When I published the first two iterations of “Reawakened Flames,” there was no map. I couldn’t draw one myself that would be good enough, and I didn’t even know where to go to have one made. I previously mentioned this in Writing Journey Part 4, but I will explain in more detail here.
When I got into fantasy, the first maps I saw were Tolkien’s. I was fascinated by the different maps I would see in fantasy books. I even drew one for an old story, but it wasn’t anything that could be put in a book. When I put the final edition of my book together, I decided to see if I could include a map. I looked for mapmakers and was disappointed. I only found three. I didn’t really like the portfolio for one, another had very little information, and the other one had no openings for months. At that point I was going to publish soon, so I needed the map a bit quicker.
I ended up asking my cover designer, MiblArt. Their price was much cheaper than the other places, and it would be done quick. Also, then all the design stuff would stay with the same company. I drew a rough version the best that I could.
MiblArt turned it into a beautiful illustration. I am so happy that I included it in the book. It feels more complete. More locations can be added over time, or the map can be changed if an alternate version is needed.
Now, I know the map isn’t perfect. I am a writer, not a cartographer. I worked hard to draw everything somewhat to scale, but Lythannen ended up being off from the rest of the map. I realized this very late in the process, and I can’t afford to completely re-draw the map. For now, I think it looks good as long as you don’t scrutinize it.
For self-publishers, when you are having a map made for your book, pay attention to the format of the location names whether they are typed or drawn. Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) added a slight fuzziness to my illustration in the paperback books. The map image had to be large enough to allow the names to be bigger. The letters also had to be clearly spaced and defined, or they would bleed into each other. Order proof copies to make sure your map looks good. Don’t assume it will be fine.
Also, if you use Kindle Create to insert the map, the program’s previewer will make the image look blurry. This is normal because you can’t zoom in. KDP’s previewer will do this too. The Kindle Previewer program will let you zoom in on an image to make sure it looks good. You can double click with the mouse on the image, and then use your fingers on the mousepad to zoom in. If you have a touch screen, use your fingers on the screen.
A quick note about Kindle Create. The program has been updated, and uploading and saving files has completely changed. When you add an image, you need to temporarily save it in one of the folders that Kindle Create shows, such as the downloads folder, so it can be uploaded. After the image is uploaded, it can be moved back where it is supposed to go or be deleted if you just copied it.