Catriona Ross – Editor

Reading the first pages of a promising novel gives me goosebumps, and I love guiding the writer in making that book the best it can be. As a senior editor for Penguin Random House, I worked on an array of titles, mainly novels but also nonfiction. I project-managed the South African edition of THE PROMISE by Damon Galgut, winner of the 2021 Booker Prize, and A SIN OF OMISSION by Marguerite Poland, winner of the Sunday Times Literary Award for Fiction in South Africa in 2021. I also edited and championed (loudly, shamelessly) JUNX by Tshidiso Moletsane, winner of the Sunday Times Literary Award for Fiction 2022, and was instrumental in launching Umuzi Trailblazer, an imprint for innovative novellas from Africa and its diaspora. I’ve worked on brilliant debuts (HOW TO HIDE INSIDE A THREE by Jane van der Riet, BURIED TREASURE by Sven Axelrad, THE MADHOUSE by TJ Benson) and novels by established writers such as John van de Ruit, author of the SPUD series, Lauren Beukes (AFTERLAND, BRIDGE), Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu (THE HISTORY OF MAN, THE QUALITY OF MERCY), Sally Andrew, author of the TANNIE MARIA series (THE SATANIC MECHANIC, DEATH OF THE LIMPOPO, THE MILK TART MURDERS), Michiel Heyns (EACH MORTAL THING) and Justin Fox (PLACE). I’ve evaluated countless manuscript submissions, written reader reports, developed manuscripts, coached authors, copy edited and proofread books for publication, and liaised with international book agents. Before my publishing career, I was a journalist, writing features for magazines and newspapers, and worked as features editor on the South African editions of O, THE OPRAH MAGAZINE and COSMOPOLITAN. As an author, I’ve written novels and nonfiction. I’ve also ghostwritten, from chapters on beautiful gardens for a coffee-table book to a savings and investment guide.

As editor, I’ll help you fix any structural issues in your narrative, shape your story, polish your prose, and produce a final manuscript that connects with readers for maximum impact. To me, that’s what counts in storytelling: emotional connection. The task is to make those changes, whether large or small, that will help a reader feel invested in your story.