How to edit commercial fiction manuscripts: Helen Moffett

This two-hour seminar will outline the editing approaches and techniques for working with a range of fiction genres as an editor, including how to cater to specific audiences and markets, and how to meet the requirements for a satisfying formula without being formulaic. It's aimed at professional editors and others who would like to expand their technical editing know-how; authors of genre/trade/commercial fiction may also find it useful to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes when genre/commercial fiction is edited and published.

Helen Moffett is an experienced editor, author, academic, and poet. She has authored, co-authored, or collated over 20 books, ranging from university textbooks to poetry to historical fiction to environmental handbooks. She has worked in publishing for 30 years and has been lucky enough to work with some of the most dazzling authors in Africa and elsewhere. In 2019, she was named one of the top ten literary editors and curators from the African continent. She has been training African writers and academics in writing, editing, and self-editing skills since 2000, and for four years, she headed the Short Story Day Africa Editing Mentoring programme, an initiative to identify talent and provide training and support to younger editors working for African publishers and on literary platforms. She continues to mentor authors via this platform and also runs the Salon Hecate project at Noordhoek Art Point Gallery. These events provide cross-over spaces and opportunities for local poets, authors, and creative projects. Visit https://noordhoekartpoint.co.za/salon-hecate/ for information.For more details of Helen's authors and books, and to read her blog, visit https://www.helenmoffett.com/