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Mary Rosenblum
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Hello all!
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Welcome to our Professional
Connection live-chat interview.
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Tonight we're going to be
visiting with Simon Rose.
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Simon Rose
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Hi everyone.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Simon graduated from university
with a degree in history in 1982 and moved to Canada in 1990.
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He is an ICL graduate and has published
several...
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books for young readers in my
favorite genre, SF and fantasy.
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The Alchemist's Portrait was
published in 2003, followed by The Sorcerer's Letterbox in 2004 and The
Clone Conspiracy in 2005. The Emerald Curse arrived in 2006 and The
Heretic's Tomb in 2007.
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He lives in Calgary with his two
children and writes every day.
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Please do use your Private
Message feature if you wish to chat with your friends in the audience
during the interview, or drop into the Room One to visit! People have a
hard time keeping up when a lot of chat fills the screen! Thanks!
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So, Simon, welcome!
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Simon Rose
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Hello everyone.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I'm always pleased when I can
bring a LR or ICL graduate here to speak as a pro. Congratulations! How
long ago did you graduate from ICL?
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Simon Rose
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I believe it was 2000 or early
2001 ...
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I did the course in a year I
think.
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Mary Rosenblum
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So have you always been
interested in writing for kids?
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Simon Rose
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Yes, at least ever since I had
children of my own
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It was only when I began to
visit schools that I recalled the stories I wrote as a teenager.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Cool that you do school visits.
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Do you arrange them on your
own?
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Simon Rose
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Yes I do. Marketing to
teachers is a big part of my work
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It takes away from my writing
time but helps pay the bills
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Mary Rosenblum
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I've got a ton of questions
waiting, but before we start talking about other topics, I’m very curious
about one thing.
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as a SF writer myself -- for
adults -- I am THRILLED to see SF and fantasy being introduced in the early
grades. More readers for me, later!
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But do you ever find teachers
resistant? Do you find them wanting kids to read more 'realistic' books?
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Simon Rose
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I haven't found that. For all
we have heard about Harry Potter, it made teachers realize kids want to
read fantasy and it really is okay to do that
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Mary Rosenblum
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Woohoo! That makes me very
happy. And push the SF for the girls, will you? We need WAY more girls
reading SF, thank you! :-)
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Simon Rose
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I have more girl readers and
fans than boys, to be honest
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Mary Rosenblum
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Oh you give me hope! Thanks! J Hey,
when I started reading SF there were NO strong female characters in the
genre at all. That's why I had to start writing it.
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farcaster
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Have you written anything for
adults?
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Simon Rose
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I have a few projects for
adults and have written non fiction, web copy, newsletters etc and a few
magazine articles, but my books are for kids eight to twelve
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farcaster
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Do you find writing for children
easier or harder?
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Simon Rose
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Than writing for adults?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Farcaster says yes.
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Simon Rose
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I find writing fiction for
children easier than corporate writing to be sure, which is a little dull,
but the plots fro kids literature can be every bit as complicated as those
for adults
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cjwmahrus
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Simon, do you find it easier to
get published in SF/Fantasy genre by writing for young readers, or was that
always your goal?
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Simon Rose
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Probably not since there are
not that many people writing the things I do for young readers .
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Lots of people are writing
traditional fantasy, with wizards, dragons, quests and so on, but I like to
think my ideas are a little different .
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When I started I simply wanted
to write about the kinds of things that interested me as a boy- time
travel, other dimensions, history, comic books and so on and paid very
little attention to what other people were writing.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Which seems to have worked
nicely in your favor.
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sss1208
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What is the difference in
writing technique between children and adults?
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Simon Rose
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I'm not sure there is one,
except that adult books can contain more mature themes, be more violent,
have sexual content and before J K Rowling, be longer.
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farcaster
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Do you find it difficult to age
your books to your readers?
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Simon Rose
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Not difficult, no. But I did
read a lot of books for the age group I was aiming at to see what I could
get away with in terms or excitement, terror, violence.
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Harry Potter had just emerged
as I was starting around 1997 and my kids were still very small, so Harry
Potter's adventures help me know what degree of scariness I could use in my
own stories.
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As I said before however, I
had no desire to write books about wizards going to school and so far have
not strayed into traditional fantasy
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pook
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Are you a fulltime writer?
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Simon Rose
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Yes I am, although I do the
school visits and other things to make money as well, all 'author related'
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farcaster
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Do you find it difficult to make
ends meet writing full time?
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Simon Rose
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It can be a challenge for
sure, but kids writers have an advantage over adult writers in that we can
visit schools, get invited to festivals.
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I also visit summer camps in
July and August and even do children's parties.
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I am steadily working towards
a time when I can just live off my writing and that could happen tomorrow
or years from now.
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All it takes is for one of
these books to take off, and if I continue to produce books, I am confident
it will come.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Amen. J How
do you make yourself available to these various venues? Do you send out a
PR package offering your services?
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Simon Rose
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Mostly by e mail and through my website. I rarely do
regular mail to market my services
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quixote
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What do you do when you visit
schools? Could we have an example?
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Simon Rose
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I spend either a full day or a
half day at a school. I offer one hour presentations
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Mary Rosenblum
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Talking about writing? About
the stories in your books?
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Simon Rose
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Sorry, my connection failed
for a second. Yes I talk about the books, where writers get ideas from,
character development,
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time travel stories, history
and the need for research and so on and always leave lots of time for
questions.
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My website has lots of
details, including details about author in residence programs which last a
week in one school.
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tree
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Do you do readings?
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Simon Rose
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Yes, if we have time and if
they are requested. Visits to public libraries are usually mostly readings
and less presentation, as are festivals
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cajunbelle
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We can find your books here in
the states too, though, right?
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Mary Rosenblum
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They're available on amazon.com.
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amazon.com
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And they're in the chain
bookstores, too, right, Simon?
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Simon Rose
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Indeed you can. they are
available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble etc and if the bookstore doesn't have
them, you can order them.
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And of course, autographed
copies are always available though myself. I keep a large inventory of each
title here at home
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Mary Rosenblum
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Autographs are nice. J
Will you personalize them for purchasers?
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Simon Rose
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Absolutely.
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Send me an Simply e mail me
about which book or books you would like and the message you would prefer,
and your books will be in the mail that very day.
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Mary Rosenblum
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What a great gift for a kid!
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Simon Rose
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And Christmas on it's way
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tree
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What's your e-mail address?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Simon's Website
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Simon Rose
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You can either reach me though
the contact button on the website or by simonrose@shaw.ca
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cajunbelle
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Do you find your book sales
increase after a school visit?
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Simon Rose
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I take my own copies to sell
at the schools and can sometimes sell ten or so, but have been known to
sell over sixty.
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I think the most I sold on a
school tour was last fall when I visited eight schools in four days and
sold 173 copies
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Mary Rosenblum
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Wow, that is a good sale!
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Simon Rose
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I also do book signings in
local stores every fall.
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I have about thirty booked
between now and Christmas Eve
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cajunbelle
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Do your children read your books
too?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Yes, that's a good question.
How much are they involved with the writing.
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Simon Rose
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My son has read all the books
and I used his name for the hero of The Emerald Curse. My daughter has not
read the books yet
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Mary Rosenblum
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Cool about your son and the
hero of The Emerald Curse. Is he thrilled?
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Simon Rose
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I think he was at the time and
I visited his classroom for a reading from the novel and talked about the
inspiration behind it last year.
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By the way, before I forget if
anyone in the audience has children in elementary school, I am available to
visit schools in the US too.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Wow, you really are willing to
travel!
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tree
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What age are your children?
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Simon Rose
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I have visited schools in the UK as well as Canada, so can
pretty much speak anywhere, in English of course. My son is twelve and my
daughter is nine.
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freda
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Do your kids want to write also?
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Simon Rose
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No sign of that so far, but
we'll have to see.
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sailor
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Are your school tours done after
school or worked in as part of the school day?
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Simon Rose
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Part of the school day.
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rae
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When you give a reading, is it
from your favorite section?
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Simon Rose
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Not always my favorite, but
usually the most exciting part. The objective is to get their interest in
either reading the book, buying it or both.
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I usually read a section
somewhere in the middle of the Alchemist's Portrait, the first two chapters
of The Sorcerer's Letterbox and The Emerald Curse, so it varies.
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tree
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Do you get to choose the novel
you read from?
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Simon Rose
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At a festival it is usually
from the most recent one. At schools, after I have told them all about the
books, I usually ask the kids to choose and vote which one they would like.
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I'm very 'child friendly' in
letting the kids decide
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cajunbelle
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Have most of the kids at schools
heard of you before your visits? Or do your visits help to introduce your
books to them?
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Simon Rose
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A bit of both. I do my best to
promote myself to the teacher way before the visit, send out quizzes for
them to do with the kids all about my books.
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I also do my best to sell the
school books prior to my visit and they then have so many questions when
they get to meet me.
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And of course I keep in touch
with all the teachers and sell them copies each time a new book comes out.
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Mary Rosenblum
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You have thought this out very
well, Simon. Okay, I'm going to ask the tough question here...are you
coming out in the black on these trips? Considering the cost of travel and
so forth?
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Or is this promotion for future
sales?
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Simon Rose
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I build the cost of the
airfare into the fee, stay in the spare rooms of teachers or friends to
save on hotel bills and usually get meals at the schools, except for
dinner, so yes, in the black
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Mary Rosenblum
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Good for you. You really have
thought this through very well.
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cajunbelle
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No agent? All of this on your own
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Simon Rose
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No agent or publicist, no
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Mary Rosenblum
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And actually, agents don't
handle this sort of thing. A publicist does this, if you have one. Clearly
you're doing just fine on your own, Simon.
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hopes
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Do the school libraries purchase
the books for reading?
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cajunbelle
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And public libraries? ( adding
to hopes' question )
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Simon Rose
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Usually the school has a copy
of at least one of my books, or orders them ahead of time or get one or
more from me at the visit.
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Public libraries are a
different ball game. I am very rarely able to sell books at such events,
but they often have them on the shelves well before I am there.
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My publisher and distributor
deal with sales to public libraries and book stores
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Mary Rosenblum
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Librarians in this country tend
to buy from Library Journal reviews or because patrons requested a book or
they read the book and liked it. Do Simon a favor and go ask your local
library to get his books.
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quixote
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From your website I see you have
'The Sorcerer's Letterbox' set in 1483 London, Alchemist in 1666 - How do you manage the research?
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Simon Rose
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Yes please do and send them to
my website to view a
rich and delightful tapestry of information.
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I am a history major so the
research is relatively straightforward. The Heretic's Tomb, just released
here, is set in 1349 during the Black Death
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Mary Rosenblum
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Very cool. What a dramatic time
period.
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farcaster
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On average, how long dose it
take you to write a book?
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Simon Rose
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The last one took around
twelve months, but that includes the planning and editing. I have done it
in less
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rae
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What is your average word count?
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Simon Rose
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The last one was around 30,000
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cajunbelle
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I completed children’s course 7
yrs ago but thought the competition "out there" was too
overwhelming, do you find it to be so?
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Simon Rose
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No I don't. If you feel your
work is as good or better than someone else's that has been published, why
would you be discouraged?
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tree
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Do you feel that having a
website aids in your sales?
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Simon Rose
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Totally. It is my window onto
the world and makes me visible to readers, teachers, librarians and
potential publishers around the world.
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lanoira
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Do you write about a time you
know very little about? If so, how much time do you put into the research ?
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Simon Rose
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I have my own favorite
periods, but have no aversion to researching a less familiar one if I felt
it was good story material. After all some of my own favorite time periods
aren't that suitable, as fascinating as they are to me
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rae
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Do you use an outline in
writing?
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Simon Rose
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Always start with an outline,
usually around 5000 words minimum, several paragraphs for every chapter
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lanoira
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Is most of your research done
online or through books?
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lavinia
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Please be specific: what do you
use for research?
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Simon Rose
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Books mostly, either ones I
already have, buy or get from the library and I fill in the gaps with
website research
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cajunbelle
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Do you ever get rejections?
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Simon Rose
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Yes, I have had rejections in
the past and expect to get them in the future. Its a part of the writing
life.
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Simon Rose
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It happens to everyone and you
have to press on with what you believe in. If you don't have confidence in
yourself, no one else will either.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Well said, thank you!
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gail
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How have you dealt with the
out-dated languages of the periods you've written about? P.S. Hello from Vulcan, Alberta, Simon!
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Simon Rose
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Hello to you in Vulcan, just
down the road of course ... The books set in the medieval period contain
dialogue from the characters from that time period that is not modern, but
not ancient or Shakespearean either.
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The letter Jack discovers in
The Sorcerer's Letterbox is written in Middle English, the language of
1483. An illustration of the letter appears in the book.
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My publisher had it translated
into ME by a university professor so it was exactly right. We did the same
thing for ME passages and Latin phrases in the latest novel.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Good for you. Readers WILL
check...maybe not kids, but adults! J
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rae
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What is your average chapter
length?
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Simon Rose
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And critics
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Mary Rosenblum
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Especially critics!
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Simon Rose
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Chapter length is probably
around 2000 words, some books are more, some less.
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rae
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What inspired you to write for
children?
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Simon Rose
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Becoming a parent I think and
reading kids books again for the first time in many years. Some were very
good and I wished I could write them.
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Some however, were very poor
and I thought, surely even I could do better, and the rest is history, as
they say.
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zave
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What compelled you to sci-fi/fantasy
and not other genres?
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Simon Rose
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Its what I read as a child and
I still love the genre, although I have no interest in writing classic
fantasy.
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cajunbelle
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Are you planning on writing
other types of children’s books, or is this your only "style"?
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Simon Rose
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Oh, I'm always looking at
other areas. I have plenty of picture books that may one day find a
publisher, for example, but I do like time travel, other dimensions, the weird,
wonderful and the unexplained.
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I will probably not do time travel
or historical for a while, but you never know. the next few books will be
about the paranormal, parallel universes and regular sf, I think.
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As long as children like to
read this stuff, I am happy to write it
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Mary Rosenblum
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You know we're out of
time...you are VERY popular Simon! I do want to give you a bit of time for
some self promotion.
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Do visit Simon's GREAT website!
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http://www.simon-rose.com/index.html
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The Alchemist's Portrait was
published in 2003, followed by The Sorcerer's Letterbox in 2004 and The
Clone Conspiracy in 2005. The Emerald Curse arrived in 2006 and The
Heretic's Tomb in 2007.
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Simon Rose
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Well I could chat with you all
for a long while yet, but I guess we are out of time.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Oh, I'll happily invite you
back.
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You've been a great guest.
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Simon Rose
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Happy to come back, anytime
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Mary Rosenblum
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So do you have another book
after the current one?
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Simon Rose
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I am just beginning a new
book, yes
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Mary Rosenblum
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Super. Something to look
forward to!
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So thanks for coming tonight,
Simon, and we'll plan on December!
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I think we've all enjoyed our
visit and I look forward to visiting with you again.
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Simon Rose
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Thanks for having me this
evening. It was a great experience.
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I look forward to visiting
again soon.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Thank you all for coming. If
I'm home in time, I'll see you Sunday.
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Simon Rose
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Happy to be of service. When I
first started, many published writers were reluctant to give me any advice
and I promised myself I would never be like that.
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And please all feel free to
contact me by e mail with any of your questions
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Mary Rosenblum
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Good night all!
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Simon Rose
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Good night from Calgary
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