Overview
As a writer, editor, and publisher, I have a deep familiarity with all sides of the writing and publishing process. I have nearly a decade of experience editing fiction, nonfiction, and genre-defying books, and have worked as an editor at three publishing companies in addition to many years of freelance work. I also hold an M.F.A. in writing from Otis College of Art and Design and currently teach writing at Pratt Institute.
In 2019 I cofounded an independent press which focuses on feminist horror. As publisher and editor I oversaw the development of our books through the entire editorial, production, and marketing process, and worked closely with authors from the developmental editing stages through line editing. Our books have been nominated for awards including multiple Bram Stoker Awards, and have been widely reviewed, promoted, and purchased.
I am an enthusiastic and dedicated editor who loves working with authors to shape their work into the best possible version of itself. Whether it’s outlining, plotting, character development, or world building in the early stages, providing a meticulous copy edit in the final stages, or any of the work in between, I place a high importance on creating a dialogue with the writers I work with and will utilize my skills and experience to make your book stand out from the early stages to the final polish.
Although I've worked across many genres, I have a particular interest in speculative fiction and thrillers/suspense/dark psychological fiction, as well as queer narratives and stories which push boundaries and defy convention. From commercial to literary, I get excited by a richly detailed world, an innovative idea, a strong narrative voice. Give me your reimagined fairy tales, your unlikable female characters, your post-apocalyptic ghost stories. Let's dig in!
"Olivia is an excellent developmental editor, with an eye for nuance and a great feel for developing characters and plot. She always has a fun and precise way to attack plot problems, and she's able to tease out meaning from my most nebulous of ideas. From crafting plot matrixes to talking through character development, I couldn't have written my novel without her." — Halley Sutton, author of The Lady Upstairs (Putnam, 2020)
Services
Fiction
Languages
Certifications
- M.F.A. in Writing, Otis College of Art & Design 2018
- B.A. in Psychology & Comparative Literature, Brandeis University 2012
Work experience
Publishing Company
I oversee the development of our books through the entire publishing process, from acquisition and contract negotiation through editing and production, plus marketing and publicity. From extensive, multi-stage developmental work to line edits, I am a highly involved editor and greatly value the close editorial relationship I've forged with our authors.
C&R Press
As an editor at C&R Press, I edited novels and short story collections. I was also responsible for interior layout design and typesetting, and created ebooks from all the backlist titles as well as the new books. This included prose, poetry, and hybrid works of fiction and nonfiction.
Otis Books
At Otis Books, I selected manuscripts to be published and managed authors from contract signing to publication. My responsibilities included editing/copyediting/proofreading manuscripts, interior design and layout, and coordinating printing, distribution, etc. I also represented the press and conferences and book fairs, and ran author events.
Freelance
Veritas Literary Agency
I read and evaluated YA manuscript submissions at Veritas Literary Agency, and wrote recommendations and reports to the agent I worked for.
Olivia has 26 reviews
Professionalism
Quality
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Jeff P.
Aug, 2023
PinnedAngie C.
Jul, 2023
PinnedMatthew M.
Aug, 2022
PinnedLee D.
Jul, 2024
megan C.
Feb, 2024
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