Publishing in the 21st century: shape-shifting at speed

Publishing in the 21st century: shape-shifting at speed

Worldwide, traditional publishing models are in a state of transformation (some would call it disarray). Getting specialist and niche books published can be especially daunting or confusing. But because publishers and authors tend to be a canny and resourceful bunch, a variety of hybrid publishing models have sprung up, along with alternative models of book production. This two-hour seminar will focus on what goes into making a book (both print or online version) from nose to tail, and what kinds of partnerships and enterprising arrangements authors can enter into with traditional, indie, boutique and hybrid publishers, printers and distributors. We'll also talk about when and how to make the jump to going it alone (although you'll still need a team, and to know how to work with that team).

Date: 28 May

Time: 18:00–20:00

All the seminars below are stand-alone offerings that have grown out of workshops on the art and craft of editing book manuscripts. Their purpose is to provide more detailed accounts of how to handle specific kinds of manuscripts. Participants don't have to have completed my previous courses to participate, and can attend any or all of these seminars. Suitable for both novices and those who have experience of publishing processes.

Platform: Zoom

Course fee: R400; Staff and students R200

Booking is via Webtickets: https://www.webtickets.co.za/event.aspx?itemid=1546192878

How to edit commercial fiction manuscripts

Date: 12 June

Time: 18:00–20:00

Platform: Zoom

Course fee: R400; Staff and students R200

Booking is via Webtickets: https://www.webtickets.co.za/event.aspx?itemid=1546192627

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 (you can see why this is quite the balancing act!). 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. 
 

How to work with short stories as an editor

Date: 26 June

Time: 18:00–20:00

Platform: Zoom

Course fee: R400; Staff and students R200

Booking is via Webtickets: https://www.webtickets.co.za/event.aspx?itemid=1546193024

This two-hour seminar will offer an introduction to that rewarding challenge: how to develop and edit short stories. The great thing about working on short stories is that they often operate as incubators for novice authors and editors to develop their skills. Short stories are less daunting (to the author, the editor and the reader) than longer forms of fiction, but they require as much attention to detail -- and so they provide an excellent opportunity to gain confidence and skills that can be transferred to other forms of fiction. We'll draw on my experience of working with the Short Story Day Africa platform to show how editing short stories can be an exciting way to nurture fresh talent and projects. 

___________________________________________________________________________

How to edit memoir writing

 Date: 10 July

Time: 18:00–20:00

Platform: Zoom

Course fee: R400; Staff and students R200

Booking is via Webtickets: https://www.webtickets.co.za/event.aspx?itemid=1546193173

Fiction needs to be plausible – but in real life, anything can (and does) happen. This two-hour seminar will examine how editing memoir writing (whether in book form, essay/s or autobiographical fiction) differs – especially in emphasis – from other kinds of editing and copyediting. We’ll look at what motivates the author, ethical (and legal) issues, how to structure the messiness of lived experience into a ‘story’, and the biggest challenge of all: author support and management. This will hopefully be useful to memoir editors, those who run memoir writing workshops, and authors themselves busy with memoir writing.

Bio: 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/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Worldwide, traditional publishing models are in a state of transformation (some would call it disarray). Getting specialist and niche books published can be especially daunting or confusing. But because publishers and authors tend to be a canny and resourceful bunch, a variety of hybrid publishing models have sprung up, along with alternative models of book production. This two-hour seminar will focus on what goes into making a book (both print or online version) from nose to tail, and what kinds of partnerships and enterprising arrangements authors can enter into with traditional, indie, boutique and hybrid publishers, printers and distributors. We'll also talk about when and how to make the jump to going it alone (although you'll still need a team, and to know how to work with that team).

Date: 28 May

Time: 18:00–20:00

Platform: Zoom

Course fee: R400; Staff and students R200

Booking is via Webtickets: https://www.webtickets.co.za/event.aspx?itemid=1546192878

How to edit commercial fiction manuscripts

Date: 12 June

Time: 18:00–20:00

Platform: Zoom

Course fee: R400; Staff and students R200

Booking is via Webtickets: https://www.webtickets.co.za/event.aspx?itemid=1546192627

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 (you can see why this is quite the balancing act!). 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. 
 

How to work with short stories as an editor

Date: 26 June

Time: 18:00–20:00

Platform: Zoom

Course fee: R400; Staff and students R200

Booking is via Webtickets: https://www.webtickets.co.za/event.aspx?itemid=1546193024

This two-hour seminar will offer an introduction to that rewarding challenge: how to develop and edit short stories. The great thing about working on short stories is that they often operate as incubators for novice authors and editors to develop their skills. Short stories are less daunting (to the author, the editor and the reader) than longer forms of fiction, but they require as much attention to detail -- and so they provide an excellent opportunity to gain confidence and skills that can be transferred to other forms of fiction. We'll draw on my experience of working with the Short Story Day Africa platform to show how editing short stories can be an exciting way to nurture fresh talent and projects. 

___________________________________________________________________________

How to edit memoir writing

 Date: 10 July

Time: 18:00–20:00

Platform: Zoom

Course fee: R400; Staff and students R200

Booking is via Webtickets: https://www.webtickets.co.za/event.aspx?itemid=1546193173

Fiction needs to be plausible – but in real life, anything can (and does) happen. This two-hour seminar will examine how editing memoir writing (whether in book form, essay/s or autobiographical fiction) differs – especially in emphasis – from other kinds of editing and copyediting. We’ll look at what motivates the author, ethical (and legal) issues, how to structure the messiness of lived experience into a ‘story’, and the biggest challenge of all: author support and management. This will hopefully be useful to memoir editors, those who run memoir writing workshops, and authors themselves busy with memoir writing.

Bio: 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 provides 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/

All the seminars below are stand-alone offerings that have grown out of workshops on the art and craft of editing book manuscripts. Their purpose is to provide more detailed accounts of how to handle specific kinds of manuscripts. Participants don't have to have completed my previous courses to participate, and can attend any or all of these seminars. Suitable for both novices and those who have experience of publishing processes.

Publishing in the 21st century: shape-shifting at speed

Worldwide, traditional publishing models are in a state of transformation (some would call it disarray). Getting specialist and niche books published can be especially daunting or confusing. But because publishers and authors tend to be a canny and resourceful bunch, a variety of hybrid publishing models have sprung up, along with alternative models of book production. This two-hour seminar will focus on what goes into making a book (both print or online version) from nose to tail, and what kinds of partnerships and enterprising arrangements authors can enter into with traditional, indie, boutique and hybrid publishers, printers and distributors. We'll also talk about when and how to make the jump to going it alone (although you'll still need a team, and to know how to work with that team).

Date: 28 May

Time: 18:00–20:00

Platform: Zoom

Course fee: R400; Staff and students R200

Booking is via Webtickets: https://www.webtickets.co.za/event.aspx?itemid=1546192878

How to edit commercial fiction manuscripts

Date: 12 June

Time: 18:00–20:00

Platform: Zoom

Course fee: R400; Staff and students R200

Booking is via Webtickets: https://www.webtickets.co.za/event.aspx?itemid=1546192627

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 (you can see why this is quite the balancing act!). 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. 
 

How to work with short stories as an editor

Date: 26 June

Time: 18:00–20:00

Platform: Zoom

Course fee: R400; Staff and students R200

Booking is via Webtickets: https://www.webtickets.co.za/event.aspx?itemid=1546193024

This two-hour seminar will offer an introduction to that rewarding challenge: how to develop and edit short stories. The great thing about working on short stories is that they often operate as incubators for novice authors and editors to develop their skills. Short stories are less daunting (to the author, the editor and the reader) than longer forms of fiction, but they require as much attention to detail -- and so they provide an excellent opportunity to gain confidence and skills that can be transferred to other forms of fiction. We'll draw on my experience of working with the Short Story Day Africa platform to show how editing short stories can be an exciting way to nurture fresh talent and projects. 

___________________________________________________________________________

How to edit memoir writing

 Date: 10 July

Time: 18:00–20:00

Platform: Zoom

Course fee: R400; Staff and students R200

Booking is via Webtickets: https://www.webtickets.co.za/event.aspx?itemid=1546193173

Fiction needs to be plausible – but in real life, anything can (and does) happen. This two-hour seminar will examine how editing memoir writing (whether in book form, essay/s or autobiographical fiction) differs – especially in emphasis – from other kinds of editing and copyediting. We’ll look at what motivates the author, ethical (and legal) issues, how to structure the messiness of lived experience into a ‘story’, and the biggest challenge of all: author support and management. This will hopefully be useful to memoir editors, those who run memoir writing workshops, and authors themselves busy with memoir writing.

Bio: 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 provides 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/