We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chelsea Dicicco. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chelsea below.
Chelsea, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think it takes to be successful?
Being in the writing industry is no easy feat. Writers are faced with rejection upon rejection. Not to mention the roadblocks and the waiting. Everything takes time. From writing the first draft to the revision process, querying for agents, finding your right agent match, and finally sending that project out on submission and waiting for another “yes” from a publisher. In such a competitive and notoriously slow-moving line of work, staying positive is crucial.
A lot of how you’re able to stay the course and remain positive depends on your outlook on success. Everyone has different perspectives on what true success is. For me as a writer, I define success not as an end destination or monetary goal but rather as a constant state of intentional and active work towards my creative endeavors.
In a nutshell, success is simply giving what you’re able to and enduring, no matter what road bumps you may encounter. If you’re tenaciously moving forward and giving it your best, that’s success!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Thanks so much for having me! I’m thrilled to be here. My name is Chelsea DiCicco, and I’m a neurodivergent entrepreneur living outside of Nashville, TN, passionate about amplifying kids’ voices and sharing stories through books.
Formerly a Children’s Librarian and Social Media Manager, now a Children’s Book Author and Behavior Therapist for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, I’ve taken my eclectic skill sets and experiences and used them to combine my passion for children and literature to create an all-in-one useful hub for writers and illustrators who are interested in children’s publishing. This all-in-one writers/illustrators “hub” is known as Chelsea’s World of Books Literary Blog.
A little about the blog and website and what they offer:
My website and literary blog offer all kinds of resources for parents, educators, librarians, and, of course, kidlit writers and illustrators! I also cater to book lovers of all ages.
For parents, librarians, and educators:
Things available on my website for parents, librarians, and educators can be found under the TEACHER CORNER tab and include a huge collection of resources designed for kids ages 4-12. These resources include downloadable worksheets and lesson plans, audio and video files, games and activities, etc., and range across various topics like literacy, art, music, ASL, social-emotional learning, and resources for neurodivergent families. And don’t forget book recommendations!
For writers and illustrators:
Things available on my website for writers and illustrators can be found under THE BLOG tab; the list is almost endless- and always growing.
What’s on the blog, and how will it help me?
To answer that question, let me tell you a little more about my writing experience… As a neurodivergent writer with one independently published picture book, ADHD AND ME, who desperately wanted to break into the world of traditional publishing, I know just how intimidating (and costly) and TIME-CONSUMING that venture can be. So, after dedicating a good deal of time and study to my craft and knowledge of the industry by attending various writing workshops, joining writing organizations, participating in various literary contests, and even becoming a student in multiple writing schools, I had two epiphanies. Epiphany number one was that I had found my home. I was 100% committed to and in love with the writing community. Epiphany number two was that I wanted to help other creators at all stages of their publishing journeys to continue growing and staying on the path. The way I wanted to do this was through shared experiences. Because what more of a fitting a way is there to learn about writing than through stories?
At the end of 2022, I was ready to put my mission to the test. I gathered some willing participants and launched the beginning of what is now known as the popular literary Feature Interview segment.
The Feature Interview segment is a monthly collaboration of industry professionals, including authors, illustrators, editors, and agents, having real conversations about the ins and outs of publishing. Many of the guests who I talk with were at one time, or currently are, also educators, librarians, or booksellers. Their input and perspectives on publishing bring an invaluable amount of knowledge both for newly aspiring authors and/or illustrators, as well as those who are well-established.
These conversations help provide writers and illustrators with tools and insight by giving them an up-close look at publishing across a diverse collection of viewpoints from different sides of the desk. Every month, we dig deep into the behind-the-scenes of publishing, share tips and resources, and provide answers to common (and not-so-common) questions. We also offer PRIZE giveaway opportunities to all readers who take the time to either leave a comment on the blog post or share it on social media. Prizes include free merchandise, one-on-one Zoom mentor calls, Ask-Me-Anythings, manuscript critiques, and more.
A little more about me: what sets me apart from others and what I’m most proud of:
If I had to say what sets me apart from others, it would be my unique understanding and personal relationship with neurodivergence and my ability to harness that understanding and empathy to create stories that all kids can see parts of themselves reflected in.
I’d say I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve stubbornly and persistently endured (and continue to) on the slow and steady road of publishing and have used my time to continue looking for opportunities and ways to grow by taking chances and putting myself out there by trying new things, even when it’s outside of my comfort zone. I’ve known since a very young age (five) that I wanted to be a “real writer” one day, and time and experience have shown me that what makes a writer a “real writer” is persistence. When you persist and stick with what you love, that’s what really defines you. I’m grateful that I was born with the tenacity and passion to be the kind of person who never stops reaching and working toward the things I care about. That drive and passion have served me well in every professional career that I’ve had.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
There are two resources that immediately come to mind, that have greatly impacted my entrepreneurial journey and mindset. One is a podcast hosted by Manuscript Academy, and the other is a writing organization called the Courage to Create Community, hosted by The Writing Barn.
The Manuscript Academy was founded by a literary agent (Jessica Sinsheimer) and author (Julie Kingsley), and its mission is to give creators the opportunity to learn the skills and make the connections to access experts all from home. Their podcast has been instrumental in staying positive and keeping up with the always-changing world of publishing. It’s also been a great way to build connections with other writers- some even locally! I love their introduction to each podcast session. They always say: “We believe education is key, the beauty is the people you meet along the way and that community makes all the difference.”
The Courage to Create Community has also been beyond words beneficial in helping me on my writing journey.
Courage to Create, not only offers access to wonderful and engaging content for creators looking to learn more about writing, but it also provides you with special query and submission opportunities as well as round tables and critique sessions to help improve your work. They also host classes and workshops.
The Courage to Create Community has also greatly helped me shape my view of success.
I really appreciate their collaborative attitudes and views, in particular their community agreement which starts by saying, “I define success for myself. I revise and edit this definition often- empowering myself at every turn,” as well as their belief statement, which states, “CREATIVITY is not a competition. We strive to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Focus on the GOALS. Milestones happen on their own. The only STAMP OF APPROVAL we need is our own. Ambition is the NATURAL IMPULSE to share our gifts. Don’t make yourself guilty for having it. Or for not owning it. Compare/despair is a sign that WE CARE. Acknowledge it. Work with it. Let it LEAD US FORWARD. It takes THE TIME IT TAKES. We are SMARTER and STRONGER than the icky internal voice. Shame and silence are creativity killers. We process the passes and reject rejection, knowing noes will come ON THE WAY to our YESes! Rest is a radical act. For the work. For ourselves. We BELIEVE our books and careers into BEING. Our yes is next!”
This has without a doubt aided me in shaping my perspective and attitude of how I measure my own individual success as a writer. It has also motivated me to stay determined to continue working towards my goals, knowing that success is something that only I can define for myself.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
My desire to be a writer isn’t a newfound passion. I’ve known since I was five years old that writing is what I wanted to do with my life. But sometimes, we talk ourselves out of things because we don’t believe we’re “good enough” or that we “can.”
As a person who suffers from depression, high anxiety, and low self-esteem, and also contends with ADHD (making thoughts of anxiety and self-doubts triple with a neurodivergent, overthinking brain), overcoming imposter syndrome has been something I’ve had to work hard to fight against in order to keep going.
As for a specific experience of a writing challenge I overcame, here’s a story for you:
In my early twenties, I was working a full-time job and writing in the evenings. Back then, I had a few newly completed novels and dozens of completed picture book manuscripts, including a full series of picture books in rhyme. But only I, and a few close family friends, knew they existed.
Back then, I had no idea how publishing worked. I didn’t know about critique groups or writing organizations. I didn’t know about writing rules or word counts. I didn’t know about craft or formatting. And I didn’t know how to get my work in front of a publisher. All I knew was that I loved writing.
After doing some digging on the internet, I found a writer’s conference that was taking place not far away from where I lived (it was about a 3-hour drive from me), so I decided to take the leap and bring some of my manuscripts with the idea of talking to someone about them. Again- I had no idea how any of this worked.
Enthusiastically, I placed several manuscripts in a bag and took off for the conference. There, I met a man who identified himself as the owner of a small publishing company. He told me that he would be interested in acquiring my work as is. I was ecstatic and full of hope.
Unfortunately, being very naive to the literary world, I had no idea what red flags to look for, or that red flags could even exist in such a magical place. This was a learning experience. After about a year of shady practices, and being taken advantage of and lied to, I finally started to piece things together. I reached out directly to other victims of the scheme who had also fallen prey to this publisher. Every author I spoke with unanimously voiced the same issues and dishonest practices that I was experiencing. It was a terrible time. I felt trapped and unsure of what to do. Worse still, I felt so foolish for being duped. How would I dig myself out of this mess? And what would come of my future publishing endeavors? What if somehow my name was dragged through the mud because I stood up for myself? The what ifs were endless!
It took several months and lots of careful planning, but eventually, I was able to reclaim the rights to my stories. However, this horrifying ordeal put me off the idea of traditional publishing for years. But I was still desperate to publish my books, so I started looking into self-publishing as an alternate route. After gaining some experience as an independent publisher, through trial and error, I realized that self-publishing, though it had served its purpose, was not the route I wanted to stay on. So cautiously, I began venturing back into the realm of traditional publishing, this time carefully learning everything I could. During this time, I was continuing to work on new writing projects. After I had learned a great deal about the industry as a whole, I discovered the red flags and pitfalls of my previous experience and learned how to avoid them in the future. This was groundbreaking and finally gave me the confidence I needed.
Determined to try again, I roused. Still, I was nervous about sharing my work with anyone- agents, editors, beta readers, or critique partners. But I knew from the conferences and workshops I attended the importance of getting eyes on your work. You need outside perspective and critique to help you grow as a writer. So, I took the plunge and joined my first critique group in January of 2022, and never looked back. Since then, my writing and skills have only continued to grow, and so has my confidence.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chelseasworldofbooks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chelseasworldofbooks/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chellysbooks
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsea-dicicco-122a95206/
- Twitter: https://x.com/chellysbooks
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chellysbooks8248
- Other: THE BLOG > FEATURE INTERVIEW https://chelseasworldofbooks.com/category/feature-interviews/
TEACHER CORNER https://chelseasworldofbooks.com/the-blog/
