Ad Design for WebLit Authors
Char and I run a studio called Infernal Shenanigans. We do design and illustration. We decided to offer ad design to WebLit Authors at discount rates. What this means is that we'll design ad graphics for you for use as Project Wonderful banners and buttons, linking graphics, etc. I've got pricing info here:
http://infernalshenanigans.com/weblit/weblitdesign.html
And there's a small gallery of sample ads here:
http://infernalshenanigans.com/weblit/adgallery.html
A big part of promotion is advertising, and we want the WebLit community to be very well-represented when it comes to that. A good, professional-looking ad can draw readers to your story, and the more new readers one story has, the more new readers all of us get. That first story is the gateway drug! But it looks like a lot of writers don't have easy or cheap access to good graphic design, and there seems to be a dearth of character art. Since this is what we do professionally, we can't just do it all for free - our time is literally money. We can, however, offer advertising at steeply discounted rates. We know most writers don't have much money to pitch at promotion - we're in the exact same situation.
The info link is pretty in-depth but there's always a question I haven't covered. If you have a question you think everyone could benefit from seeing the answer to, please ask it here. Also, I provided an email address in the info link, but you can contact me via WebLit PM as well. It goes to the same place.
Oh yeah, feel free to share these links with other writers. This service is specifically for WebLit writers - people who are offering their literary work on the internet for free. You don't have to be registered with this site for us to design for you, but whatever site the ad is for HAS to be offering free literature online of some sort. It doesn't all have to be free but you need to have some sort of major work available that you fully intend to offer to readers for no compensation (other than, say, comments). For sites that are completely pay sites or promotion sites for authors that don't offer anything free online, these discount rates will not apply.
(Also, I'll continue doing design for WebLit.us for free - just wanted to make sure that part's clear. Unless it's just something I don't have the time/skill to do, but that's unlikely.)
((MeiLin, I figured this was shameless self-promotion, but if it should be in a different forum feel free to move it.))
I so envy you people who can do art. :-/
~Lyn, who can't, at all.
Me to Lyn
I am blessed with a friend who is happy to draw whatever I ask of her.
I had one of those, then she got an 80 hour/week job. 
Man, those are super reasonable prices.
Do either of you know how to draw a person knitting? I ask because it's been my experience that webcomic artists (with the notable exception of Phil Foglio) have no idea what it looks like when a knitter holds the needles to knit, and I have an image in mind that would involve one of my characters knitting XD Then again, since I'm guessing you'd charge more for art for advertising use than personal use, I'm going to have to save up for a while anyway...
I knit and crochet. 
... I should caveat that with the small fact that I apparently knit funny. XD But it's not difficult to find another knitter and study their hands instead. Heck, you can't stretch your arms in Portland without hitting another knitter upside the head.
Sweeeet. And... I'm going to PM you so I don't drag another discussion off topic!
ow!
I am loving this generous offer! Give me a bit to save up, and I am totally getting some ad buttons from you guys!
Man, if I had art to use, I'd be all over this!
~Lyn
I need to come up with architecture of my fantasy cities as well... and the open-source software is driving me crazy...
I'll get something soon.
But the computer art is so much slower for me... I can't afford my time to do it, either.
Oh gods, maps and architecture! The fans keep pestering me for a map, and I could give them a napkin-like one, but I'm such a stickler for getting it right! We've gone round and round about how far Reggiston, Whithorse's capital, is from Tremont City if it takes two days by (early--max speed 35 mph) train and has a mountain range of switchbacks to traverse...
I used to have maps for the entire world that's in Peacock King, but they got losted. ;_; I have the original sketches. I'll have to redo those.
This is a good resource for maps: http://www.cartographersguild.com/
We can do this kind of stuff, too, but there's so much stuff we want to make for PK that's it's a question of time... x_x
I know the feeling! (And my entire story is in one underground compound!) People - all right, 1 person, but she's loud - kept pestering me for a "map;" when I finally sat down to work on it, I ended up with an artist's tantrum (sigh).
Still no floor plan, but at least I have some sketches now, so I know better what the place looks - within limits. It kinda shifts depending on whose walking through it (Also making the whole "floor plan" thing harder).
We want to get someone who knows POVray inside out. You can create fantasy landscapes & buildings that look like photos. Check it out.
Irk, Char, you guys rock my world. Just so you know. 
Wow. That POVray things is impressive. But hard to see it working for many people. The phrase "took 4.5 days to render" stopped me cold. I'd rather just go take a picture of a bunch of rocks.
That's some sort of ray tracing, I assume. The most painstaking way to create an image.
VERY impressive, though.
Ahh... moved my character art elsewhere... how do I delete?
I used to think my writing was horribly perverse, and now I worry that it's not perverse enough for the Internet.
www.chevenga.com