Writing smut? Design filth that actually looks good

This is a love letter to indie authors trying to design their own smut graphics without making it look like a crime scene.

So, you write filth. Hot, filthy, deliciously unhinged smut. Want your covers, teasers, or socials to be giving more “underground erotica queen with range” than “dodgy Wattpad circa 2010”?

You don’t need a £3k designer to make your brand look bangable, but you do need to rein it in a little.

Here’s how to keep your graphics filthy and fabulous.

1. Know the difference between chaos and clutter

If you write about messy sex, wild feelings (and sometimes a demon with six peckers), your designs are allowed to be a bit chaotic. But chaos needs direction. If your teaser graphic has 5 fonts, 3 filters, a suspicious glow effect and a barely readable quote about someone being split open… we need to talk.

Keep it filthy, but make it legible.

Pick one wild element (a bold font, a gritty texture, an intense crop) and let that lead. The rest should support, not scream.

2. Don’t be afraid to lean in

If your book’s hot, your visuals should be too. Don’t shy away from sensuality or edge, but don’t half-arse it either. A “maybe this is sexy?” Canva layout with a stock photo of a guy who looks like he sells protein powder is doing nothing for your brand.

If you want raw, unfiltered, dripping-with-desire design… go all in. Think textures, mood, shadow play, grunge overlays. Make it feel like your writing: sweaty, tense, breathy.

Hot visuals don’t need a naked man’s torso. They need vibe.

3. Make it beautiful, even if it's dirty

Filth can still be pretty. Even the kinkiest, darkest, bloodiest story deserves cover art that actually looks like someone gave a shit.

Design is foreplay, it sets the tone. It gets your readers ready. So even if your story involves tentacles, consensual corruption, or an unhinged ghost boyfriend… your cover shouldn’t look like it was made in MS Paint at 2am (unless that’s the vibe, in which case, go full gremlin).

4. Own the discomfort (but control it)

Your writing might make people blush, cringe, moan, or question their sanity. Good. But your design? That needs to feel intentional. If your teaser quote makes someone sweat, the design should enhance that. Not distract.

Think:

• bold contrast

• tight type layout

• textures that hint, not hammer

• colours that seduce instead of scream

Let the reader feel a bit unsteady. But not like they’ve just been assaulted by a chaotic Canva explosion.

5. Learn the basics

You don’t need a design degree to make great smut graphics, but you do need to learn the bare minimum. I’m talking:

• Typography hierarchy (aka: what to shout, what to whisper)

• White space (it’s not “empty”, it’s breathing room)

• Consistent fonts + colours (pick your palette, stick to it)

• Image quality (stop stretching jpegs to fit your template)

Good design makes your filth sell. And if you want readers to actually click, tap, or buy, they need to trust that you know what you’re doing, visually and verbally.

6. Don’t get yourself banned

Instagram is a basic bitch. It loves beige influencers and hates anything that looks like it might be enjoying itself. So if you’re designing your own promos, remember the golden rule: suggestive > explicit.

You can hint, you can allude, you can heavily imply that someone’s about to get wrecked by a morally grey vampire, just don’t show it. You so can use the words “spicy,” “steamy,” “smutty,” “filthy,” and:

• Close crops

• Metaphors (flowers, chains, anything vaguely wet)

• Strong lighting/shadow

• Typography that feels filthy without needing to scream SEX! every five seconds

Let them feel dirty without getting your account nuked.

.Remember

• Go chaotic on purpose, not by accident.

• One standout design element per visual. Don’t stack all your sins at once.

• Match your visual tone to your story’s energy.

• Learn just enough design to give your smut justice.

• Keep it suggestive on socials or face the wrath of the algorithm gods.

• Dirty can be artful. Filth can still have finesse.

If you’re DIY-ing your own smut visuals and thinking “I have no idea what I’m doing but I can’t afford a designer yet,” you’re not alone.

But when you’re ready to level up? I offer affordable, purposeful design packages for indie authors who want to look polished without selling a kidney.

Email me (contact@smutorium.com) or stalk me on Instagram.

Let’s make it filthy, and look bloody fantastic while we do it.