Olivia M. Hammerman,
Owner & Designer

Olivia (she/her) is an award-winning book designer and pre-press expert. Her clients range from independent authors to small and hybrid presses to the NYC Big 5.

With over twelve years of experience in book publishing, Olivia brings a refined eye for typography and a critical understanding of how design positions a book in today’s market. She earned her Master’s in Writing & Book Publishing from Portland State University and went on to work in the managing editorial department at Henry Holt & Co., an imprint of Macmillan Publishers, and the cover art department at Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

A location-independent professional, Olivia is an excellent communicator and can balance competing deadlines while maintaining high standards across projects. To discuss a potential collaboration, please see the Contact tab or email olivia@ochbookdesign.com.

 

Services

Book Cover Design
Book Interior Layout
Print-based Marketing Collateral
Prepress Production
Consulting

Articles and Guest Appearances

Transmit Culture: Careers in Publishing panel (May 22, 2024)
Portland State University, Master’s in Writing & Book Publishing

How 10 Book Covers Evolved, from Rejected Drafts to Final Design
Electric Literature

“I Found It on Google”: Copyright Basics and Finding an Image for Your Front Cover
Indigo: Editing, Design, and More

Judging A Book Cover by Its Color
Book Riot

In Which We Learn The Elements Of How To Design A Book Cover That Ups Your Chances At Sales Success
Hybrid Pub Scout

Please Judge the Book by Its Cover
Indigo: Editing, Design, and More

When There’s a Worm in the Big Apple
The Big Smoke America

10 Rejected Covers That Almost Made the Cut
Electric Literature

What 10 Books Looked Like Before the Final Cover
Electric Literature

Rejecting A Book By Its Cover 
Electric Literature

Speaking Design for Non-Designers (February 17, 2018)
PubWest Conference, Pasadena, California 

Host and speaker, “New York Publishing,” happy hour (July 6, 2017)
Indigo Editing & Publications, Portland, Oregon 

Getting the Book Cover You Want
Indigo: Editing, Design, and More

To Swag or Not to Swag? Marketing Materials Are the Question
Indigo: Editing, Design, and More

Workshop Leader, Book Design (May 28, 2015)
SRG Partnership, Inc., Portland, Oregon  

Workshop leader, Book Basics: How to Design a Book (October 8, 2014)
Literary Arts, Portland, Oregon

Career Seminar: Marketing Panel (April 12, 2014)
Portland Start University, Portland, Oregon  

Guest lecturer: Publishing & Internships (March 27, 2014)
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 

Guest lecturer: Publishing & Internships (March 20, 2014)
College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina 

Guest lecturer, The Power of Tables in Adobe InDesign (February 13, 2014)
Portland State University, Portland, Oregon