Funny Man Adam Wallace Talks About His New Venture

Adam, welcome to the blog!

Thanks Robert! Great to be here, and great to chat with you!


You’re a best-selling children’s author and seasoned school presenter, and recently become a mentor to fellow authors with your newly released short courses. What can you tell us about the courses you offer?

I can tell you SO much … but I will try and be brief. Basically, I have set up Kid’s Book Creator Capital (www.thekbcc.com) as a centre where people can come and get truckloads of info on being, well, a kids book creator! To begin with, I want to help people out with the practical side of things. There are heaps of amazing courses and resources out there on actually creating a book, but what then?

So the first courses I have up look at doing school visits, generating an income from your kid’s books, and then, because I love zombies, a course on how zombies can act as an inspiration to us as people and creators (this one is designed to be for adults and kids).

The courses go into heaps of detail. Basically, I have learned so much over the last 20 years doing over 500 school visits, and actually creating a career out of my books (something a lot of people told me would be impossible). I wanted to take all that knowledge, condense it, and pass it on in a few short hours. I want creators to see it is possible, whatever it is for them, and I wanted to shorten the time it will take for them to get that knowledge.
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But the knowledge is just the start. Then it’s up to them to put it into action.

What has been the most rewarding part of creating these courses?

To start with, it was finishing the first one! But also giving back to this awesome community that has given me so much. When I started out, the most amazing people helped me. They passed on advice, supported me, chatted to me about books, everything. And that’s massive. It’s great to learn from people who have been where you are, and who have then got to where you want to be, who have done what you want to do.

You don’t ask someone who’s broke how to make money.

It’s the most incredible community, and to be able to give back to that, to maybe do for others what was done for me, that is a massive thrill.
 

What has been the most challenging?

Trying to cram everything in. My step-dad always told me to under-promise and over deliver, but I want to over-promise and over-deliver (if that’s actually technically possible!)! So the courses cover everything I have done and know. From every way that I have generated income, pros and cons of the different types of publishing, every way I have gotten a school visit, planning actual visits, and more.

Also the subtitling. It was super fun, but I think I went cross-eyed for a few days there!
 

What is your personal favourite thing about visiting kids in schools?

Oh man, there is so much! Seeing kids who thought they couldn’t draw do a drawing and getting SO excited and proud. Having teachers almost bring me to tears when they tell me that a kid who never speaks in class had contributed. Signing autographs. Doing readings. Feeling the energy rise in the room, laughing with the kids, creating with the kids, there’s more, but I’ll stop there. It’s all so amazing.

 
What is your biggest tip for authors wanting to be successful school presenters?

This is a bit of a tricky one, but I will go for this. Be YOU! One of the things that helped me most was seeing other authors present, but that is also very intimidating. I don’t want to do Powerpoint presentations at schools, but I have seen some amazing ones get an incredible response, so thought maybe I should.

Some people speak quietly, some speak loudly, some are funny, some are serious. In the end, watching other authors present is an amazing inspiration, but we shouldn’t compare. The thing kids respond to most is authenticity. You being you. That goes for our creating as well.
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Besides, it’s tiring trying to be someone you’re not. SO if you love jumping around and being crazy, do that. If not, well, don’t. 

Can you share one of your exciting projects that you’re currently working on?

I sure can! It’s a new course haha. I want to do a course on self-publishing, something I have done for 15 years now, and still do every year. In terms of books, I am working on a series of picture books that is, wait for it, 25 books in haha! With what I have started, it will be at 50 books very soon, and I love it, it’s so much fun to write!
 

Please tell us where we can find you online.

Sure! I’m at www.adam-wallace-books.com and all the courses are at www.thekbcc.com

I’m also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/adamwallacebooks, and Twitter @wallysbooks and YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/awallace100
 
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Thank you for visiting today, Adam. I really appreciate you sharing your insight, expertise and experience. All the best with your latest venture.

Thanks SO much for having me, Robert, always a pleasure talking to you!