Editing and proofreading fiction and non-fiction in Johannesburg, South Africa

Books I have worked on

My Work

Editing

I am a qualified editor who has helped authors craft novels over the past four years. Among those I have worked with are Terry-Ann Adams (Those who Live In Cages), Chwayita Ngamlana (If I Stay Right Here), Athol Williams (A Girl Called H), Makanaka Mavengere-Munsaka (Perfect Imperfections) and Sylvester Chauke (Stand Against Bland).

Proofreading

I believe in cultivating and preserving the quality of a story from the opening page, right through the text and up to the last word on the back page. Books I have prepared for print and publication include Vagabond (Lerato Mogoatlhe), Life is Like a Kudu Horn (Margaret Jacobsohn), Big Pharma, Dirty Lies, Busy Bees and Eco Activists (David Bristow), and Not Child’s Play (Dave Muller).

Reviews

I consult with publishers on unpublished manuscripts, using readers reports to provide feedback on how to develop big ideas into great books.
I use critical thinking and my discerning eye to write short social media reviews of books that I have read. I have used this skill in published pieces for Mail and Guardian.

About Me

I edit every thing, all the time. Subtitles on TV shows, copy on billboards, my own speech before it leaves my mouth, menus and almost all the books I read.

My love for language – how it works, where it comes from, what it can be used for – keeps me curious and keen. I accept each new project as an exciting challenge.

I am most proud of the work I have done to develop and publish stories by, for and about Black South Africans in partnership with a top local publisher.

Topics and themes that are sure to grab my attention are: new reference books/dictionaries; tea; series that involve ensemble casts and well-timed laugh tracks; new music that won’t be on the radio; old things full of memories; art; and Black women and what they think about.