To map, or not to map...

I love fantasy, love writing it, love reading it, love playing it (not that I have time for that much these days). It's a very visual experience for me, whether the visuals are imagined or watchable or tangible, being able to picture the surreal situations and step outside of reality for a while is as much a part of reading fantasy and sci-fi as engaging with the plot and characters.

So... while I'm putting the finishing touches on my plan for global domination I' wondering whether I should make a map for my fantasy book or not. The pros: Firstly, it'll be fun to do, I love anything artistic. Secondly, I already have a rough draft in the back page of the proof copy of my novel just to make sure cities and points of interest don't decide to emigrate to more scenic locations half way through the story. Thirdly, I always like it when a fantasy novel has a map included, and some (Martin, Tolkien, Jordan etc etc) really need them. So yes, I think I'm going to give it a try. It won't be included in the Kindle, iBook et al editions, and the print edition is still just far enough away that I could add a map into it should it turn out well enough.

But here are the cons: I would like to add the completed map to my website somewhere so I could add a link into the ebook editions, but I'm very much aware of not wanting to make my website and readers think I'm all about fantasy, because I'm not. My next novel (the cover of which you can see on the site) will be out at the start of next year and is a historical/contemporary thriller with a touch of romance. I do not want to be pigeon-holed into a genre. I appreciate that it's very early days but "start as you mean to go on" and all that.

First things first. Make the map, then decide. For anyone interested I'm basically using this technique: http://www.giveupalready.com/content.php?50-Fantasy-Map-Photoshop-Tutorial