Simon Rose's Blog, page 241

Words4TheWebwise – Copywriting and Website Design and Development

Who is your audience? 
When designing or writing for your website, remember one thing - this is not your website. You are not going to read it, visit it, bookmark it or use it to contact anyone. It has no use for you. So why would you only consider what you want?  [image error] Consider interior decorating. If you never had a visitor to your home, the colour of your walls wouldn't matter. Make them purple and yellow, if those are your favourite colours (by the way, I don't believe in favourite colours). The...

Author Visits, Presentations and Workshops - School Tours

In addition to school visits in your own city or geographic area, it is also possible to arrange tours to schools in other parts of the country. This can involve a working week in an area, with either full days at five different schools, ten half-day visits or a combination of this. Such tours can be a challenge to organize, considering the bookings themselves and all the arrangements which will vary from school to school, plus travel, accommodation, meals and so on. However, in the best...

Author Visits, Presentations and Workshops - Marketing

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I always carry business cards since you never know who you might meet on your travels. Even when running errands at the bank or grocery store, at a sporting event with your children or even at the beach in summer, you may meet someone who is influential on the parent teacher association at their school and may get you the attention of the teacher or librarian. Word of mouth advertising is always said to be the best, but there are of course many ways to promote and market yourself to the...

Words4TheWebwise – Copywriting and Website Design and Development

An Interview with Nicholas Burman of NBurman Design - Part Three

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Do you specialize in any one area?

I hear a lot of people accusing designers of focusing on creativity and esthetics. I specialize in a client-focused process where I only get creative after I've learned what the client needs. With a number of services at my disposal means I can recommend what's appropriate instead of my one specialty.

Where else can people find you online apart from your website? Are you a user of other...

Author Visits, Presentations and Workshops - Study Guides and Classroom Resources

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Study guides are free for teachers to download from my website and to use either before an author visit or just as a teaching resource. Even those in schools that you may never visit might buy your books or even purchase a class set and use the study guide. The guides describe potential projects related to the books. The Sorcerers' Letterbox and The Heretic's Tomb are set in the Middle Ages, so teachers may choose to do projects about medieval life, castles, research, the Black Death and...

Teleclasses every month at the National Writing for Children Center

[image error] Join me at the Children's Writers' Coaching Club at the National Writing for Children Center for live teleclasses every month.


Upcoming sessions, plus teleclasses archived on the site and available for purchase, include such topics as Naming your Characters, Writing Non-fiction, Creating Conflict, Time Travel Tales, Websites and Online Marketing, The Importance of Historical Research, Beyond Belief: Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy for Younger Readers, People Plotting and Creating...

Author Visits, Presentations and Workshops - Promotion

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If you plan on doing school and library visits, you do of course have to let people know that. A website is a must these days and without one, you might as well not exist professionally. The section of your website by which you intend to to secure school visits needs to be enticing and filled with details if you are hoping to get teachers and librarians interested enough to contact you. Details of my school visits are here and I also have pages including comments on my appearances at schools...

Words4TheWebwise – Copywriting and Website Design and Development

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An Interview with Nicholas Burman of NBurman Design - Part Two

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What makes for a great website?

A combination of technical design and graphic design. The site has to be built correctly, to allow browsers to load it quickly and correctly and for search engines to find it. There also standards that have to be met, much like a building code. The visual design has to consider usability and how people use websites. It's not enough to make a site eye catching and pretty - the design has to...

Deaf Literacy, ASL and The Sorcerer's Letterbox - Project Funding Still Needed

I am currently working with the Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf to translate my books into American Sign Language, beginning with my second novel, The Sorcerer's Letterbox.
The Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf (CCSD) represents over 450,000 Canadians and serves many more with its programs, cultural activities and Deaf heritage resources. Incorporated in 1973 as a non-profit charitable organization funded through private donations and grants, the CCSD preserves, encourages and...

Creative Writing Classes for Home Schoolers @ South Fish Creek Recreation Centre, Calgary - March & April 2010

Join me for classes in creative writing especially for home school children at South Fish Creek Recreation Centre in SW Calgary. The next set of classes take place every Tuesday, from March 2 to April 20, 2010. Registration details are available here.
Junior Adventures in Creative Writing Ages - 6 and 7
Things That Never Were - In these classes, we examine the elements of fantasy and the many creatures and characters that inhabit the fantasy realm. Most children are very familiar with monsters...