SANJIESAN LORE / Map interpretation
Do not infer an empire’s size from a decorative world map
A northern territory can look enormous on a flat world map without having the area its illustration suggests. USGS explains that map projections preserve some properties while distorting others. For a spherical invented world, decide whether the map is a decorative reading aid or a basis for geographic comparisons before drawing political conclusions from it.
Identify the comparison the story actually needs
Choose a claim such as one empire occupies more land than its neighbour. Ask whether that comparison matters to a scene or merely appears in background prose. If it matters, do not rely on counting pixels in an unspecified world-map illustration. Establish the intended relationship separately and seek an appropriate geographic representation. If the world is deliberately not spherical, state that premise rather than silently applying Earth-map assumptions.
Keep the reading composition useful
A book map may enlarge a crowded coast or simplify empty regions so readers can find the important places. That can be a deliberate design choice. Explain relevant departures in the map’s framing or accompanying note, and avoid attaching precise area claims to an illustration that does not support them. A clear regional map can carry the immediate story while a separate world reference holds the broader geometry.
Check the language around the map
Read captions and political descriptions for claims such as largest, twice the size or exactly halfway. Decide which have an established basis and which were inferred from appearance. Replace unsupported precision with the relationship the scene needs, or develop the missing geometry before publication. The exercise does not require every novelist to become a surveyor; it prevents an attractive projection from quietly deciding facts the author never intended.