Aug 3, 2016 Posted by Simon Rose

The importance of book covers – Part one

People always say that you can’t judge a book by its cover but while it’s true that the content may be great even if the cover is bad, the chances of anyone discovering that diminish if the cover is substandard. The cover can make all the difference between success and failure. There are of course a lot of books to complete with in a bookstore although these are only in your section if someone is... read more

Jul 27, 2016 Posted by Simon Rose

Age levels and word counts for children’s books – Part four

J.K. Rowling is sometimes mentioned as an example of how books for children are not as long as the established industry categories indicate. The Harry Potter series certainly appears to have been a factor in longer children’s novels becoming more acceptable, perhaps because publishers noted what was popular and acted accordingly. However, it’s important to remember that the first three Harry Potter... read more

Jul 23, 2016 Posted by Simon Rose

Book Signing at Chapters Crowfoot, July 23

This Saturday, I’ll be at Chapters Crowfoot in Calgary from 11 am to 5 pm. I’ll be signing copies of The Alchemist’s Portrait, The Sorcerer’s Letterbox, The Clone Conspiracy, The Emerald Curse, The Heretic’s Tomb, The Doomsday Mask, The Time Camera, The Sphere of Septimus, Flashback, and Future Imperfect. Chapters is located at 66 Crowfoot Terrace NW in Calgary. Hope to see... read more

Jul 21, 2016 Posted by Simon Rose

Trico’s Got Talent – August 8 to 12

This summer I’ll be working as an instructor at the Trico’s Got Talent performing arts camp, where children will experience their very own theatre production. In a dramatic and fun-filled week , children will learn how to write, rehearse and perform their own unique play in just five days. Children will create the plot, craft the script, write dialogue and hone their acting skills for their... read more

Jul 20, 2016 Posted by Simon Rose

Age levels and word counts for children’s books – Part three

Books for children over the age of eight or nine are classified as middle grade books or as those for young adults. Middle-grade books Middle grade books are for children between eight and twelve and can have between 100 and 150 pages. The word counts are between 20,000 and 50,000 at the younger end and between 40,000 and 55,000 at the upper end of the range. The plots and themes are more complicated and... read more