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Thread: WANTED! Artist for post-concept map creation

  1. #1
    Guild Novice
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    England
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    Post WANTED! Artist for post-concept map creation

    Dear Artist,

    I have been a fan of this great website for a while and all of the artists publishing their maps here do some really quite tremendous work.

    Project:
    I’m seeking that talent to create a map for use in a fantasy adventure novel and later online use/companion website). The novel writing is nearing completion and a publisher is soon to be sought.

    Design:
    The map would be of the main kingdom centred on the large city surrounded by significant mountain ranges, deserts, towns, farmlands, woodlands, rivers etc. (I am not at this stage wanting settlements depicted as more than a stylised icon, though I can foresee eventually seeking to produce a map of the large city itself.) It is a map focused on the old dying central kingdom, one large and ten small settlements, and to that end is not particularly great in scale.

    I have two concept ideas for the map depending on artist’s skillset:

    The first, and my preference, is a stylised colour cartographic map similar to the excellent work elsewhere on the cartographers website: (http://www.cartographersguild.com/co...fall-by-Obliro) or (http://www.cartographersguild.com/at...0&d=1311118144)

    Alternatively, I have considered using instead a high quality black and white line drawing that could be reproduced easily in the actually body of the text as an illustration. Imagine a more simple version of the above and in black and white that you might discover nestled in the text of a hardback book, example here: (http://www.cartographersguild.com/at...9&d=1428439898)

    I have detailed hand drawn sketches of the map and pictures that I can post and most of the ideas have been conceptualised, though this is of course scope for your own creativity. I can also provide the written detailed descriptions contained within the novel.

    Technical Info:
    Image should be 2000x2000 px or higher so as to be suitable for viewing on the web, downscaling, or modification. (I understand this is typical for HD web images but I am open to be re-educated if I am incorrect)

    Copyright:
    I would like the right to modify the image and redistribute the image in both the original or edited form for commercial purposes, online and published. Many of the name/concepts would come directly from the book so I would like to keep control over those elements.

    Paid?:
    The simple truth is that, as much as I would wish to, at present I am unable to offer a fee and I am not unrealistic that, as a non-published author, the chances of a successful fantasy novel publication these days are slim. Ultimately this novel and map may be an exercise in non-profit creativity.

    This project may be best suited to an aspiring artist as the reward is that I can offer is that if there is any success the artist would get their name on the credits of any work (if they wish it) and they can likewise add a link to their portfolio. I would be happy to write a reference and/or refer further work to you. Furthermore, and perhaps most attractively, is that if a publisher is secured I will certainly be seeking additional commisions (my aim was to have a number of map illustrations within the book and I have further novels planned). This additional work is likely to be paying, and you would be the first point of call.

    Timescale:
    Flexible, months. This is a long term project.

    Aim:
    As with the spirit of the website the purpose is to create a world from our imaginations and I am looking for someone to help me with this.

    Thank you for your time reading this.

    Please contact me if you are interested or wish for more information or by email:
    Justin.op.cook@btinternet.com

    Guide Hand-drawn Maps:

    overview of map sought
    Horologios and outlying region HD.jpg
    zoomed, for added detail
    Horologios detailed HD.jpg
    Last edited by Homestead; 05-07-2015 at 05:00 AM.

  2. #2

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    Perhaps you could offer a royalty in lieu of up-front payment. It's still a risk to the artist given that you have not secured a publisher, but a good royalties contract is better than "There might be more work in the future."

    I'm not interested in the commission myself, by the way. I just thought I'd offer the suggestion.
    Bryan Ray, visual effects artist
    http://www.bryanray.name

  3. #3

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    Before I secured a publisher for my Kaidan setting of Japanese horror (PFRPG), I paid out over $400 for cover illustrations and monster illustations - and found a longterm illustrator that has done many illustrations since (at an awesome price per piece). Of course it was eventually published by Rite Publishing, who has reimbursed me for every illustration used so far, which is most of them (all but 6 I think, which I will use eventually).
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  4. #4
    Guild Novice
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    Thank you for the suggestions you are probably right on the mark.

    My reasoning: I did consider both royalties and some form of future money if profits made arrangement, but decided I did not wish to lure a prospective artist with hollow offers of money (or $200 in a far off future if profit made). While I am confidently optimistic the quality of my writing may be enough to secure a publisher/e-publisher and I may dream about 'winning the lottery' and seeing it in every store in the country, I am realistic that typically the profits on break-in fantasy novels are virtually non-existent. I am fully anticipating publishing costs to outweigh revenue - this is more about a labour of love. About creating a world and sharing it.

    I was hoping that I was not being naive in thinking that to an aspiring artist being able to showcase work to potentially a broad audience if the book is published (even one that makes no money), putting it on a website, and/or having her/his name under the map in the book was a reward in itself. I don't see how it couldn't but help to gain future work/sales for the artist. In a similar way that getting a first book published is a step on the long road to success with the second or third. I am fully willing to be proved wrong on this point.

  5. #5

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    Yeah, artists hear a lot of "It will look great in your portfolio." If it's unpaid, then mark it unpaid.
    Bryan Ray, visual effects artist
    http://www.bryanray.name

  6. #6
    Banned User
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Midgardsormr View Post
    Yeah, artists hear a lot of "It will look great in your portfolio." If it's unpaid, then mark it unpaid.
    That may be true, but it's a bit harsh, too. Many people come here with no idea what to expect to pay for a nice map. I suspect if someone had volunteered to do Homestead's map for $25, it would have been a "Paid" map. When a potential client finds out that what they want is beyond their means, at least at the moment, they are not insulting anyone by offering whatever they can afford, royalty or future business or credit. There is no rule that says anyone has to accept that, and it doesn't appear to me that Homestead is being demanding or unpleasant because he is hoping for someone to do so.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Midgardsormr View Post
    Yeah, artists hear a lot of "It will look great in your portfolio." If it's unpaid, then mark it unpaid.
    A bit harsh but I tend to agree on this point. Too many people request a map claiming this would be some free advertising for the artist. First, it's not sure it would be since there's no guarantee that the map will be published. Second, the artist would have worked on the map, whatever the book is published or not. Does that mean that he wouldn't have to be paid for his work, whatever the book is published or not? I don't think so. I don't think that a publisher would make an author work without paying him, and only having his name on a book cover as the only "reward" so why things would be different for an artist?
    I' m also a bit surprised that discussion comes to possible royalties since I don't really see how an author can negociate royalties with the artist, that is some publisher's part.

  8. #8

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    From my previous post, what I was saying was I had a project that I intended to publish (or have published for me) and I was willing to take the risk on art costs by paying $100 each for 2 pieces of cover art, and $200 for 24 pencil illustrations of monsters (by a respected industry professional) - I paid for it out of my own pocket, knowing that the project would indeed be eventually published and I would be reimbursed or earn profits enough to pay for it.

    I even ran a Kickstarter to pay for the publication of a trilogy of adventure modules for it (which got published), then paid for and published 3 supplements, I wrote my own mini-adventure, and then we ran another Kickstarter to pay for the campaign guide book.

    So what started as out of pocket expenses, have become over $15,000 in Kickstarter money and 3 years of profits. I am not getting rich from it, but it completely pays for itself, and I didn't have to beg people to do work for free, I've paid out for all services since the beginning (I paid that out of tax return money, because I ain't rich, but I want to pay for what I create.)
    Last edited by Gamerprinter; 04-09-2015 at 05:07 PM.
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  9. #9

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    I don’t really see why you discuss this in this thread. If you don’t want to work for free, don’t write on threads like this. If they go unanswered the Commissioner will probably learn something from it. And if someone wants to do it for free, good for the Commissioner and especially good for the Cartographer who will probably learn something from the stress free process of working without a monetary gain. Anyway, in the end, if the Commissioner doesn’t look to pay for the work, then he isn’t “stealing” mapping jobs from anyone because he probably won’t risk the necessary capital to invest in his book or whatever

    Nevertheless, this is an interesting subject to discuss, however it should be done in its own thread. I’m certain there are people around who would love to work on a map for free just for the experience, and this thread is obviously for them. Hence the “Paid?”, that the TS is explaining very clearly

    Cheers,
    Tainotim

  10. #10

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    I posted to only make suggestions from a author/publisher point of view. If you want art whether maps or illustrations, pay for it, even if doesn't get published, you eat the cost because its your project. Just keep costs reasonable so it won't be so expensive to commission, and you get good work done for your needs.

    Honestly I stopped responding to commission requests here at the guild probably back in 2008, as publishers since that time contact me direct via email. I have honestly not contacted any publishers first asking if I can do work for them - all of them have found me over the last 7 years and commission me directly, and I'm talking dozens of publishers - including the video game strategy guide map commissions I do. I can call myself a fulltime professional freelance cartographer with an annual income above $40K just from commissions alone (mostly strategy guide maps for the big pay). So I normally don't respond to free map commssion requests nor paid for ones - I usually never respond to these threads at all.

    Personally, I stay far away from any commissioner asking to pay by royalty. Unless you're a very large concern like HASBRO and have a sales platform that will generate hundreds of thousands of products so that "royalty" means real money, smaller companies have little potential to pay well through royalties. For most jobs I require full payment at completion of work, and no expectation of royalty ever. I even partnered up with some publishers to create a supplement for Assassins for D&D style games, and as a partner, I earn about $200 a year for the past 3 years from that. Had I been only a freelancer and not a full partner, I might expect $20 a year as royalty payment. Is any project worth earning $60 over 3 years through royalty? My answer, no. As a freelance cartographer, when a commissioner suggests payment by royalty, I run as far and fast as I can away from that.
    Last edited by Gamerprinter; 04-09-2015 at 06:12 PM.
    Gamer Printshop Publishing, Starfinder RPG modules and supplements, Map Products, Map Symbol Sets and Map Making Tutorial Guide
    DrivethruRPG store

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