record markings abstract, with no readable diagnostic text. Use deep blue and grey with one cold white work light and a restrained red alteration mark. No business suit, city skyline, romantic couple, combat mech or revealed culprit. Keep clear title and byline areas within the final retained canvas.
Inspect clothing, setting and record against the brief, then whether station and investigation cues survive at small size. If a reader perceives office romance, check the pictured evidence rather than repeating “science fiction” ten more times. This example supplies a plan, without claiming generation or demonstrated reader feedback.
Compare with the manuscript before choosing style
Check the candidate against synopsis, protagonist and main settings: identity, tools, era, relationship and abilities must fit. If retaining existing art, identify the reference as an editing target and declare what this revision may change, saving another version.
Then review title, byline, dimensions, thumbnail and actual preview. A concept trial should identify direction and remaining checks; “looks more futuristic” does not establish a correctly communicated genre. See cover prompts and reference-image briefs for the next steps.
FAQ
Should every mixed-genre element appear on the cover?
No. Establish the main experience and choose a few subjects or setting cues that support it. Subplots and clues can remain in the manuscript.
Is the style library a mandatory palette rule?
It offers candidate directions. Story tone and actual recognition matter more; judge the result against the book rather than only a palette.
Do it with the skill
For actual cover generation or revision, use /story-cover, or $story-cover in Codex, with exact title, byline, intended use, save directory and this page’s concrete brief. Declare reference purpose and preservation requirements, save a separate candidate, then inspect lettering, picture and upload export. The skill calls an image tool and saves files; a prompt cannot replace checking the result.
Read the method: Lettering, references, version saving and review · Genre, composition, palette and lettering options