The eBook edition for the House is out. Now for the fun part. Or the complicated part. Probably both.
What’s next?
The KDP paperback edition of The House is next on the list, along with a locally printed New Zealand edition—and because I am me, I’ve already decided to add maps and illustrations.
I know. I know.
I don’t have the full scope figured out yet—it’s a bit daunting. But there’s also something exhilarating about it—the book getting to grow into something more than I originally planned.
I’ll be documenting the process here as it unfolds, messy bits included. If you want to come along for it, you can follow along on the blog or sign up to the newsletter for bonus content.
“Daily” Updates
Friday, 10 April 2026
Last map! The archives and the auditorium. I swear I had much better sketches somewhere … but this is what I found, so this is what I’ll be working with.
I do have a system—separate projects go into separate sketchbooks or boxes. In theory. In practice, I sketch on whatever paper is nearest—work notebooks, art sketch pads, printer paper—and file it under somewhere over there. ✨ \(^-^)/
Fixing this before Book Three. Probably.
#freitagbooks #paperbookinteriors #fantasymaps #mapmaking #speculativefiction
Tuesday, 7 April 2026
Dress rehearsal for The House KPD trade paperback. After months of digital mockups, it is good to test and see the cover in a more hands-on approach. I usually print the PDFs and test them on a book in approximately the right spine width.
One more map to go, and I can order proof copies from KPD!
Yay!
#amwriting #speculativefiction
Tuesday, 31 March 2026
Well, this wasn’t exactly fun, but it looks almost convincing. And in case you are wondering why on earth I have been drawing a floor plan for an Art Deco-style bathhouse …
Eass and Mitt are setting up a new safe house in an abandoned bathhouse in the old town. It’s a place full of history and allows them to feel safe… for a time. But neither of them will ever be quite the same when they leave.
#fantasymap #worldbuilding #mapdrawing #mapmaking #amwriting #indieauthor #speculativefiction
Wednesday, 25 March 2026
Got stuck on the map for the abandoned bathhouse and ended up finishing the paperback cover jacket instead. Spent way too long on the wolf that nobody will see, but honestly? Happy with it. Side quests included: ordering the ISBN and finally removing the last traces of TikTok and Twitter.
✨ \(^-^)/
#bookcover #speculativefiction #fantasybooklist #nzauthor #paperback #bookdesign
Friday, 20 March 2026
Moving on to the second map / illustration—the abandoned bathhouse Eass and Mitt use as a save house in the city. The sketches are … terrifying. I might need to go back to the description to make sense of some of the parts.
Well … never said it’s going to be easy …
#fantasymap #worldbuilding #mapdrawing #mapmaking #amwriting
Monday, 16 March 2026
Progress—the map for The House is taking shape. Founders Square, the Archives, Lacier House, Rath’s Hall… it’s starting to look like somewhere you could actually get lost in. Still a work in progress, but I’m pretty happy with where this is heading.
Having said this … it’s taking ages!
Friday, 13 March 2026
I’ve been avoiding the maps and illustrations in the paperback edition of ‘The House’ for months, but now is the time, I guess. I’ll turn the rough sketch I used during the revisions into something print-worthy.
Keep your fingers crossed for me.
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New here? I am New Zealand-based writer, artist and maker Minu Freitag. I have published my first book—The Fragments, an inventive mix of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Dystopian fiction—in 2022 and am currently working on the second book in The Spheres Series—The House—due for release in December 2025.
You can follow my writing adventures on Bluesky, Instagram, Goodreads and Amazon.
