Small fantasy map

[Valvolkov]

Hi guys, I posted here a few months ago a project that was unpaid. The reason I'm re-posting now is because it's become paid and is currently being copy-edited.

So, attached is my poor attempt at my fantasy map.

Attachment 106089

As you can see it's a relatively small-scaled map, one side depicts a fortress-sanctuary the other depicts "the dark lands". I want a map that's not just basic icons but a map that is inspiring, perhaps even scary/mysterious and comes to life through the map. I think because it's a small-scaled map and the icons that depicts certain places (like the fortress) can be bigger, then there's more likelihood to create such a map.

In the story, the map is supposed to be drawn by a 16 years old boy who is "lost in a fantasy world" (can't say the details ).

This novel is self-published. I have an additional document that explains what every location is especially made for the author of the map, but I won't post it here.

You can email me at

(email removed)

Thanks
Best regards,
-Val

[Valvolkov]

Hey guys,
I've gotten a few emails and price quotes but I see I can't afford any of you... and I completely understand that quality work needs appropriate compensation.

I wanted to say that I'm just one person trying to self-publish a novel on Amazon as an ebook, no team, partners or sponsors behind me and some of the numbers I was told are too rich for my blood. It's not that I'm cheap or anything like that, I love my story and want to give it the best that I can, but as it stands, since I can't afford you I'll try to draw the map myself somehow or find some talented kid (the map is supposed to be drawn by a teenager after all ) . Thank you for contacting me,

-Val

[Wired]

Val, since I'm not amongst those who have contacted you, and since I've been on both sides of the fence regarding self-published material, allow me to chime in. Serious self-publishing is not cheap. You are looking to put a product on a market. That market is oversaturated, and the only means to set yourself apart from the overwhelming majority of authors that sell a whooping number of less than 100 copies during their turn as writers is to invest in the quality of your product. That means getting a good freelance editor, getting an at least semi-professional cover image - and getting a similarly (semi-)professional map and layout. Depending on the length of your novel and the scope of chosen editing, a good editor alone (and trust me: all but 1% of writers need one) can easily cost you in excess of $1,000 (just having a novel of, say, 100K words be professionally proofed once or twice, let alone edited, will cost you $500 or more). A good cover image? >$200, but most likely double that, if the artists knows what he or she are doing (there's always the chance of you finding a newcomer on DeviantArt who'll agree to doing it for a fraction of that, but I wouldn't count on it). The map should be an afterthought to that. That is, if your funds are scarce, then don't spend them on a map. That is a reasonable decision.

But for your novel to have a snowball's chance in hell you will have to put not just your time and heart's blood into it, but also a lot of money before you can even think about making any sort of profit. That's what every indie/self-pubbed author who'se had a modicum of success will tell you. Don't do it if a) you cannot afford the money to make the product shine and b) cannot afford to loose said money. If you do not have the money now, save it over time, even if that takes you a few years. Your novel (and your story, since you'll gain time to rework it and gauge it again with some distance) will be better for it. As an example, take The Crimson Queen by Alec Hutson. It's been self-published using Amazon kindle and Createspace. Including the author, five people worked on it (cover, layout, proofing, map) to make it a professional product with >400 reviews and a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.

I fully understand the urge to share your story with the world. But for it to not go to waste, you have to play your cards right. If that includes the patience to wait until you have $1,500 of disposable cash in the piggy bank, go and see that patience as an asset. Don't stop. Continue writing. Short stories. Snippets. Online formats like "Worm". And when you've accumulated the funds, chances are you'll have also accumulated a small cadre of dedicated readers in the meantime. That, maybe more than anything else, also is a powerful asset. Don't stop. But also don't forget that it won't come cheap.

[Valvolkov]

This is a thread about hiring someone for this project, not a discussion. I made the second post to thank people who have contacted me and to bow out.
That's all :-)

Not starting a discussion about the nature of budgets, maps, success rates...and other such philosophizing. Geez, what got you going?

Will appreciate if a mod can lock this thread.

Thanks.

[Wired]

All I did as someone who has both self-published and worked for self-published authors was to offer my experience-based advice on the subject at hand. If this was inappropriate I apologize.

[Redrobes]

Locked at OP's request.