Places & eras
German Expressionist Film PosterShadows with sharp corners.
Distorted architecture at impossible angles, raking black shadows, and tiny figures dwarfed by the set, in stark black and white with a single red accent.
Make it yoursA good fit for
Ghost stories, noir mysteries, and dark historical fiction.
A little art direction
Name a building or a staircase in the notes and let the shadows do the rest. Keep the title short so it can be set at an angle.
The palette
From these words to these book covers
Now make it yours See the style in action.
Open larger viewFiction or poetryThe Lantern Keeper
Open larger viewFiction or poetryThe Tallow Works
Open larger viewFiction or poetryCold Front
Open larger viewNonfictionBarbary Coast
Open larger viewFiction or poetryFog Signals
Real generated examples; your own result will vary. The exact prompt behind each one is further down the page.
Your idea, this style
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The prompts behind these book covers.
Each cover above was generated from the prompt below it, unedited. Copy one as-is or change the details. Your image-making app may interpret the style differently each time.
Fiction or poetry · GPT Image 2.5 SunburstThe Lantern KeeperRead the exact prompt
Create a finished front cover for a work of fiction, in a 2:3 portrait aspect ratio. Produce the flat front cover artwork only, without spine, back cover, book mockup, or shelf. COVER TEXT Use the following book information exactly as written. The labels before each colon are for you, not for the cover; print only the text after them. Do not invent extra text, quotes, or awards. Title: The Lantern Keeper Author: Hollis Pine Tagline: A ghost story for winter nights ART DIRECTION Interpret the supplied brief in German Expressionist Film Poster style. Visual vocabulary: distorted angular architecture with impossible perspective; raking diagonal shadows cutting across the composition; figures made small by overwhelming dark architecture; high contrast — vast black areas with sharp white highlights; tilted or oblique framing creating visual unease. Lettering direction: angular gothic or compressed sans-serif letterforms; title at a slight angle or set into an architectural element; bold and stark — matches the visual severity. Suggested colors: black, white, and cold grey; occasional deep red as blood accent. Composition: architectural scene dominating; figure(s) subordinate to environment; title at top. Atmosphere: threatening, psychological, dark, nightmare geometry. Keep out of the design: warmth or natural lighting, decorative ornament, artificial yellowing or ageing. Apply the visual language to the supplied brief; do not invent historical affiliations, endorsements, or extra copy. ILLUSTRATION NOTES A tiny figure with a lantern on a twisted staircase, raking shadows from a leaning tower. These notes guide the imagery; do not print them as text. Make the title the strongest text element and the author name the second. Keep everything else small. Check spelling and retain the supplied wording. Do not include these instructions, labels, watermarks, or extra slogans in the artwork.
Fiction or poetry · GPT Image 2.5 SunburstThe Tallow WorksRead the exact prompt
Create a finished front cover for a work of fiction, in a 2:3 portrait aspect ratio. Produce the flat front cover artwork only, without spine, back cover, book mockup, or shelf. COVER TEXT Use the following book information exactly as written. The labels before each colon are for you, not for the cover; print only the text after them. Do not invent extra text, quotes, or awards. Title: The Tallow Works Subtitle: A novel Author: Dara Fenwick Publisher: Barbary Coast Press ART DIRECTION Interpret the supplied brief in German Expressionist Film Poster style. Visual vocabulary: distorted angular architecture with impossible perspective; raking diagonal shadows cutting across the composition; figures made small by overwhelming dark architecture; high contrast — vast black areas with sharp white highlights; tilted or oblique framing creating visual unease. Lettering direction: angular gothic or compressed sans-serif letterforms; title at a slight angle or set into an architectural element; bold and stark — matches the visual severity. Suggested colors: black, white, and cold grey; occasional deep red as blood accent. Composition: architectural scene dominating; figure(s) subordinate to environment; title at top. Atmosphere: threatening, psychological, dark, nightmare geometry. Keep out of the design: warmth or natural lighting, decorative ornament, artificial yellowing or ageing. Apply the visual language to the supplied brief; do not invent historical affiliations, endorsements, or extra copy. ILLUSTRATION NOTES A distorted factory with tilted chimneys looming over a tiny worker, shadows slicing the yard. These notes guide the imagery; do not print them as text. Make the title the strongest text element and the author name the second. Keep everything else small. Check spelling and retain the supplied wording. Do not include these instructions, labels, watermarks, or extra slogans in the artwork.
Fiction or poetry · GPT Image 2.5 SunburstCold FrontRead the exact prompt
Create a finished front cover for a work of fiction, in a 2:3 portrait aspect ratio. Produce the flat front cover artwork only, without spine, back cover, book mockup, or shelf. COVER TEXT Use the following book information exactly as written. The labels before each colon are for you, not for the cover; print only the text after them. Do not invent extra text, quotes, or awards. Title: Cold Front Subtitle: A Detective Kestrel mystery Author: Tess Halloran Publisher: Barbary Coast Press ART DIRECTION Interpret the supplied brief in German Expressionist Film Poster style. Visual vocabulary: distorted angular architecture with impossible perspective; raking diagonal shadows cutting across the composition; figures made small by overwhelming dark architecture; high contrast — vast black areas with sharp white highlights; tilted or oblique framing creating visual unease. Lettering direction: angular gothic or compressed sans-serif letterforms; title at a slight angle or set into an architectural element; bold and stark — matches the visual severity. Suggested colors: black, white, and cold grey; occasional deep red as blood accent. Composition: architectural scene dominating; figure(s) subordinate to environment; title at top. Atmosphere: threatening, psychological, dark, nightmare geometry. Keep out of the design: warmth or natural lighting, decorative ornament, artificial yellowing or ageing. Apply the visual language to the supplied brief; do not invent historical affiliations, endorsements, or extra copy. ILLUSTRATION NOTES A lone figure dwarfed by leaning tenements under raking shadows and driving snow. These notes guide the imagery; do not print them as text. Make the title the strongest text element and the author name the second. Keep everything else small. Check spelling and retain the supplied wording. Do not include these instructions, labels, watermarks, or extra slogans in the artwork.
Nonfiction · GPT Image 2.5 SunburstBarbary CoastRead the exact prompt
Create a finished front cover for a nonfiction book, in a 2:3 portrait aspect ratio. Produce the flat front cover artwork only, without spine, back cover, book mockup, or shelf. COVER TEXT Use the following book information exactly as written. The labels before each colon are for you, not for the cover; print only the text after them. Do not invent extra text, quotes, or awards. Title: Barbary Coast Subtitle: Crime, gold, and the making of a city Author: Henry Vasquez Publisher: Barbary Coast Press ART DIRECTION Interpret the supplied brief in German Expressionist Film Poster style. Visual vocabulary: distorted angular architecture with impossible perspective; raking diagonal shadows cutting across the composition; figures made small by overwhelming dark architecture; high contrast — vast black areas with sharp white highlights; tilted or oblique framing creating visual unease. Lettering direction: angular gothic or compressed sans-serif letterforms; title at a slight angle or set into an architectural element; bold and stark — matches the visual severity. Suggested colors: black, white, and cold grey; occasional deep red as blood accent. Composition: architectural scene dominating; figure(s) subordinate to environment; title at top. Atmosphere: threatening, psychological, dark, nightmare geometry. Keep out of the design: warmth or natural lighting, decorative ornament, artificial yellowing or ageing. Apply the visual language to the supplied brief; do not invent historical affiliations, endorsements, or extra copy. ILLUSTRATION NOTES Crooked waterfront saloons at impossible angles, a small figure fleeing down a slanted alley. These notes guide the imagery; do not print them as text. Make the title the strongest text element and the author name the second. Keep everything else small. Check spelling and retain the supplied wording. Do not include these instructions, labels, watermarks, or extra slogans in the artwork.
Fiction or poetry · GPT Image 2.5 SunburstFog SignalsRead the exact prompt
Create a finished front cover for a work of fiction, in a 2:3 portrait aspect ratio. Produce the flat front cover artwork only, without spine, back cover, book mockup, or shelf. COVER TEXT Use the following book information exactly as written. The labels before each colon are for you, not for the cover; print only the text after them. Do not invent extra text, quotes, or awards. Title: Fog Signals Subtitle: Stories Author: Ines Calloway Publisher: Posterage Press ART DIRECTION Interpret the supplied brief in German Expressionist Film Poster style. Visual vocabulary: distorted angular architecture with impossible perspective; raking diagonal shadows cutting across the composition; figures made small by overwhelming dark architecture; high contrast — vast black areas with sharp white highlights; tilted or oblique framing creating visual unease. Lettering direction: angular gothic or compressed sans-serif letterforms; title at a slight angle or set into an architectural element; bold and stark — matches the visual severity. Suggested colors: black, white, and cold grey; occasional deep red as blood accent. Composition: architectural scene dominating; figure(s) subordinate to environment; title at top. Atmosphere: threatening, psychological, dark, nightmare geometry. Keep out of the design: warmth or natural lighting, decorative ornament, artificial yellowing or ageing. Apply the visual language to the supplied brief; do not invent historical affiliations, endorsements, or extra copy. ILLUSTRATION NOTES A warped lighthouse leaning over a tiny boat, its beam cutting a hard diagonal through darkness. These notes guide the imagery; do not print them as text. Make the title the strongest text element and the author name the second. Keep everything else small. Check spelling and retain the supplied wording. Do not include these instructions, labels, watermarks, or extra slogans in the artwork.
Prompt version 1 · 5 generated examples · Copy-and-paste guide →
