Writer and editor Emily (Taylor) Hatesohl ’15 publishes first book

Emily (Taylor) Hatesohl ’15 double majored in English and journalism at Concordia University, Nebraska. She said she found her way to the university because she wanted a Christian college in a small and welcoming community a few hours from home. Concordia checked all of those boxes and more. 

“I wanted to be involved in band and student journalism. The welcome I felt during my campus visit sealed the deal. My mom said she knew it was the right choice for me when she saw the Bible verses in the halls of the women’s dorms we visited. It was just a good feeling that I knew this was where I belonged,” she said. “I made lifelong friends through Concordia that I still talk to regularly, even though we all live in different time zones. The camaraderie on band tours, the long chats around a Janzow table, the movie nights with ten people packed into a tiny dorm room staring at a tiny TV…it was the best college experience I could have asked for.” 

Hatesohl initially struggled to find her academic path at the university. 

“I was a hesitant English and journalism major when I came to Concordia. I didn’t feel called to teach, and I didn’t know what else I could do with my major. My professors pushed me to think deeper, broaden my writing skills and so much more. I learned about job opportunities from my professors, they prayed for me and they pushed me to grow. I am so grateful to my Concordia professors,” she said. “My experience at The Sower was invaluable for my career, as I learned so much about writing, editing, researching and computer programs - such as InDesign - which I used every day when I worked in publishing full time.” 

She said her time at Concordia also prepared her for her personal life and vocation as a parent.  

“I grew in understanding and faith in college, and now God uses me to point my children to Jesus, to read them His Word, and to raise up the next generation of the Church. Concordia really did prepare me for service in the church, world and home.” 

She met her husband, Tom Hatesohl ’14, the first week of her freshman year. They were both percussionists in the university’s symphonic band. They married in 2015 after Emily graduated. He is an optometrist, and they have two sons: Ben, age 4 and Henry, age 2.  

Hatesohl recently published her first children’s book Grandpa Works with One Hammer. 

“The idea for the book Grandpa Works with One Hammer came to me as a simple rhyme that I made up to the tune of ‘Johnny Works with One Hammer.’ I sang it to my boys one night about a year ago and they loved it,” she explained. “I based the idea off of my dad, who likes to do some carpentry work on the side. My sons love helping Grandpa in his workshop . . . even if ‘helping’ is a bit of a stretch. They just love tools, and I thought there weren’t enough tool books out there for kids like them. Anything with a good beat is a hit for my kids, and I liked that the illustrations could tell more of the story alongside the words. My husband thought it needed to be shared, and he encouraged me to self-publish the book. I’d always wanted to write a children’s book, but I’d never thought any ideas were good enough. But I thought, ‘If my kids like it, others might too’!” 

“I was a hesitant English and journalism major when I came to Concordia. I didn’t feel called to teach, and I didn’t know what else I could do with my major. My professors pushed me to think deeper, broaden my writing skills and so much more. I learned about job opportunities from my professors, they prayed for me and they pushed me to grow. I am so grateful to my Concordia professors.”

Hatesohl searched extensively for an illustrator, but struggled with the idea of hiring someone she didn’t know, so she emailed Concordia Nebraska Professor of Art Seth Boggs. 

“I’d known Professor Boggs from attending The Rock Lutheran Church during my time at Concordia, so I thought I’d see if he could recommend any students or graduates who had an interest in children’s book illustrations. He set me up with Elizabeth Lee ’24, and she was a perfect fit! She had a great vision for the characters, and it made me feel good knowing she was a real person I had a connection to through Concordia. I knew I could trust her with this book, and it was so special to collaborate with her throughout this process.” 

Hatesohl said she came to Concordia Nebraska during a pivotal time in her faith journey. 

“I was raised United Methodist, but I didn’t quite feel at home in that church body anymore. It was time for me to change and grow, and God placed the right people into my life to encourage me in Christ. I learned so much about Scripture from chapel and my professors, but also from my friends, just in the conversations we’d have or group Bible studies I’d attend,” she said. “I went through membership classes to join The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, and I am very grateful God led me where He did. Looking back, it is amazing how my freshman self came to college with so many questions, and my senior self left with much more confidence in Christ, in the firm foundation of the Word, and in the encouragement of the Christian friends who supported me.” 

After graduation from the university in 2015, Hatesohl worked for four years as a copy editor at Concordia Publishing House in St. Louis, Missouri. While she was there, she also earned a master’s degree in English composition from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. In 2019, she became a freelance editor for various companies and organizations, including CPH, the Fort Wayne seminary journal, Rowman and Littlefield and Reedsy.  

“Currently, my main vocation is staying home to care for our two young sons. But I am very grateful that I am able to continue my freelance connections and work a little bit in the evenings and weekends. I have written for Portals of Prayer, I contribute regularly to the CPH blog, and I do freelance editing work for other self-publishing authors through Reedsy,” she said. “God really knew what He was doing putting me in this line of work and providing me with the connections I’ve made. It’s allowed me to focus the majority of my attention on raising my family, while still enjoying writing and editing when I am able. As a stay-at-home mom, my day-to-day doesn’t look very glamorous. Potty training, preschool drop-off, making meals, folding laundry, picking up toys, playing with Play-doh, handling tantrums, reading bedtime books, waking up when the kids wake up. Then doing a bit of editing or writing in my sweatpants on my bed for thirty minutes or an hour a few evenings a week. That’s really it. But I love it!” 

“As a stay-at-home mom, it’s fulfilling to see your kids grow, to see that they actually are listening and making progress . . . eventually,” she added. “As a writer, it’s fulfilling to study Scripture as I prepare to write a blog post for Concordia Publishing House. As an editor, the diversity of books that I work on is so fulfilling. Right now, I’m editing a book about how scientific evidence demands a Creator, the one true God. I’ve edited all kinds of things: a memoir by a single black dad, a book about the top fifty toys in American history, a children’s book for foster kids, a devotional about grief. I’m seldom bored when I start a new editing project because it’s new every time!” 

In Concordia University, Nebraska’s journalism and public relations program, students develop thinking, writing and speaking skills equipping them to size up situations, determine what’s happening and report information accurately, quickly, honestly and responsibly. The program is designed for students who seek careers in a wide variety of journalism and public relations options.