First off, fair warning, I am brand new to the fantasy mapping environment, so I have no personal experience with the market supply or demands. So please don't be upset if my post bears no relation to the reality of the situation. I'm just throwing it out there so that folks who are familiar with the environment can kick it around some and maybe pick something useful out of it.

When I first started looking around for ways to get started with making maps, I envisioned possibly some day being able to make a little bit of money off of it, if it grows out of just being a hobby. What I pictured was a site where folks could download a map set I had created for a small amount - $1 to $5, depending on the size and detail of the map. Each download wouldn't net me much, but it could add up if a map becomes popular and multiple folks download it.

There is no reason that the idea can't be applied to multiple cartographers - a marketplace, as it were. Artists could upload their maps and descriptions, search keywords, etc, and the site could handle accepting and disbursing payment for a percentage, or it could just have links to Paypal, whatever. It could also be used as a way for those seeking a custom map to find an artist whose style they like and a way to contact them to request a commission.

It's got some issues - how do customers get a preview of the maps to see what they want to buy without accidentally giving the whole thing away? How do we determine those who download for personal use vs those who download to resell? (That one may be solvable through the licensing rights, I don't know) Will many folks just buy a map once and then forward copies to all friends who want it, thus denying the artist the multiple fees? Etc, etc, etc.

Hope this post is useful, and not just a noob blathering on about things he has no understanding of.