Recently some authors I’m working with needed a fantasy map to put in the beginning of their book, Legend of the Chosen.
Sometimes it’s helpful to put a map in the beginning of your book, so that readers can have an idea of where everything is.
But how do you make one? It’s not as easy as it may seem. I tried, even bought a new Wacom tablet, but I’m not that good at digital illustration yet.
So I suggested they outsource it to 99designs.com. I’m amazed at the quality of illustrations they got.
For just $199, they received 21 designs from 8 designers. I shared a few down below.
Here is the rough original sample of what they had in mind. They needed a castle, a futuristic city, a village, a forest, some cliffs… pretty standard fantasy landscape stuff except the sci-fi technology mixup.
The Designs: Fantasy Map Illustration at its Best
Which one is your favorite?
Legend of the Chosen is the first book in the “Destiny’s Kingdom” series by Daniel Huber and Jennifer Selzer. Check it out here!
Click here to see the 99designs contest page.

I’m a philosophy dropout with a PhD in Literature. I covet a cabin full of cats, where I can write fantasy novels to pay for my cake addiction. Sometimes I live in castles.
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