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map making software

I would love to include a map in my upcoming novel. But since I'm self-publishing and don't want to pay someone to create one for me, I have to do it myself. And since my design skills aren't amazing, I'll need some software help.

My novel is set in a fantasy world with elements borrowed from the golden age of piracy. As such, I would love to have the map resemble period maps, something like this one (except for all the lines across it that is...):
y4mCJOYst01_hjHW3fJj2-irNcND6ThP8V3wCwNIJaR5vgU7FuSP9NPjgbWvVCHlu0i1ZsEHCoMMrh5HzG5-hwkqzWosJVE3eEaGgHT1SDhmMVkoUyy9cPv41QqezVWp8kAORViLU9RLkbi1yCl5sBecVgBJFyL_XfAueGzYBmsN2Vba0XErXS0E3cBIIci_Mg-


Does anyone know of some map-maping software which can approach this look? I don't mind paying for something, as long as it's not too extravagant.
 

Slartibartfast

Minstrel
Have a look at campaign cartographer. I'm a bit busy now but I will go through my resources later and try to find some mapping resources which would support that particular style (or similar). CC can get very expensive but has turned up on HumbleBundle -and the lesser known Bundle of Holding-. It is sold as a core program with auxilliary features and resources sold as addons. It is not at all expensive to get the main program and a handful of resources but the whole lot will set you back a very large amount of money.

I really like CC but it is not for everyone. It is CAD based, which often strikes people as a bit alien. From what I can gather, CAD is an 'ancient' software branch which peeled off before all the modern user interface conventions were fully established. Consequently it has its own entirely logical set of conventions which are completely unintuitive if you're used to normal programs. I tend to think that the easier software is to use, the less control you have. CC is high control but comes with the attendant learning curve.
 
Thanks! I'll definitely check it out. I've been using computers for almost 40 years now, so I've got some experience with ancient software. So that's not too big a hurdle. And some of the examples on the site look in the direction of what I'm aiming for.
 

Slartibartfast

Minstrel
Great! I'd be interested to know what you make of it. It's not difficult software, just different. However, for some people, that's more than enough to make the decision not to try it.

I found the one that I thought of when I saw your example map earlier. It's included in their 2007 annual: the Mercator Map. It's not actually much like yours now I've seen it again, but it is a historical style. If you look through their annual collections (click on the relevant annual and then note the headings on the left-hand column on the page) you can see what assets are included. I think there are more fantasy than historical (including this nice JRRT clone), but there are still plenty of historical ones.
 
I've been very happy with Inkarnate. It was a slow burn for me, because they took a long time to incorporate commercial use options, but now they have them for relatively cheap. Any maps made while subscribed to the Pro subscription can still be used commercially after you cancel that subscription.
 

WooHooMan

Auror
This may be kind of a weird thing to throw-out there but I have experience in photoshop and I’ve been looking to get some practice in.
If you’d like, I can probably put something together for your book pro bono since a map like that doesn’t seem like it’d be too challenging or time consuming.

But to answer your query: map making by hand/with photoshop is usually the way to go.
 

Insolent Lad

Maester
I've messed about with Campaign Cartographer and other map-making ware, and decided they didn't offer anything I couldn't do with a decent vector drawing program (Corel Draw being my poison of choice). Of course, those can be costly too. And, when it comes down to it, I'm as likely to end up with pen and paper on my light table for the final product.
 
This may be kind of a weird thing to throw-out there but I have experience in photoshop and I’ve been looking to get some practice in.
If you’d like, I can probably put something together for your book pro bono since a map like that doesn’t seem like it’d be too challenging or time consuming.
Thanks for the offer. I agree that drawing it yourself in Photoshop will almost always give the best results. If you can draw that is. My skills are pretty terrible in that regard, which is why software can help a lot.

I'd love to take you up on your offer, if it still stands of course. Let me know and then we can work something out.
 

WooHooMan

Auror
Thanks for the offer. I agree that drawing it yourself in Photoshop will almost always give the best results. If you can draw that is. My skills are pretty terrible in that regard, which is why software can help a lot.

I'd love to take you up on your offer, if it still stands of course. Let me know and then we can work something out.

Just shoot me a conversation message thing and we’ll go from there.
 

AMObst

Dreamer
This thread is very useful for me, as I'm grappling with how to create my own world maps. Luckily, the story in my debut novel was set in a small area so there wasn't a strong need to create a map for that, but my latest WIP isn't so convenient!

I love the creative flow when drawing maps freehand (I've been doing that for fun for over 40 years!) but I lack the skills to take it to the next step. I plan to set multiple stories in the same world, but not necessarily the same region. So I want to create an overall map of the continents and major features (large rivers, mountains, names of countries and big cities), then be able to take a "slice" of it and create a more detailed map of that area only. All without losing the integrity of the shapes from the bigger map.

I'm not strongly technical so something easy to get the hang of would be ideal, but not too formulaic - I've used one where you can insert pre-set mountain shapes but they all looked the same and I wasn't happy with the result. Ideally I've love to be able to upload a basic freehand drawing and work from that, but that might be too much to ask for.

Someone has recommended Wonderdraft, but any tips/suggestions would be extremely appreciated!
 

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
You should try any and all of the software mentioned on this thread. See if it's worth your while. At the same time, don't overlook having it done by a pro. It will add a few hundred dollars to the cost of production, but the arguments for it are the same as for having a pro do your cover.

The argument that persuaded me is this: how do I react when I see a map obviously done by an amateur? And how do I react when it's done by a pro? Why would I think other readers would be any different?

That said, if you can't afford it, you can't afford it. That's why I say try out all the map-making software. Maybe you'll find an acceptable compromise.
 

Chuck

Scribe
Humble bundle is currently selling a Campaign Cartographer bundle. You can get most of the software for $30 with a portion of the money going to charity.
 
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