OWTK Interview with Andi Green - creator of The WorryWoo Monsters

WorryWoo Week continues on OWTK!

Get caught up on what you've missed - read the OWTK Review of The Lonely Little Monster. Stop back on Friday for a sneak peek at what's next in The WorryWoo series!

**Remember, you still have a chance to win NOLA! See details at the bottom...after the interview!**

Andi Green - author, creator and illustrator of The WorryWoo Monsters - was kind enough to answer a few questions about The Lonely Little Monster, the process of self-publishing and the future of The WorryWoo Monster series. She also provided this image of Nola and Rue (the next character in the WorryWoo series) that originally appeared as an art installation in NYC.

OWTK: First of all, congratulations on Nola, the first WorryWoo Monster book and doll - they are both stunning works of art. How long has Nola, the book, been in the works?

Andi Green: Nola and The WorryWoo Monsters first appeared in 2001 as part of an art exhibition in NYC, at the time I called them “The Monsters in My Head”. Each monster was framed in a light box (24X 36) with a story Xerox transferred to the front. Throughout the exhibition and once it was down I kept getting asked if I would sell my pieces and if I ever considered expanding this series into a more mass marketable idea. After a year of thinking about it, I decided to give it a go. I chose Nola to be my first. I started creating her book in 2002, but it wasn't until September of 2006 that I decided to really pursue the idea of publishing my book and making an actual Nola doll!

OWTK: Describe the process of self-publishing a kid's book. Many folks may think this is an easy thing to do…is it?

AG: I wouldn’t call it easy, but it is an exciting process. There are so many things to think about when your creating a book on your own. Designing, illustrating, writing and editing your book --- where to produce and how you want the final product to look – then isbn , barcode, sans, library code number. So you get through all this and then you have a book and the next phase of selling and getting your title out there begins. I am still trying to figure out the best formula, but it is a great experience, I still can’t believe I finished my first book!

OWTK: What are your goals with The WorryWoo Monsters – where do you see the series in five years?

AG: In five years I hope The WorryWoo Collection is complete and I am at a point where I am able to focus my full attention to expanding the series - I work full time and on the WorryWoos at night. Because each WorryWoo is an emotion, I think these six are just the first of so many emotions to be explored.

OWTK: What is coming up next in the series and how long will readers have to wait between books?

AG: The next in line will be Rue, The Monster of Insecurity. He is just about complete and ideally his story and plush will be available Mid-Summer or early Fall. I can't wait to release him, he is awesome!

OWTK: What have you learned through the process of publishing The Lonely Little Monster that you wish you'd known prior to starting?

AG: That's a tough question because I am still learning, which can be looked at as both good and bad. There are so many components you have to think about before getting your book out. From early reviews to distribution it is wise to lock down a plan... I jumped into this with little to no plan.. but on the flip side if I had researched all this I may have gotten too scared and never produced Nola... HA.

OWTK: The Lonely Little Monster deals frankly with the idea of being alone, something many kids and adults struggle with on a daily basis. There are numerous kids' books that address loneliness and other emotional topics, in what ways is The Lonely Little Monster book (and the entire WorryWoo series for that matter) different?

AG: There are definitely a lot of books out there that deal with emotions. What sets The WorryWoos apart are they are the emotion itself not just a character whose story some way ties into an emotion. Every time I’d pick up a current children's story that deals with life’s hurdles, the actual emotional experience seemed to be almost hidden and overly soft. My goal was to follow in the footsteps of older authors like Silverstein and Sendack, where you go for a real journey through the good and the bad. One that is simple enough to leave room for interpretation and discussion. I've received a very positive response on this from Art Therapists and Teachers who are using Nola and The Lonely Little Monster as a means for discussion.

OWTK: Where will folks be able to pick up Nola The Lonely Little Monster Book and Doll? Can we expect to see them in some of the big box book retailers?

AG: They are available on my website and on Amazon.com. Right now I am looking into getting my products more widely distributed, ideally into lots of independent book and specialty stores. When someone buys from my site the sale actually goes to an independent store that carries my product, I thought that was cool. But I wouldn’t stop a big retailer from carrying my stuff too… ☺

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Enter for your chance to win NOLA!

OWTK is giving away two (2) set of Nola The Lonely Little Monster. The winners will each receive the 1st edition book, signed by Andi Green, and the plush Nola doll.
For your chance to win, simply leave a comment back on the original post here telling me about your favorite childhood stuffed animal/doll/action figure/imaginary friend.
Do so before midnight (Eastern Time) on Friday the 15th and consider yourself entered in the giveaway. Winners to be announced the next day, 2/16.

*As always, I'm required to remind you that OWTK will never sell, abuse or even use (unless you win) your email address.