Adam Rosenbaum: On the Generosity of the Kid Lit Community

Adam Rosenbaum has operated a sawmill in Kentucky, stocked groceries in Los Angeles, and was a student draftsman at his local power company growing up in the suburbs of Nashville, where he currently lives with his wife and kids.

When he’s not writing things or reading things, you’ll probably find him running down a trail or trying to find the perfect blueberry donut. Follow him on Threads and Instagram.

Adam Rosenbaum

In this interview, Adam discusses the decade that went between writing the first chapter and then finishing his debut middle-grade novel, The Ghost Rules, the importance of engaging with other forms of art, and more!

Name: Adam Rosenbaum
Literary agent: Emily van Beek – Folio, Jr.
Book title: The Ghost Rules
Publisher: Holiday House
Release date: August 13, 2024
Genre/category: Middle Grade
Elevator pitch: Ghosts love coffee. They also bump into things by accident and get a little nervous when they’re seen by the living. Elwood McGee knows this because he’s one of those rare people who sees them EVERYWHERE! Elwood and his parents had to move from their home in Nashville to a teeny town in the boonies after the death of Elwood’s big brother, Noah…which was Elwood’s fault. Once Elwood discovers he can see ghosts, he becomes determined to find his brother one last time, embarking on a journey of self-discovery, the hilarious world of ghosts, and the realities of letting go.

Bookshop | Amazon
[WD uses affiliate links.]

What prompted you to write this book?

I was watching TV when a picture frame spontaneously fell over on the opposite side of the room. I laughed to myself, thinking What if a clumsy ghost stumbled into it?

The idea of a funny ghost story was intriguing enough that I sat down and wrote the entire first chapter in about 15 minutes. That was over a decade ago, before I’d ever dreamed of writing novels. I had no idea what to do with it, so I shelved it for years.

Then in early 2020, I decided to give novel writing a real shot. I joined a critique group and needed something to work on, so I pulled out my funny ghost story and chipped away at it through the lockdown months to keep me sane.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

The first draft took about a year to write and clean up before I started querying agents in early 2021. That process took another year (with LOTS of rejections) until I finally signed with my amazing agent in early 2022. We went through several rounds of revisions before sending it out to publishers that fall when Sally Morgridge at Holiday House jumped on it right away.

So, not counting that decade of neglect, it took about 4.5 years from really digging into the story until publication.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

The Ghost Rules is my debut, so it’s all been one giant learning moment. My Kryptonite is needing to know how everything works, so I’ve assailed my agent, editor, and every author I can find with endless questions about every step of the process. Thankfully, the kid lit community is incredibly generous and welcoming, and everyone has been super helpful.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

My favorite part of writing is when characters surprise me. I’ll have a basic vision for a certain passage or chapter, but then all the sudden the characters seem to take the reins and make surprising choices I hadn’t expected. That’s when it gets really fun, because it feels like I’m just along for the ride as the story gets pulled in new, exciting directions.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

The Ghost Rules is, on the surface, a fun, adventurous middle-grade story about clumsy, obnoxious ghosts. But it also deals directly with grief, and how that affects all of us, no matter how old you are.

I’d love for anyone who reads it to leave with hope. A hope that you can face the loss and pain in your life and come out better and stronger.

I’d also love to help any kid (or jittery grown-up) who might be afraid of ghosts to leave with a little less fear.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Watch old movies!

Reading is a given. So, you should do that. As much as possible. But I’ve also found that watching older movies puts my creative brain in a different kind of space. Not only am I exposing myself to classic art (yay culture!), but I’m also diversifying the content I’m consuming and opening myself up to different kinds of characters and plots and pacing than have been popular more recently.

If that sounds interesting, you could start by looking through the AFI Top 100 list or check out what’s on TCM one night and see if it does the same thing for you.

With a growing catalog of instructional writing videos available instantly, we have writing instruction on everything from improving your craft to getting published and finding an audience. New videos are added every month!