Hi,


Some beautiful work on this site!

I would like to commission a cartographer to produce a professional quality map for a fantasy novel series that I have written based on Finnish mythology. I am in the final stages of the second copy edit and am making arrangements with my agent to submit the novels to publishers. I actually have one standing offer from a publisher based on a cold call submission, but at very unfavorable terms and declined.


Commission:

This is a paid commission. We can discuss the fee via private message. Paypal would probably work best for payment, but I'm willing to consider other alternatives.


Subject:

The map will be regional, based loosely on a map of southern Finland and the Baltic Sea, showing a bit of what would be Estonia on the southern edge. The novels' "world" is referred to as 'The Far Northern Land." My rough sketches, of which I'm suitably embarrassed, are attached. One map shows only the relevant place and geographic names; the second shows more topography (trees especially) and geography. I'll provide a master listing of all place and geographic names. I'm afraid I'm unsure as regards the scale but can answer questions related to distance between geographic features, etc., that should provide adequate information to the cartographer.


Style:

I am looking for a "standard" fantasy novel style that tends more toward the realistic than heavily stylized. Classic fantasy maps reproduced in Lord of the Rings, Le Guin's Earthsea trilogy, David Edding's "Belgariad" series, etc., are some well known examples that I have in mind. I'm willing to consider all suggestions and give the cartographer license to innovate as he/she is inspired to as long as my ultimate wishes are respected if I disagree!


Quality and Size:

The map should be suitable for black and white print reproduction in a standard commercial paperback publication. I envision the map as taking up two standard paperback pages. Dimensions and detail should be tailored for this commercial purpose.


Time:

I would like the map to be completed within approximately two-three months of commissioning.


Copyright:

I would like reproduction rights to the map to use in the novels and in all promotional material. The artist can retain copyright and use it for his/her portfolio and professional purposes, but not for commercial gain (selling copies after the novels' publication, etc.) without my consent.


Future Commissions:

There is the possibility of a future commission for a more detailed, smaller scale map of one specific region. This map is required in the third book in the series and not needed at present.

There is the possibility of a more detailed, larger scale, 'artistic' map suitable for reproduction and framing (for me).

But first things first! Maps.zip

Please let me know if you are interested in the project. I am at dasman89 -- at -- hotmail. Thanks for your time. --David