Does the cover image used for a story have to be original or can i just take one from google? I couldn't find anything about this in the guide so i'm asking here.
I've always just taken all my images from google searches and porn sites where the photos are in the public domain, it's never been a problem. Worse case scenario they'll ask to have it taken down, which is easily done. But I've never heard of that happening on CHYOA. And we don't monetise our content here, so we're not really on their radar. At least this is my understanding, I could be wrong.
You can use one from wherever, but I'd recommend using some photo that has some sort of interesting composition or color. At the very least, edit your photo so it's square and fits the boundaries of the cover on the website. A little bit of customization can go a long way towards making your story stand out among a sea of generic sexy women pictures.
The one I used for the story I put up recently was free to use. I did forget to crop their logo at first.
In general, you can use all images you are legally allowed to distribute. (E.g., you have the copyright to the image.) Though, due to the nature of the site, there are some restrictions on that. Images must not depict real underage persons. And non-real figures in images must look old enough to be 18 if they are depicted in an erotic context, either within the image itself or as the character they are meant to represent. Also, some images shouldn't be used for moral reasons, even if you are legally allowed to use. E.g., an image that is licensed CC0, but depicts a person not expecting that the image would be used in such a context.
