Meet Chelsea Wallace | Picture Book Author, Poet, & Drama Queen

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chelsea Wallace and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chelsea, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
Picture books are not easy to make.

I am a traditionally published picture book author and I’ve decided that picture book making is the great modern mystery. Here are the questions that tell me most people don’t know much about this craft let alone the business of picture book publishing:

“Ah, cute. You write picture books.” [eye roll]
“Oh picture books. That must be easy because they are so short!” [cringe]
“When are you going to write real books, like for adults?” [sigh]
“You need an agent for picture books?” [um, yeah. just like big people books.]
“Why hasn’t your book come out yet? Didn’t you say it sold like months ago?” [ha]

Is writing a picture book easy? Absolutely not and on so many levels it’s considered one of the most difficult crafts to master. I heard it once said that picture books are expected to be War and Peace but in haiku. That sums it up – the depth, the layers, the language, the thematic thread lines, the character arcs, the plot trajectory and everything else you’d expect in a novel is expected in a picture book but targeted to our most precious audience and in an economy of words where every single dot of the i has intention and purpose.

Is it easy to get an agent? No. In order to sell your books to a publisher, you are encouraged to get an agent first because they help you get above the slush pile, they negotiate contracts, and they guide your career. But first you have to win them over with your words. You are expected to query an agent with a piece of your best work and be ready to share three more pieces. An agent has to fall in love with your craft.

Is selling a picture book to publishers easy? Ha! Picture books have the most crowded market. Even with an agent pitching your work to editors, it’s extremely difficult for picture book manuscripts to sell to editors. Between their tight lists, publishing schedules, subjective tastes, and the fact that you also have to get the entire acquisitions team (publisher, marketing, art director) to sign off as well – it’s a wonder any picture books sell-through ever.

Is making a picture book easy? Nope. So yay, your manuscript sold-through. But that’s only half the book. The illustrator is your partner and they bring 50% of your book to life. The publisher guides the illustrator search and once they are contracted, they need time to make their art for the book so picture books often do not release until years after contracts are signed. I have one book that will be coming out six years after sale.

Picture book making is a rigorous job. There is failure, rejection, and lots of waiting and wondering. But guess what? I’m still doing it and I feel successful at it too. Like anything else, when you are passionate you are motivated. The highs of this job outweigh the lows. Just knowing one kid out there has a favorite book and it’s one of mine fills up my soul.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I was a 6 year-old kid living in Colorado Springs when I discovered the poetry of Shel Silverstein. I felt seen, I felt safe, and I fell in love with stories. I began writing my own silly and spooky poems far past my bedtime. I wrote like it was my job and I even have an autobiography from when I was 9 years-old where I say, “When I grow up I will be a writer.” But life zig-zagged and I found myself in digital marketing before becoming an elementary school teacher. While teaching, I rediscovered the first love of my life: stories and poems.

As a teacher, I became a student all over again; soaking up all the wisdom that little kids bring as their perceptions of the world are fresh and fascinating, pure and poetic. I took a picture book writing course at UCLA, studied and practiced my craft, formed a critique group, and eventually started querying. After a year, I met my now agent at a conference. She signed me soon after we sold my first book, A HOME NAMED WALTER (with Ginnie Hsu and Macmillan). I’ve had several picture books publish since including ODE TO A BAD DAY (with Hyewon Yum and Chronicle Books) and THE BOO-BOOS OF BLUEBELL ELEMENTARY (with Alison Farrell and Chronicle Books). Ode reached prominent “best of” lists including the Chicago Public Library and SLJ Betsy Bird’s Best Books, while Bluebell was named one of the Best Books of the Year from Bank Street College of Education, has garnered a starred trade review from School Library Journal, and received the Junior Library Guild’s Gold Standard Award. My upcoming book DARE TO BE DARING (with Lian Cho and Abrams Books) has already received positive trade reviews including a starred review from Kirkus.

But creativity is not always contained to one medium. My characters are dripping with drama and a few years ago I started writing a story about the theater (WE ARE THE THEATER with Caldecott winning illustrator Molly Idle publishes from Abrams in 2025), and it led me back to the stage. I performed in a show at the Santa Monica Playhouse over the summer and it was there a teacher saw me and then asked me to join her directing team. For two years now, I have served as a musical theater director for St. Paul the Apostle middle school. I have since created Reader’s Theater for all of my books and have had the pleasure of seeing them performed by playhouses and schools!

The most important thing to know about any creative path is that it’s not a ladder of success. It’s a web. Publishing doesn’t travel up in one single forward motion. It’s not like you get the agent and it’s only rung after rung upwards from there. More importantly – if it’s not a rung up from there that doesn’t mean it’s DOWN. Instead of feeling like every story that gets red-inked, rejected, passed up, shelved, reviewed poorly, or ignored means that you have somehow taken two steps back – you haven’t. You have merely extended your web in another direction. And every direction that web takes is crucial to its design, its durability, and its capturability* for creativity. *Yes, I made up a new word.

Imagine this. Imagine that selling a book and having it fly off shelves and win awards wasn’t the purpose for that book. What if that book’s purpose was to capture one child in Colorado Springs who needed to read it because it made her feel seen, made her feel safe, and made her fall in love with stories? What if.

That’s the magic of the web we weave.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I have lived in L.A. for over 20 years and my husband was L.A. born and raised. At the end of the day it’s the beach for me. Always. This includes Hermosa for a little “Spring Break” vibe, Santa Monica for the pier, and Palisades for sun and surf. I’m a casual diner — I love Perry’s burgers on the sand, Jonathan Club street tacos, Oops Sushi, and Wood Ranch. But on that rare day I feel like upscaling it I love Katsuyah, Hillstone, Yamashiro, and Javiers. I also LOVE the theater and live music. Best shows I’ve seen are the Lion King at the Pantages, Van Morrison at the Wilturn, and Taylor Swift at SoFi.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d love to dedicate this Shoutout to my writing partners!!! I would not be able to do this job (or life) without their support, mentorship, guidance, and love. This includes: Carter Higgins, Nell Cross Beckerman, Charlotte Offsay, Sasha Mayer, Julia Wasson, Gela Kalaitzidis, Erica Rich. These ladies have taught me what it really takes to be successful in this business. They inspire me daily. I’m ridiculously grateful for all of them.

Website: https://www.chelsealinwallace.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/chelsealinwallace/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/chelseaauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chelsealin.wallace

Image Credits
https://www.natalialphotography.com/