Surprise, bitches!

𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 yoghurtfleur 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲.

𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫.

𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓:

"𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒉𝒊𝒄 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒙𝒕-𝒐𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔. 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒓 𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒆?"

(feel free to add your thoughts inline or wherever!)

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐬.

I know like next to nothing about the graphic community in Wattpad nowadays. I only pay attention to my friends lmao. SO, I won't make comments on the shops being mostly text-on.

I seem to remember there were a lot of manip shops here when I first started. I definitely have noticed a shift since then though, so you are probably right

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥.

I can say for sure that quality has absolutely no relation with the covers being text-on. Some of the most gorgeous covers on this app are text-on.

I can name at least two non-manip cover shops that are honestly super good?? I know they work their asses off for each of their covers, and it honestly shows! Like I mentioned long ago, text-on does not equal no effort!

So, why is the quality the worst for text-on covers?

I see two sides to this.

The problem lies in, as you said, the effort designers put into a cover. With the growing number of shops opening on Wattpad nowadays, it's honestly hard to find shops with good quality like Meha's or Natt's.

Why is it hard?

Simple.

The majority of shops are here not for the love of design, but for fame. You cannot deny that the growth in cover shops on this app, specifically, was spurred by people looking for easy popularity.

At some point, people noticed cover shops were an easy and sure way to get readers and views (which it is, mostly), and they hopped right onto that train.

You know Wattpad and it's trend followers.

The result, is that when those people reach a certain point where they think "I have enough follows/reads now", they stop caring about the quality. Or maybe they never did. Hence, they barely try. They put all their efforts on entering contests instead, as winning those (uglee asf) stickers equals achieving greatness. Apparently 🙄

(Not to say that Wattpad Graphic Contests are shit. Most of them are. That's just how it is. I'll tell you more another day if you want.)

Anyways, these designers also don't generally make any moves to try to learn more and grow as designers. Why would they, when they're only here for fame. Hence, little improvement is shown even if they make a lot of covers. They never move on to other styles of covers, like some designers usually do. Which also explains another reason why the majority of shops are text-on.

Second point. I mentioned I see two sides of this, right?

Most of the newer shops nowadays are in it for the fame. BUT! That isn't to say all of them suck and are self-centered bitches.

No! Many of them are amazing! They are genuinely into it and are trying to improve their skills. OR, are trying it for fun. Great reasons.

But what happens, is that we all have a starting point. And that point is text-on covers -for most.

When I started, I knew next to nothing about design or it's elements. I had no idea what to do, where to start. I simply liked making covers.

It was my early cave man age.

No matter how hard I tried -and I tried my damn hardest- any cover I made would end up looking like a hot piece of garbage. It not only looked foul, it also smelled foul.

Worst of all, I actually thought those hot pieces of garbage were okay. Recyclable, maybe.

Oh, how wrong I was.

BUT! That's because I was still learning! As so many people are right now.

Are they not trying? No! They're doing their best.

They're learning, and that's just how it is.

Speaking from experience, you really don't know how bad your cover is until you look back on it one or two years later lmaoooo

I know ya'll will be like,, "no way u made bad covers". Well bitch, look at my reading list titled "Old Shop" and you will find out what bad truly means-

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬,

We live in a society.

No, I'm kidding lol-

Or am I?

We live in a world where people don't give a shit and want fame. Thankfully, most shops have samples you can look at and make your decision. It's like catching Pokémon, except you know what you're getting and you abuse the shit out of the one you choose.

Oh wait, it's exactly the same-

HAVING SAID THAT! In the world of Wattpad Cover Shop where covers are completely free, you get what you pay for. People don't seem to get that, in the privileged world of Wattpad.

True free covers are supposed to be trash. That's why they're free! Ya'll ever see anyone sell perfect goods at the store for f r e e??

"Hey, random stranger glaring at me like I'm gum stuck on their shoe! Have this batch of tomatoes that I tirelessly grew and took care of for weeks in my backyard! For free!"

"Or, how about you take this house I built! 🥰 ofc for free, lol"

That's literally it. People don't get that because, "cover making isn't that hard, u dumb bitch 🙄🥱"

Yeah, you're right, Patricia. I spent, like, 3 mins on your cover, and then the remaining 3 hours dreaming about the enticing life of cicadas.

We live in a society. People are so used to the few designers who make amazing free covers for fun, that they start expecting free covers to be amazing and want to be offered the best services. For free.

Maybe it's the fault of us designers for continuing to offer free services to the point where people now think they're entitled to perfect services for free. As if they're paying you :/

and "they go, why would I pay? It's just a cover?"

I have words for you, Patricia.

*deep breath*

(┛ಠ_ಠ)┛彡┻━┻

𝐄𝐍𝐃.

NEXT CHAPTER: obviously about free covers, and people not reading rules :))

sorry if there are mistakes, this ain't proofread lmaoo. its 2am dont expect anything-