Photo courtesy of Kyle Carpenter.
Author Anna Hartzog
Anna Hartzog, far right, with her book.
Q: Please tell our readers about yourself.
A: I’m originally from Montgomery, but have lived in the Birmingham area for over 17 years. My husband, Kent, and I have two elementary-age boys, Owen and Emmett. I love to read novels, visit cozy bookstores and coffee shops, travel to new places and eat at all the amazing restaurants in Birmingham. I went to Ole Miss for my undergraduate degree and then to Montevallo for a master’s in education. I taught English at Hewitt-Trussville High School and Jefferson State Community College before shifting careers into publishing 10 years ago.
Q: Can you please explain to our readers what you do? How did you come up with the idea for Village Editorial?
A: I founded [Village Editorial] just over two years ago after working in the book and magazine publishing industry. I noticed that there was a void in the industry. … There are some large (hard-to-break-into) publishing companies and there’s self-publishing, but there’s now a growing hybrid publishing industry in the middle. This type of publishing allows authors to work with professionals to make decisions about writing, editing and printing their books. … My growing team and I … help people take their stories and turn them into finished, polished books.
Q: “Eek and Ouch” began as a bedtime story shared within your family. Can you take us back to that moment when you first realized this story should be published for others?
A: My mom started telling my brother and I the “Eek and Ouch” story at bedtime when we were kids. It is about two kids (named “Eek and Ouch”) who hide from their mother in a clothing rack at a department store (this part is based on some of the antics my brother and I used to pull), but then when the mother starts calling for them by name, shouting “Eek! Ouch!” everyone else thinks she’s hurt and runs to check on her. Once they understand what’s going on, they also start walking around the store yelling “Eek! Ouch!” Chaos ensues. Eventually, the kids are found asleep in the clothing rack, and all is well! I had taken my youngest son to the doctor last year and needed to keep him calm while we were waiting to be seen. I remembered this story and told it to him. He laughed hysterically and for days afterward kept asking me to retell the story. I called my mom and told her I thought we should share the fun with other kids.
Q: Do you see this book as an extension of Village Editorial’s mission — making stories feel possible, personal and worth sharing?
A: Absolutely. … One thing I’ve heard from children’s librarians and elementary school teachers recently is that they love books that teach a lesson, but sometimes they’re looking for more books that are just fun to read and make kids laugh. It fosters a joy of reading. … I want Village Editorial to be a facilitator of story sharing as we help authors craft their narratives and turn them into published books. It was fun getting to do that with a family story that’s been 35 years in the making.
