Alumni Spotlight: Eli Moss
Eli Moss, English Department creative writing alum, has already immersed himself in the world of publishing after graduating in December 2025. From being an editorial assistant for an anthology published last month to accepting a publishing internship with Tor Publishing Group, a major division of Macmillan Publishers, Eli is setting himself up for a successful professional career.
Tor is at the forefront of science fiction and fantasy novel publishing today. Between their impact and publishing some of Eli’s favorite books, his applying for the internship felt like a natural next step.
“The internship is designed to simulate and teach me what working as a full-time editorial assistant would be like. I'll be supporting editors across the whole team, primarily with administrative tasks: attending meetings, pulling reports and getting them into the right hands, writing copy, researching comp titles, that sort of thing,” Eli explains. “The duty I'm most excited about, though, is reader reports. When an editor doesn't have time to evaluate a manuscript someone has submitted to them, they may give it to me to read and write a short report on whether the book fits with their stylistic tastes and the current market.”
Evaluating writing quality is a skill Eli sharpened at USU through creative writing courses and working on Sink Hollow as a nonfiction co-editor. Last summer, he also attended the Summer Publishing Institute (SPI) at New York University, which prepared him for the business aspects of the publishing industry and how the editorial department fits into the larger process of publishing a book.
Evaluating writing quality is a skill Eli sharpened at USU through creative writing courses and working on Sink Hollow as a nonfiction co-editor. Last summer, he also attended the Summer Publishing Institute (SPI) at New York University, which prepared him for the business aspects of the publishing industry and how the editorial department fits into the larger process of publishing a book.
One of the other experiences in editorial work Eli has gained was being an editorial assistant to Jane Maree on the science fiction/fantasy anthology Tales of the Black Piper, which was released last month.
The Black Piper, headed by Michael Bahnmiller, is a music group Eli has been a fan of for years. When they announced on social media their next project would be commissioning an anthology of short stories and giving each piece their own song, they invited their followers to reach out with interest in writing for the anthology. Instead, Eli reached out with interest in helping edit, and he was taken on as a volunteer assistant.
Eli reflects, “Really, it's a testament to keeping your eyes open for opportunities and not being afraid of asking for what you want. I believe this is the first thing to be physically published with my name somewhere in the book, so the anthology feels like a major milestone for me.”
The process allowed Eli to read early drafts, provide developmental edits and copy edits, and work closely with Jane to learn about her editing process.
“Working on Tales of the Black Piper gave me a lot of confidence and helped me feel like a ‘real" editor,’ Eli notes. “It affirmed that I can do this work professionally and that I enjoy it. Jane has been an excellent mentor, too; she's been very supportive and an excellent resource for learning what freelance editing looks like as a career.”
Congratulations, Eli, on these accomplishments!