Adam Wallace – How to Write Children’s Books – that sell!
Adam Wallace has successfully carved himself a niche in the world of children’s writing. He has had several books published including The Negatees, The Share-A-Not and Better Out Than In. He has also self published a number of books, proving that writers can both work with publishers and issue their own work as well.
In this interview he spoke about children’s writing and writing books for kids that sell.
Darrell - How did you break into the world of children's writing?
Adam - I don't know about break, it was more a slow erosion! After some Troubles in Year 12, I stopped writing for around 10 years. It was a very mature and sophisticated response to those troubles … then I started writing again after a bet with my wife (she bet I could write a kid's book, I bet I couldn't!). From that moment on I was hooked. I wrote constantly (and still do!) and I would read my work to all and any children I could, to get a grip on what was working and what wasn't. In terms of actual books, I broke in by self-publishing (five years after starting to write, and also after 150 or so rejections!). I still self-publish some of my books to this day.
Darrell - In what ways do you think writing for children is more difficult and less difficult than writing for adults?
Adam - To be honest, I have never tried writing for adults, so I can't really compare. One way writing for children is difficult though, especially for picture books, is the length and tightness required. I tend to babble (as you may find out with some of these answers!), so getting a whole story done in around 500 words isn't an easy thing for me. Another difficulty, for me, is writing for pictures, if that makes sense. So much of what is written can be said through the illustrations so, in other words, it doesn't need to be written at all! This is not always an easy thing to get your head around if you can’t imagine what the pictures may be. In terms of easiness, if that's a word, I tend to relate really well to kids, so writing for them is extremely natural for me. I think that is really important, finding the age group, whether it be children or young adults or adults, that you feel most comfortable writing for. Your writing will then be that much more honest and that much more real.
Darrell - What do you think a writer needs to consider before writing a children's book? e.g. age specific, language etc.
Adam - This is a tricky one to answer, as I am very much a stream of consciousness writer, so I tend to write the book first and then work out who it's for afterwards (it has always been for kids so far though)! So I will read through a story after I’ve churned it out and realise it was written for younger kids, or upper primary or whatever. I have written some books with a certain age group in mind, but even then it was more 'Primary school’ age or 'kids who like Dr Seuss’ age. But the language side of it is definitely important. Kids don't like to be talked down to, and can spot it easily.
I think that if you are honest in your writing, and enthusiastic for your writing, that will shine through in the finished work. But speaking to kids of the age you would like to write for, reading books for kids of that age, watching TV shows for that age group, all of that helps with defining an age group’s language immensely. Length is also important, as obviously very young children can’t last for long books, and older children usually aren’t interested in a short ‘baby’ book. This sort of thing is often specified in publisher guidelines, so these are always good to look at to get an idea of how long a story for a certain age group should be. In saying that, however, there can always be exceptions to the rules. Dr Seuss wrote some long books for younger kids, and they tend to go okay.
Darrell - The artist you've used for a number of your books is Heath McKenzie. How did you end up working with Heath?
Adam - Heath and I have done 5 books together now, and I thank my lucky stars for it every day. I think he's a genius. We started off working together back in 2004 when I self-published my first book, Better Out Than In. I found Heath on the internet, through www.thestylefile.com His work stood out to me by a mile, so I contacted him and he was keen to have a crack at drawing some nice gross pictures for me! We were both starting out at the time so it worked out well.
When JoJo Publishing picked up my books, I was lucky enough for them to ask if I had any illustrators in mind for the books (apparently this is not a common question authors are asked!). I showed them Heath's work, they were rapt and immediately decided to redo Better Out Than In in a new edition, and then use Heath in my next three books as well!
Darrell - What do you think is the best way a writer can market themselves?
Adam - Hmmm, well, being a bit of a marketing gumby, the best thing I have done for myself is to get myself and my books out there in person. Markets have been brilliant for me, both in terms of sales and also in terms of meeting people. I have met teachers, which has led to school visits, I have met librarians, and I have met people from different associations, other countries, it's brilliant. And, of course, I have even met people who run websites that do interviews with authors! That’s the thing with putting yourself out there in some way. You never know who you are going to meet that could take your books to the next level.
I think marketing books has been, for me, a combination of being myself but also getting out of my comfort zone. It is also a constant learning experience. There are so many more options now, with the internet and blogs and Facebook and Twitter. The thing is, you have to find what works for you, and it may be different for all writers. But, in the end, it is all about getting yourself and your books out there and getting known. That is the most important thing of all, however you do it. Whether it be face to face or online, if people don’t know about your books they aren’t going to go searching for them in bookstores.
Darrell - Where do you see the future of books now that eBooks are becoming more common?
Adam - I am on the side of hardcopy books. I do like using technology, don't get me wrong, but I absolutely love having a real book in my hands. There's something different and tactile and magical about it. There’s even a smell about an actual book that brings forth feelings and memories. This is especially so with children and children’s books. I can’t imagine snuggling up on a couch, or on a bed, and pulling out an iPad to read a story with your child. Sorry, but for me that takes the romanticism and the joy out of it all. And then there are the tactile books. Books that have touch and feel, helping children learn smooth and rough and furry, lessons they can transfer into the real world. “That’s just like in the book!” is an exciting thing to hear as a child picks up an object or strokes an animal. There are also books where there are tabs with hidden gems underneath. Sure, these can be replicated in an eBook, but for me it’s great for children to actually be able to lift up a flap rather than slide their finger on a screen. And I love hearing about children that run to a bookshelf and pull out their favourite book over and over again. I just can’t see swiping through an e-reader to look for the favourite book bringing the same joy to the child or parent.
I believe (and hope and cross my fingers) that there are enough people like me out in the world so that books will never disappear. I actually think that books and eBooks can work side-by-side, to use a slogan from a great football team. I also think it’s amazing seeing children learn how to use computers and iPads, and seeing how quickly they pick things up. There are positives and negatives for each format but, in the end, if people are loving reading maybe it doesn’t matter how they are doing it. I still like books though!
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