36 Great Sites With Awesome Stock Photos for Your Book Cover

Looking for stock photos for romance, science fiction, fantasy, thriller, mystery, contemporary or any other genre? Find them here.

This list evolved from my browser bookmarks. I have not used all of these vendors, but I bookmarked any that I might use one day. The list includes a rough guide for photo costs of print quality images, and notes on which genres the vendor supplies. I also note vendors that carry photos of persons of color and gay/lesbian content, but I just indicate whether it exists on the site, not how much there is or the quality. And because it’s occasionally useful, I note sites that sell renders of 3D character models.

Jump to the list of stock photo sites for book covers.

A note about free photo sites:

I have listed only one free site. It’s because that website has a very clear Terms of Service document that mentions the photographer has signed model release forms. Most free photo sites do not have release forms. Don’t use any photo of a person or a recognizable location unless you know that the site has model or location release forms filed with it. You could get into serious legal trouble.

A note about premade covers:

Many of the big sites consider premades to be the same as templates, even though premades are only sold once, and do not allow you to make premades with their stock. In other cases, premades are fine. I have made a note if the license explicitly allows premades, or if company reps have made a statement on interpretation of their terms. “Unknown” just means their license doesn’t specifically mention premades and I have not come across any statements made by the company. Check for yourself before using any photo on a premade cover, as license terms can change without warning. If in doubt, contact the vendor and ask.

A note about models of color and LGBTQ+ images:

I have not looked at every photo on every site, and any site may have added or removed images since I last looked. Consider my notes a guideline to potential content and check for yourself.

A note about exclusive stock photos

It is the nature of stock photos that you will find them used on multiple book covers. If it is important to you to have an exclusive image on your book, be prepared to pay for it. Exclusives can start as low as $100-200, but you should expect to pay $300 and up for a pre-existing exclusive photo, and the photographer may also sell very similar photos. Photographers sometimes arrange custom shoots. Those costs can range into the thousands depending on model fees, photographer’s fees, costume rental and location. Some photographers will shoot exclusive images for several clients at once, which can lower your costs.

* * *

On to the stock photo sites!

Use these links to jump to categories you’re interested in.

* * *

GENERAL: MICROSTOCK

Microstock photo vendors serve mostly corporate clients but you can find images useful for book covers. You must check that the image you are using is available for commercial use. If it is listed as “Editorial” you cannot use it for your book cover. Since most people already know about the big stock agencies like Getty, Adobe Stock, and Alamy, I don’t list them. The entries in this section are ordered by how frequently I use them; the other sections are alphabetical.

Shutterstock

Cost for print-quality image: $$
Subscriptions available: Yes
License: https://www.shutterstock.com/license
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ images: Yes
3D character images: Yes
Premades allowed: Unknown
Genres: Fantasy, science fiction, steampunk, post-apocalyptic / dystopian, paranormal / urban fantasy, historical romance, contemporary romance, menage romance, YA, erotica, military, contemporary
Notes: A well-known site where you may see the image you select on multiple other book covers. Has some genre pics, but you may be better off going to specialized sites for that stock. Image packs or monthly subscriptions will take the cost below $10/image.

Depositphotos

(Link is affiliate link)
Cost for print-quality image: $
Subscriptions available: Yes
License: https://depositphotos.com/legal-information.html
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: Some, adding more each time I look
3D character images: Yes
Premades allowed: Have been reported to say no, that they consider premades to be templates, which are not allowed
Genres: Fantasy, science fiction, steampunk, post-apocalyptic / dystopian, paranormal / urban fantasy, historical romance, contemporary romance, menage romance, YA, erotica, military, contemporary
Notes: Frequently run deals through AppSumo and other places that allow you to purchase 100 or 150-image packs for $1/image or less. Because of the deals, you’ll see a lot of Depositphotos images on covers. Has some genre pics, but you may be better off going to specialized sites for that stock.

Envato Elements

(Link is affiliate link)
Cost for print-quality image: See Notes
Subscriptions available: Yes. See Notes.
License: https://elements.envato.com/license-terms
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: Yes
3D character images: No
Premades allowed: Yes
Genres: There’s a lot of corporate-type stock images. You may find this more useful for backgrounds and decorative elements, but you can find some useful photos of models in various genres: fantasy, sci-fi, steampunk, historical romance, contemporary romance, thriller / suspense, and contemporary.
Notes: Subscription only, $199/year. Must register each use separately for most items, check the license terms for details. Many of the images are on PhotoDune/Envato Market, if you wish to buy individually. Lots of other graphics, fonts, and Photoshop actions make the subscription absolutely worth it if you are doing a lot of graphic design. They’ve got a partnership with TurboSquid for 3D elements you can download, but they’re mostly objects and not characters.

125RF

Cost for print-quality image: $
Subscriptions available: Yes.
License: https://www.123rf.com/license_summary.php
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: Yes
3D character images: Yes
Premades allowed: Unknown
Genres: Again, fairly corporate but if you search you can find some photos suitable for book covers in fantasy, sci-fi, steampunk, post-apocalyptic / dystopian, contemporary romance, historical, thriller / mystery / suspense, YA, military and contemporary.
Notes: Your standard generic microstock site. Credit packs make the cost dive sharply.

CanStockPhoto

Cost for print-quality image: $
Subscriptions available: Yes.
License: https://www.canstockphoto.com/eula.php
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: Yes
3D character images: Yes
Premades allowed: Unknown
Genres: Much as the above sites, its offerings are fairly corporate. If you search you can find some photos suitable for book covers in fantasy, sci-fi, steampunk, post-apocalyptic / dystopian, contemporary romance, historical, thriller / mystery / suspense, YA, military and contemporary.
Notes: Your standard generic microstock site. Credit packs make the cost dive sharply, especially the larger packs.

Dreamstime

Cost for print-quality image: $
Subscriptions available: Yes.
License: https://www.dreamstime.com/about-stock-image-licenses
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: Yes
3D character images: Yes
Premades allowed: Unknown
Genres: If you search you can find some photos suitable for book covers in fantasy, sci-fi, steampunk, post-apocalyptic / dystopian, contemporary romance, historical, thriller / mystery / suspense, YA, military and contemporary.
Notes: Another standard generic microstock site. Consider credit packs for cost-saving if you’re going to be buying multiple photos.

iStockPhoto

Cost for print-quality image: $$
Subscriptions available: Yes.
License: https://www.istockphoto.com/help/licenses
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: Yes
3D character images: Yes
Premades allowed: Unknown
Genres: If you search you can find some photos suitable for book covers in fantasy, sci-fi, steampunk, post-apocalyptic / dystopian, contemporary romance, historical, thriller / mystery / suspense, YA, military and contemporary.
Notes: The microstock branch of Getty Images. Their subscription costs are on par with Shutterstock, but the credit packs are a bit pricier.

Photodune by Envato Market

(Link is affiliate link)
Cost for print-quality image: $
Subscriptions available: No
License: https://photodune.net/licenses/photo?license=photodune_regular
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: Yes
3D character images: No
Premades allowed: Unknown
Genres: Last time I checked, there wasn’t a huge amount of useful photos but more are being added, and I found some photos useful for romance and fantasy on a quick search.
Notes: Many of the photos on Envato Elements can be purchased indidvidually here. The photographers set their own prices, which usually range from $2-10.

* * *

SPECIALTY: MULTI-GENRE: SCIENCE FICTION, CONTEMPORARY, HISTORICAL, AND MORE

These stock photo websites focus on images suitable for book covers, featuring multiple genres without a focus on one particular genre. Sites are in alphabetical order.

Arcangel

Cost for print-quality image: $$$$$
Subscriptions available: Enterprise-level only
License: None online (see Notes)
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: Yes
3D character images: No
Premades allowed: Unknown
Custom shoots: No
Exclusives: Within industry
Genres: Primarily “literary”-style images for contemporary, romance, historical, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, thriller, suspense, action, YA, NA, Western, military, and more
Notes: Costs start at 99€ and go up depending on a number of factors. Free account required to log in and search. No specific URL for the license, but you have to let them know exactly how you’re using the image when requesting pricing. Note: if you have a specific need and can’t find a suitable image, they have a free picture research service that will search for one for you. You can request a non-exclusive image, or exclusive within your industry: i.e. they won’t sell it to another book publisher, but they might sell it to a greeting card manufacturer.

figurestock

Cost for print-quality image: $$$$$
Subscriptions available: No
License: https://figurestock.com/faq
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: No
3D character images: No
Premades allowed: Unknown
Custom shoots: No
Exclusives: No
Genres: Contemporary, thriller / suspense / mystery, some historical
Notes: Costly site aimed at professional designers, supplying images of models to use with your own backgrounds. Contemporary and historical. No custom shoots per se, but if you email in a request they’ll notify you if they shoot it when the images are uploaded.

Neo-Stock

(Link is an affiliate link)
Cost for print-quality image: $$ ($ with subscription)
Subscriptions available: Yes
License: https://www.neo-stock.com/licensing
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: No
3D character images: Yes
Premades allowed: Yes
Custom shoots: No
Exclusives: No
Genres: Urban fantasy / paranormal, thriller / action / suspense, post-apocalypse, horror, science fiction, fantasy, YA,
Notes: Excellent site for fantasy and action; one of the few with large group photos, although they’re in the zombie/dystopian section. Also has head packs to allow you to customize your images, plus other CG add-ons and backgrounds. A monthly subscription gets you all photos for $5, plus tutorials, a free gallery, and several other bonuses. Discount packs also available. If you want to strengthen your Photoshop art skills, they have several tutorial bundles that I have purchased and highly recommend, and they bundle a selection of stock photos with the tutorials as well.

Photomanipulation.com

Cost for print-quality image: $ (Sold only in bundles from $$-$$$$$, but the cost per image is quite low)
Subscriptions available: No
License: https://photomanipulation.com/pages/faqs-licensing-info
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: No
3D character images: Yes
Premades allowed: Yes
Custom shoots: No
Exclusives: No
Genres: Urban fantasy / paranormal, thriller / action / suspense, post-apocalypse, horror, science fiction, fantasy, YA
Notes: The same people from Neo-Stock above, so you’ll see familiar models and photos in the bundles but Photomanipulation.com offers so much more in the way of props, backgrounds, accessories, etc. If you’re in the market for a single image, go to Neo-Stock. If you’re looking for a bundle to do covers yourself or to build a brand, go here. The site is fairly new as of April 2022 (when I added this listing), so it’s not fully built out yet: they will be adding more bundles and video training soon. Check their YouTube channel for speed art and tutorials.

Ravven Custom 3D Stock Images

Cost for print-quality image: $$
Subscriptions available: No
License: https://www.ravven.com/portfolio/custom-stock-images-for-book-covers/
PoC models: Yes (3D image)
LGBTQ+ images: Presumably (3D image)
3D character images: Yes
Premades allowed: Yes
Custom shoots: All 3D images directly from her are custom
Genres: Any genre you want, as long as she has the assets for it.
Notes: Custom 3D images of characters for book cover. This is the character only, not for backgrounds. Posts non-custom, non-exclusive work on Depositphotos.

The Stock Alchemist

Cost for print-quality image: $$
Subscriptions available: No
License: https://www.thestockalchemist.com/license-agreement
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: Yes
3D character images: No
Premades allowed: Yes
Custom shoots: No
Exclusives: Yes, via Exclusive Book Stock (listed in Exclusives section below)
Genres: Fantasy, paranormal, urban fantasy, dark fantasy, contemporary, romance, YA
Notes: One of the larger suppliers of POC models for genre covers, and she recently added galleries featuring genderfluid models/characters. The site doesn’t appear large from the first page, but there’s a lot of galleries hidden behind the ones on the home page. Primarily genre photos, with some contemporary ones as well.

Stocklarium

Cost for print-quality image: $$
Subscriptions available: No
License: https://www.stocklarium.com/about
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: No
3D character images: No
Premades allowed: Yes
Custom shoots: No
Exclusives: Yes
Genres: Fantasy, paranormal, urban fantasy, post-apocalypse, historical romance, dark fantasy, YA, thriller, suspense, mystery
Notes: Boutique site specializing in genre. Mostly women, some male models. Exclusives start at $300.

* * *

SPECIALTY: ACTION / URBAN FANTASY / PARANORMAL / HORROR

These vendors focus on photos good for contemporary action and fantasy.

Bewitching Book Stock

Cost for print-quality image: $$
Subscriptions available: No
License: https://www.bewitchingbookstock.com/licensing
PoC models: A few
LGBTQ+ images: No
3D character images: Yes
Premades allowed: Yes
Custom shoots: Yes
Exclusives: No
Genres: Urban fantasy, post-apocalyptic, sci-fi, fantasy, contemporary, YA
Notes: Small specialty book cover stock photo site. Primarily female models. Join the Facebook group for 25% off images. Info on Bewitching Books custom shoots.

Cover Stock Photos

Cost for print-quality image: $$
Subscriptions available: No
License: https://coverstockphotos.com/coverstockphotos-licenses
PoC models: No
LGBTQ+ images: No
3D character images: No
Premades allowed: Unknown
Custom shoots: No
Exclusives: Yes
Genres: Urban fantasy, paranormal, suspense
Notes: A small gallery of photos, primarily action/suspense and urban fantasy. Exclusives starting at $200.

* * *

SPECIALTY: EROTIC

Find photos suitable for erotic romance here.

Adult Stock Photos

VERY MUCH NSFW, of course! Click at your own risk.

Cost for print-quality image: $$
Subscriptions available: No
License: http://www.adultstockphoto.com/pages/terms.html
PoC models: Maybe? I only saw white models on a quick check, but I didn’t spend much time here.
LGBTQ+ images: Unknown, I haven’t checked the site thoroughly
3D character images: No
Premades allowed: Unknown
Custom shoots: No
Genres: Erotic romance, erotica, primarily contemporary
Notes: NSFW. Can buy credits. Images range from sexy with no nudity to hardcore, but do not trust that the images are categorized correctly. Cost ranges from $5 for 400px web-sized versions to $30 for 5000px width. CHECK THE LICENSING TERMS before you publish: you may need to contact them for permission for erotica books.

* * *

SPECIALTY: MILITARY

Find photos suitable for military and military SF covers here.

Phelan Davion

Cost for print-quality image: $$$
Subscriptions available: No
License: https://www.deviantart.com/phelandavion/about
PoC models: No
LGBTQ+ images: No
3D character images: No
Premades allowed: Yes
Custom shoots: Possibly
Exclusives: Possibly
Genres: Military and military science fiction
Notes: Every image costs 35€ per image for commercial use. You can buy packs at his Artstation store for non-commercial use, but still need to additionally pay the license fee if you put it on a book cover. If you have specific needs, contact him and he can create a package for you.

* * *

SPECIALTY: OTHER

A catch-all category for websites whose photos or 3D images may be useful, but which don’t really fit anywhere else. Listed alphabetically.

MusclePlus

Cost for print-quality image: Free
Subscriptions available: No
License: https://freephotomuscle.com/kiyaku (Japanese-language; use Google Translate)
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: No
3D character images: No
Premades allowed: Yes
Custom shoots: No
Exclusives: No
Genres: Contemporary, fitness
Notes: Japanese-language site run by a Japanese bodybuilding model organization that offers photos of its members for use for free, following the terms. Do note that a lot of the photos are on the fun/silly side, so you may not find your serious, brooding Japanese hero here. Check the terms of use–they are NOT CC0. Adult uses prohibited, they have signed model releases from the bodybuilders but not other people that might appear in the photos, and some other restrictions including not using any photo to misrepresent yourself, but pretty much your average book cover is fine. Use Google Translate to read the terms of use carefully because I am not a lawyer (and respect them–they’re offering the photos for free! It’s the least you can do!). No need to credit the photo if used for a book cover, but they’d appreciate it if you did.

Shift Art Shop

Cost for print-quality image: $$
Subscriptions available: No
License: https://shiftartshop.com/artist-image-licence/
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: No
3D character images: Yes
Premades allowed: Unknown
Custom shoots: No
Exclusives: No
Genres: Fantasy, dark fantasy, steampunk, science fiction, surreal
Notes: This site primarily caters to Photoshop fine artists, as such the models tend to be a bit quirkier than standard stock sites. This is a good thing! The Artist License is good for unlimited ebook covers, but only 250 printed covers. They offer a commercial license good for unlimited print covers, but you’ll have to contact them for pricing.

* * *

SPECIALTY: ROMANCE AND HISTORICAL

These vendors provide images for romance novel covers, as well as photos that can be used on non-romance historical novels. Listed alphabetically.

Jenn LeBlanc-The Illustrated Romance

Cost for print-quality image: $$$
Subscriptions available: No
License: https://jennleblanc.photoshelter.com/page2
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: Yes
3D character images: No
Premades allowed: Unknown
Custom shoots: Yes
Exclusives: Yes
Genres: Romance, historical romance, historical, some paranormal
Notes: As the title says, focusing on romance, both contemporary and historical, including menage. Firefighters, sports and Western available. Multiple options from low-cost versions for small online ads up to large poster-size versions. Add an image to your shopping basket to get the cost options. Exclusive images start at $500.

The Killion Group Images

Cost for print-quality image: $$
Subscriptions available: No
License: https://thekilliongroupimages.com/terms-and-conditions/
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: Yes (under “erotic,” as they’re all romantic)
3D character images: No
Premades allowed: Unknown
Custom shoots: Yes
Exclusives: Yes
Genres: Primarily contemporary, historical, and erotic romance, some paranormal and YA/NA
Notes: Romance categories include firemen, silver fox, sports, inspirational, menage. You can purchase an exclusive image for $300.

Period Images

Cost for print-quality image: $$
Subscriptions available: No
License: http://www.periodimages.com/licenses-explained
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: Yes
3D character images: No
Premades allowed: Yes
Custom shoots: No
Exclusives: Yes
Genres: Historical romance, romance, M/M romance, menage, erotic romance, contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, urban fantasy, military, steampunk
Notes: Fantastic site for historical and other romance; some other genres also. Sign up for their mailing list; they’re always sending out coupons. Mostly romantic images, but they’ve been expanding into non-romance areas. Worth looking. For romance books, they also offer sports, Western and firefighters. Exclusives start at $450, read their exclusive image FAQ.

Period Stock

Cost for print-quality image: $$
Subscriptions available: No
License: https://periodstock.com/licensing-information/
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: No
3D character images: No
Premades allowed: Yes
Custom shoots: No
Exclusives: Yes
Genres: Historical, historical romance
Notes: All women models at last look, and the PoC model was in images from 1920-1960 when I checked. Exclusives start at $125 for limited and $175 for exclusive.

The Reed Files

Cost for print-quality image: $$
Subscriptions available: No
License: https://thereedfiles.photoshelter.com/p/license-information
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: Yes
3D character images: No
Premades allowed: Unknown
Custom shoots: Possibly (link goes to a suspended website)
Exclusives: Yes
Genres: Primarily romance: contemporary, historical, menage, erotic. Some paranormal, YA/NA, fantasy.
Notes: Exclusives start at $400 (but are on sale for $100-200 as of the writing of this post). Romance includes Western, uniformed (cop, firefighter, military, spy, mechanic), and menage.

Richard Jenkins Photography

Cost for print-quality image: $$$$$ (see Notes)
Subscriptions available: No
License: https://rjenkins.co.uk/licensing/
PoC models: No
LGBTQ+ images: No
3D character images: No
Premades allowed: Unknown
Custom shoots: Presumably
Exclusives: Yes
Genres: Historical, historical romance
Notes: Specializes in historical European/American; primarily women, but some men and couples also. Cost not listed on page; contact him for details. Better historical costuming than most, albeit hair and makeup more appealing to modern sensibilities.

RomanceClassCovers

Cost for print-quality image: $$$
Subscriptions available: No
License: (scroll back through Instagram)
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: No
3D character images: No
Premades allowed: Unknown
Custom shoots: Yes
Exclusives: Yes
Genres: YA, new adult, contemporary romance
Notes: A focus on Asian/Filipino authors and books. Exclusives start at $65. Order using the form linked in the Instagram profile. License terms on every Instagram picture (may need to scroll up to see them all)

Servian Stock Images

Cost for print-quality image: $$
Subscriptions available: No
License: https://servianstockimages.com/pages/about-images
PoC models: Yes
LGBTQ+ images: No
3D character images: No
Premades allowed: Yes
Custom shoots: Yes
Exclusives: Yes
Genres: Primarily historical and historical romance, some urban fantasy and fantasy
Notes: POC models are mostly Asian and Māori/Pasifika. Search for Ramzi, Lukas, and Mansoor for men and Jordan, Anisha, and Sylvia for women. Couples are M/F but there’s a lot of images of single people as well. Will do custom shoots and exclusive images, contact for details.

* * *

SPECIALTY: CUSTOM AND EXCLUSIVES

A number of the above vendors sell exclusives and are available for custom shoots, but these vendors specialize in exclusive and custom photos for book covers. I have not yet commissioned photos from any of these photographers, because none of my clients have requested exclusive or custom photos so far. As a result, I can’t review the experience of working with any of them. I’ve listed example genres available in their portfolios, but I expect custom shoots can be arranged for just about any genre you need. Listed alphabetically.

If you are a photographer who specializes in book cover images and want to be listed here, leave a comment!

FuriousFotog

Book cover licensing info: https://furiousfotog.com/image-licensing
Genres: Romance, contemporary
Notes: Specialty site with exclusives only. Focus on athletic male models, but a few MF, FF and MM couples in the galleries and one gallery of solo women, also PoC models. Request the password from the photographer to view the galleries. All exclusives; start at $600.

Kruse Images & Photography

Book cover licensing info: https://www.kruseimagesandphotography.com/book-cover-licensing
Genres: Portfolio shows contemporary romance, paranormal romance, science fiction
Notes: Stock photo galleries available for licensing, contact them for the password. Stock on sale (presumably non-exclusive?) for $200-350. Exclusives start at $525. Custom shoots start at $725.

Moonstruck Cover Design & Photography

Genres: Primarily romance, paranormal romance, urban fantasy
Notes: Site still under construction. Gallery of images available for exclusive license, with PoC. Prices not listed. They mention non-exclusive images will be added at some point in the future. No information about custom shoots.

Paul Henry Serres

Book cover licensing info: https://www.paulhenryserres.com/book-covers-infos
Genres: Contemporary romance, erotic romance, fitness
Notes: Exclusive images in the online gallery available starting from $375. Custom photoshoots start at $500. PoC models and LGBTQ+ images in gallery. Categories include firefighters, uniforms, military and others. (Warning for autoplay music on home page–the control to stop it is at the bottom.)

R+M Photography

Book cover licensing info: https://www.rplusmphoto.com/exclusive-book-cover-images
Genres: Examples on website primarily contemporary: romance, erotic romance, fitness, some LGBTQ+ content
Notes: Existing photos can be exclusively licensed starting at $450. Galleries available at a password-protected site, contact them for the password. Custom shoot pricing begins at $600.

Regina Wamba

Genres: Contemporary, romance, some fantasy and dark fantasy.
Notes: Exclusive stock images only, no information about custom shoots. PoC models and couples available. Cost for photos with models $1000+ (varies). Photos without people closer to $400.

Sara Eirew

Genres: Contemporary, romance, paranormal romance, urban fantasy
Notes: Prices on request. Gallery on site includes PoC. Exclusive stock images only, no information about custom shoots.