Hi, I'm Emily!
I'm a freelance book cover designer and avid reader based in Brooklyn, NY. Most recently I was an Associate Art Director at Henry Holt & Company. I’ve also worked at Berkley, Viking, and Penguin Books.
In 2020, I graduated from RISD with a BFA in Graphic Design. Since then, I've been a guest lecturer at the University of Connecticut, Boston University, and Northeastern University.
When I'm not reading or designing, you can find me… going for a run, baking something sweet, catching insects or creating optical illusions.
Clients:
Abrams, Amazon Publishing, Authors Equity, Crooked Lane Books, DK, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Quarto, Simon & Schuster, Sourcebooks, Spotify Audiobooks, W. W. Norton
My favorite genres to work on are literary and book club fiction, psychological thrillers, memoirs, and essay collections. Bonus points if it’s a little weird, eerie, speculative, mysterious, humorous, or coming-of-age. But I love a good surprise!
Featured:
- The Rumpus | 18 of the Best Book Covers of September 2026
- PRINT Magazine | 13 of the Best Book Covers for December 2025
- Lit Hub | The 173 Best Book Covers of 2025
- The Casual Optimist | Notable Book Covers of 2025
- The Casual Optimist | Book Covers of Note, April 2025
- 3 Things I’ve Learned in My First Month as a Full-Time Freelance Book Cover Designer
- I Need A Book Cover | 10 Questions for Emily Mahar
- The Casual Optimist | Book Covers of Note, February 2025
- Lit Hub | The 167 Best Book Covers of 2024
- SPINE Magazine | November 2024 Book Covers We Love
I do not use AI in any capacity in my work.
Thank you to Reinaldo Simões for building my dream website!