What map style do you want for your book?

If you’re a first-time author, you may not know what kind of map your book needs. Editors and publishers may suggest maps, but most of my clients are the authors themselves.

Do your readers need to know where a few places are located? Then a simple one page or smaller map showing countries or regions and a few cities and geographic locations may be all you need.

Does your protagonist do a lot of travelling and you want to show all the locations mentioned in your story? Then a full-page spread may help clarify the details.

Your publisher may specify either colour or greyscale images, and that’s important to know before getting too far into the design process. Previous newsletters have included tips and advice about where to get maps and why copyright is important to understand.

To give you an idea of some types of maps, here’s a selection of recent client projects: for an academic paper, a biography, and a historical novel.

map for academic paper by Malcolm Joyce about contamination from Sellafield showing study area in UK Lakes District
greyscale map showing the cruising track of the USS Lancaster in the Mediterranean Sea in 1881-1882
greyscale map of north Liverpool in 1910 for novel by David Ebsworth

Learn more about maps for publications

Need help with your map?

Check out the FAQ for more info. If you are ready to start your mapping project, contact me for a free consultation.

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