Hi, I’m Cecile.
If you’ve come to my website I’m going to assume you are on the look out for one (or more) of the following:
a professional & experienced editor
a host or moderator for an event (eg. author talks/festival panels)
a judge for a writing prize
a supporter for your writing project
a book review or recommendation
a qualified teacher to create education resources
Congratulations! You’ve come to the right place.
Just use this contact form to get in touch and we’ll chat about how I can best assist you.
Testimonials
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We are much impressed by her meticulous yet sensitive approach to editing and her understanding of how children’s fiction works. It is a pleasure to work with her.
— Sophie Masson AM, Publishing Director, Christmas Press
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I approached Cecile after a major structural edit, when I needed a fresh set of eyes on my manuscript, and I’m so glad I did. Her feedback was thoughtful, detailed, and wonderfully insightful. She helped me see whether the story’s key elements were working as intended, balancing encouragement with clear, actionable suggestions. Her attention to grammar, timeline, and clarity was excellent. I’d happily recommend her to any writer seeking a diligent, professional early read.
— Anna Johnston, author of ‘The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife’ and ‘When Lemons Give You Life’
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Working with Cecile to bring my books to life has been a pleasure. Her expertise ensured that the characters and settings in my manuscripts were brought vividly to life. She has incredible attention to detail, catching inconsistencies I had overlooked, including grammar and punctuation, but also historical detail. Cecile has always communicated with clarity and shown respect for what I was trying to achieve in my writing. I cannot recommend her highly enough.
— Pauline Wilson, Author of ‘Conflict At Hanging Rock’, ‘Breaking Free’ and ‘Family & Fortune’
Upcoming events:
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![Stella DAY OUT: Bendigo]()
Stella DAY OUT: Bendigo
Stella Day Out is a free one-day literary festival that celebrates and promotes the outstanding contributions of women and non-binary writers to Australian literature.
Date: Friday, 13 March 2026
Location: Bendigo Library, 251-259 Hargreaves Street, Bendigo, Victoria 3550
Time: 5:30pm-8:00pm
Tickets: FREE, bookings essential
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![Small Press and Self Publishing Workshop]()
Clune's Booktown Festival: Small Press and Self Publishing Workshop
Workshop with Alison Barton, Thomas McCammon & Emily Hart. Chair Cecile Shanahan.
Date: Saturday, 21 March 2026
Location: 25 Fraser Street Clunes, Victoria, 3370
Time: 1:30pm-3:00pm
Tickets: $30, bookings essential
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![Event poster featuring Sarah Bailey's book 'Click' on left. Right side has event details for a conversation between Sarah Bailey and Cecile Shanahan on April 2, 2026, at Bendigo Library Music Lounge in Australia.]()
Click - Sarah Bailey in conversation with Cecile Shanahan
Join Sarah Bailey in-conversation with Cecile Shanahan as she discusses Click her new crime thriller - a city on edge, a killer playing games, and the two women determined to bring him down.
Date: Thursday, 2 April 2026
Location: 251 Hargreaves St, Bendigo
Time: 5pm-6:30pm
Tickets: Free, bookings essential
Books I’ve worked on
Why Should We Venture Out? By Tilly Fry and illustrated by Polyana Kohn. Published 2025. My role: Proofreader.
The Devil's Ward by Dharshaini G. Published 2025. My role: Copy editor
Groundwork: Laying the foundation for Career Success. A Guide for Teens by Elizabeth Wallace. Published 2025. My role: Structural editor
Only the Lonely by Gráinne McGovern-Scott. Published 2025. My role: Line editor.
The Lastling by Victor Kelleher. Published 2025 by Christmas Press (Eagle Books imprint). My role: Editor
Tilly and the Moonlit Garden by Marion Semtner. Published 2025. My role: Editor.
Family & Fortune by Pauline Wilson. Published 2025. My role: Copy editor
Eleanor Jones is Not a Murderer by Amy Doak published by Penguin 2023. My role: Editor of manuscript before acquisition by Penguin, and proofreader of typeset pre-press proofs.
The Guinea Dad by Mark Stevenson. Published 2023. My role: Manuscript assessment and mentoring.
The Adventures of Herbert Moosh, Book One: The Cats of the Link. Published 2024. My role: Line editor
Breaking Free by Pauline Wilson. Published 2023. My role: Editor
Child In My Life by Valerie Church. Published 2024. My role: Copy editor.
In Lily's Books by Anne Whorlton. Published 2023. My role: Line editor
Montessori Brains (My Brain Only Gets Built Once) by Nati Beltran and Pilar Enrich - My role: Manuscript assessment and writing mentoring for English Language version. Published in Spanish in 2024.
Memories & Milestones Tertiary Education in Bendigo 1873-2023. Published by La Trobe University Library, 2023. My role: Copy editor
Thyla by Kate Gordon, young adult novel, first published 2011. Re-published in 2022 by Ligature (untapped series). My role: Proofreader.
40 Single Gay by Jonathon Lee Published 2023. My role: Copy editor
Dragon Dance by Lauren Mitchell, Illustrated by Geoff Hocking. Published 2023. My role: Grammar consultant.
Hide and Seek, Ellham Woods Trilogy Book 2, by John Parnham. Published 2023. My role: Copy editor.
Finn’s Folly by Ivan Southall, young adult novel, first published 1969. Re-published in 2022 by Ligature (untapped series). My role: Proofreader.
Mulbury Mystery #1, A Sticky Situation by Juno Harvey. Published 2021. My role: Proofreader
Bread and Honey by Ivan Southall, young adult novel, first published 1969. Re-published in 2022 by Ligature (untapped series). My role: Proofreader.
Tupaia, Isaac & Cook – The Search for The Great South Land by Mark Wilson. Published by Windy Hollow Books, 2021. My role: Proofreader
The Music from the Sea by Jackie French, young adult fantasy. First published 1993. Published in 2022 by Ligature (untapped series). My role: Proofreader.
Conflict at Hanging Rock by Pauline Wilson. Published 2022. My role: Editor
The Metal Men by Jackie French, young adult fantasy novel, first published 1993. Re-published in 2022 by Ligature (untapped series). My role: Proofreader.
The House of a Hundred Animals by Jackie French, young adult fantasy novel, first published 1993. Re-published in 2022 by Ligature (untapped series). My role: Proofreader.
the future is fair - a celebration of Fairtrade and the Pacific. Published 2022. My role: Proofreader.
The Tribe That Sang to Trees by Jackie French, young adult fantasy novel, first published 1993. Re-published in 2022 by Ligature (untapped series). My role: Proofreader.
The Army's Daughter by Meg Barber. Published 2023. My role: Manuscript assessor.
Clearlake by Stanislava Buevich Published Dec 2023 My role: Copy editor
The City in the Sand by Jackie French, young adult fantasy. First published 1993. Published in 2022 by Ligature (untapped series). My role: Proofreader
Who Wants Love? by Ash Phoenix. Published 2023. My role: Line editor and developmental editor.
Listing Life: Easy list-making to discover who you really are, what you truly want from life & how to get it by Amy Doak. My role: Proofreader.
Running Forever. By C A Sole. Published 2023. My role: Proofreader.
Wholebrain Learning Resources 3 Book Set. My role: Copy editor of manuscript and proofreader.
My Bucketlist Blueprint by Travis Bell. Published in 2020. My role: Developmental and copy editor.
The Vox Bendigo Book Young Writers Anthology 2016-2021 published by Bendigo Writers Festival. My role: Commissioning editor.
Nursing Aids at War: The Australian Army Medical Women's Service in the Second World War (Australian Army History Series) by Jason Smeaton. Cambridge University Press. 2026. My role: Proofreader.
What Have They Done to Liza McLean? By Amy Doak. Published 2025. My role: Early reader and proofreader.
Eleanor Jones Can’t Keep a Secret. By Amy Doak. My role: Early reader.
Eleanor Jones is Playing with Fire. By Amy Doak. My role: First reader.
When Lemons Give You Life. By Anna Johnston. My role: Early reader.
