Adam Wallace is a cartoonist and best-selling children’s book Author who has topped the New York Times “Bestselling Author” list three times for his funny, zany, and entirely creative stories. His “How To Catch” series has proven to be especially popular with young fans.
Adam currently lives and works in Melbourne, Australia, but his creative talents have brought him global recognition. He presently enjoys a large fan base throughout the United States, has had one of his books read aloud at the White House, and one of his stories was even mentioned in a question on the incredibly popular game show, “Jeopardy!” To date, Adam has published more than forty-five books.
He plans to create many more and makes a point to write and draw every single day.
Adam recently discussed his experiences being a professional author, and much more, via an exclusive interview.
Writing, books, and children
Meagan Meehan (MM): When did you know that you definitely wanted to be a children's book author?
Adam Wallace (AW): In terms of doing it to get published, it was after a good number of rejections from publishers! I just kept going and kept writing and kept submitting and just didn't give up, in fact, didn't even think about giving up. In terms of being a writer, that was as soon as I wrote my first children's story, called “Blip,” back in 1999. It wasn't great, but I was hooked, and have written every day since, aside from that one Tuesday in 2014…
MM: When you were a boy, what were your favorite stories?
AW: I loved all Roald Dahl, especially “The Twits” and “Danny, Champion of the World.” I also loved sports books (with statistics and articles, haha!), and possibly my favorite author was Bill Peet. I still love his books today.
MM: How many books have you written so far and how did you find publishers?
AW: Well, I have had around forty-five books published, with a few more due out later this year.
I found my first publisher by getting rejected by everyone else (150 times!) and then getting a tip from a freelance publisher who was the daughter of my dad's best friend and who mentioned a new publisher was looking for Children's Books!
MM: Do you have an agent and, if so, how did you find them?
AW: I don't have an agent. It is something I have discussed the pros and cons of long into the night with many people!
MM: What prompted you to start the "How To Catch" series and are you working on any new titles at the moment?
AW: The series started when Sourcebooks contacted me and asked if I would like to write a story about a Leprechaun that runs through houses causing chaos...it was a very easy question to answer “yes” to! At the moment, I am working on “How to Catch a Unicorn!”
MM: How did you come to work with illustrator Andy Elkerton and what most appeals to you about his illustrations?
AW: Andy was chosen by Sourcebooks, and it was an inspired choice! For me, what I love most about Andy's work is, aside from the incredible quality, the extra bits he puts in. The humor, and the little details giving children (and adults) more to look for than just a picture of the text.
MM: What was it like to be named a bestselling author by the New York Times?
AW: It was AMAZING! And surprising! And AMAZING!
Experiences, projects, and advice
MM: What do you think are the biggest challenges and rewards associated with working as a children's book author?
AW: The biggest challenge is probably getting seen. There are a lot of children's books out there, and to make yours stand out is not easy. But, in the end, you just have to write the best and most authentic books you can. This doesn't guarantee success, but it does give you the best chance, and it also gives you work you will be immensely proud of no matter what. The biggest reward, for me, is the response from the children, especially ones who haven't necessarily liked reading, and then have read my books over and again.
That is a massive buzz, knowing I have played a part in setting a child on the path to loving reading. Can't beat that!
MM: What are some of the coolest experiences your career has provided you?
AW: Oh wow, so many! Doing hundreds of school visits and interacting with the children and meeting amazing and generous authors and illustrators who have both helped me along my path and become great friends. Oh, and the funniest one was one time when I was sitting at a market stall with my books, in Melbourne, and a parade was passing by. It was quite a solemn and serious parade, very quiet. Suddenly, a child's voice screamed out from the parade: "OH MY GOD! IT'S ADAM WALLACE!" That was super cool and funny but also a little embarrassing given the seriousness of the parade!
MM: What exciting new projects are you currently working on and what advice can you offer to people who are aspiring to be children's book writers?
AW: Well I have just started “How to Catch a Unicorn, ” and I am also about to work on my new “How to Draw” book for next year. I am thinking of writing a horror, which will be different and awesome. I also have a book I wrote in July that needs a good edit.
The best advice I can offer is to constantly work on your craft. Get your writing as good as it can possibly be. And write what you enjoy. Be authentic. If you get excited about what you're writing, that energy will come across on the page. Also, “The Artist's Way” is an amazing book that really helped me when I was starting out as a writer.
I also revisited it a few years ago, and it kick-started me again. What you do, write on! If you love writing, write for the love of it, not for the results that may come. Put your heart and soul into everything you write--and everything you do--and have fun with it! Even serious books can be fun to write if you really get into them!
