Young Writers Society

Okay, so I wrote a novel a while ago, and I've been in the joyfully tedious querying process...

But now I'm kind of concerned about something else.

My novel is fantasy, and near all fantasy novels have a map inside before the story begins. And I think stories SHOULD have maps. I mean, you create an entire world, of course you should lay it out in a map so readers know where things are. It's just how it works.

Problem...I cannot draw for the life of me. Is it bad to not draw your own map? I feel like I should suck it up and try, but I'd really rather just wait until I get an agent and figure out having someone else do it for me I think it would be better if I didn't do it myself. If I just supervised the placement of things. But then I think about this, and I feel strange, because it's my world...so I don't know what to do. I'm torn. I've doodled a bit, but nothing good has come from it. I even bought a sketch book thinking it might help inspire me, but I'm still pretty bad.

Same thing with cover art. I feel like I should draw something even if it won't be used. It's MY story. Shouldn't every single part of it, from the front page to the back cover, be mine?

Actually, if you look at most maps in fantasy books, the authors had someone else draw it for them. I don't think it will be a problem. As for submitting it with your novel, I wouldn't know what to do for that. Perhaps sending a map with a query is presumptious?

Cover art: unless you wish to self publish, this shouldn't be a concern. Most publishers design the cover art for their books.

Maps: If you are going to have a map in your book, chances are practically nil that your publisher or agent will expect it to be one you've drawn yourself. However, you may want to draw a rough map, just so that the person who does eventually draw it will know where everything goes and whatnot. Nothing too detailed, just a rough idea.

Cover art: I agree with Tri, this would be completely pointless, unless you choose the self-publishing route. You may want to do it just at your own leisure, of course, but for any reasons other than that, I wouldn't bother.

I didn't mean draw it to send with the query, that would be pointless considering no one asks for it...and you should only ever send what you're asked to send. I just meant to have around after I get an agent or something.

I never knew most authors didn't draw their own maps. I guess it's just the stories I read, or it's something I made it up in my mind

And the cover, I know most people don't design their own covers, but some do. And I like it when they do, it makes the whole thing their own.

I don't know...maybe I really am just inventing new worries in my mind haha.

In the world I created, there is a complex system of various nations and alliances and treaties, and very important landmarks and towns and things. But the problem was, I could't write them out, because I didn't know where they were. I was lost in my own world. So I, she who can not draw, drew a map. I designed the rivers and how they affected the countryside, I found places for the important scenes of the story, and I realized where the verious nations were, and why the were at war. So I don't use my map as a pretty thing for the inside of my possible book: I use it as a map should be used, as a tool for finding your way.