Interview with Emily Breitkopf

Khayrun Gure: What motivates you?

Emily Breitkopf: I would say that I am extremely motivated by the end career goals that I have for myself. I have this goal of having a much more--I hate saying it like this--“luxurious” lifestyle. But not in the way you see in social media and the news. I just aim to be a very successful businessperson, but without all of the celebrity nonsense that many people like Elon Musk and whatnot have or strive for. I want to build a company--whether it be one I start or one I join--into something great, and I am extremely motivated by the idea of working my way up the ladder to become the head of a company that I can be proud of and that can produce a product that is well-received. I know it may sound unrealistic and materialistic, but it is so much more than that to me. I like to challenge myself, and I hope by achieving this goal, I can make a difference in ways that other people in that position fail to.

KG: What would you say your biggest strength and weakness is?

EB: This is always such a hard question and one I’m still figuring out as I reach the end of my studies and shift into a career mindset. I think I would have to say that my biggest strength is how passionate I can be about something once I start it. I don’t know if people would consider that a strength as it’s not really a skill, but it is something that many people comment on as an attribute they really like about me (and that I also really like about myself). As for a weakness, it would have to be my multi-tasking skills, which may not be the best thing to hear from someone working in Management. However, it is something I’m improving on but still have a long way to go.

KG: What are you passionate about with publishing?

EB: Oh man, there is a lot. I could go on and on about my passion for publishing, specifically in regard to comics and manga, but I don’t want to talk your ear off, so I’ll keep it more general. The main thing is just sharing stories, and more importantly, good stories. Stories that I wish I had as a kid, and even stories that I wish I had now. I also just love the idea of seeing something grow from start to finish and having a hand in that growth. Seeing it succeed is something that’s always been special to me. Writing can be a very lonely and independent thing, and frankly, I don’t think it’s for me. Publishing, on the other hand, is very collaborative and you get to work with so many amazing people to see something grow to completion. Just my experience working on Tessellate has shown the growth that can happen when working in a team as you bounce problems, ideas, and other stuff off of each other. This might be the management side of me talking, but as someone who wants to have a career in a more management-type role, I think this practice of collaboration and organization can be a big challenge for people, but also an amazing space to improve and show your strengths. Applying this all to an industry I love to be in, it really drives a lot of why I’m here and why I enjoy it so much.

KG: Do you write? If so, what do you enjoy writing about?

EB: I used to write a lot but I’ve honestly found myself drifting away from writing as I grow older. Frankly, when I’m asked to write a creative piece now, it feels more like a chore than anything. That isn’t to say that I still don’t enjoy writing, but I’ve just really found a home for myself in the publishing side of things, so much so that writing doesn’t spark as much joy anymore as the idea of publishing writing does. If I had to pick a form to talk about, I do still enjoy scriptwriting and I’m open to the idea of writing them, whether it be for games, films, or even comics. I also think that poetry will always have a special place in my heart because of how you can truly express yourself through it. So, no, I might not write that much anymore, but I still find myself turning to it when I want to stretch my creativity a bit.

KG: What books/poetry are you currently reading?

EB: Due to my busy schedule, I unfortunately don’t have much time to sit down and read. However, I have been very slowly making my way through Heaven’s Official Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, which I have been really enjoying. I also do read a lot of manga and manwhas (Korean comics) as it’s much less time consuming. When I do have time to sit down and read, that’s the kind of content I find myself drifting towards more often than not. So, while I may not have been reading a lot of books or poetry, I still read a lot, but it’s normally late at night on my iPad as I scroll through chapters and chapters of webcomics when I should have been in bed hours ago.

KG: Have you ever listened to audiobooks? If so, what did you like the most and least about it?

EB: It's been quite some time since I picked up an audiobook, which is sad because I do really love them. I remember listening to the audiobook for my favourite book of all time, which is The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, and I absolutely adored the way it brought the characters to life. My favourite thing about audiobooks is when they have a full cast of characters and add in all those fun little extra sounds that may not translate as well on paper. For example, The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff were phenomenal for this exact reason. Those books felt like they were written to be audiobooks and I just loved it. I honestly don’t really have anything negative to say about audiobooks as they’re such a great way to make books more accessible to so many different people and provide that enhanced experience of bringing the characters to life.

KG: What was your experience like working on the anthology in your role? Any challenges?

EB: I had such a fun time working on Tessellate with the rest of my classmates. As Head of Management, I had a lot of responsibility on my shoulders, like making sure everything was running smoothly and on schedule, and also being the connection between all team members. Looking back on it, I really enjoyed the role I was given and I really think it helped me develop many skills that will benefit me greatly in future jobs that I may have. It was a lot of fun getting to create many of the important documents, like the master schedule, contracts, and additional letters that were sent to the team. I do think, however, that at times, there was a challenge of remaining professional, as these are my classmates and friends who I’ve spent the last four years with. So it did feel a bit odd to have to put all that aside and communicate in a professional way that reflected the industry that we are going to be a part of very soon. Also, while I wouldn’t say it was a challenge, I did at times find it to be a bit overwhelming to have so many people on a team that all had very different opinions. At the same time, that’s also what made my job so fun. My role as Head of Management definitely helped me decide where I want to be in the publishing industry and it is an experience that I will look back on quite fondly.