Testimonials - Editing
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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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We are much impressed by her meticulous yet sensitive approach to editing and her understanding of how children’s fiction works.
— Sophie Masson AM, Publishing Director, Christmas Press
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My gratitude to my editor Cecile Shanahan who helped to shape a whole lot of thoughts into a semblance of order and relevance. Her perceptive edits, attention to detail and patience with this writing rookie, as well as her sensitivity to teens’ experience and the way they move through the world, was invaluable. Thank you so much for your guidance, expertise and encouragement. Couldn’t have gotten here [to publication] without you.
— Elizabeth Wallace, author of Groundwork: Laying the foundation for Career Success. A Guide for Teens
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Cecile Shanahan, my first editor and early reader. You are so awesome and so good at what you do.
— Amy Doak, Author of Eleanor Jones is Not A Murderer, Eleanor Jones Can’t Keep a Secret and Eleanor Jones is Playing With Fire, What Have They Done to Liza McLean & Eleanor Jones is Not Drowning
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Your feedback was absolutely foundational and really supportive to make us believe in ourselves and push through the hard phase of finding an agent/publisher.
— Nati Beltran and Pilar Enrich, Authors of My Brain Only Gets Built Once
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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, Family & Fortune and Becoming an Indie Author
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As a first-time author, I was initially nervous about submitting my work for critical review. However, working with Cecile has been a pleasure. I appreciate her professionalism, clear and concise feedback, and attention to detail. Her feedback has been incredibly valuable, as she has demonstrated an understanding of the main character and the sentiment I wanted to convey in the books.
— Marion Semtner, Author of The Adventures of Tilly the Quokka series
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I found Cecile so easy to work with. The service she offered was very prompt and the suggested edits were clearly presented and concise.
— Jonathan Lee, Author of 40 Single Gay
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This was the first time I have used Cecile for a proofread. By the time she received the manuscript, it had already been structurally and copy edited. In her own words, 'The text was in quite good shape, there were not too many instances of errors.' Nevertheless, Cecile responded quickly with some valuable input. I would certainly request her services again in the future.
— Colin Sole, Author of Thirty Four and Running Forever
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Cecile was thoroughly professional and a pleasure to work with. She dealt with my manuscript in a timely fashion and spotted plot points that needed blending into the story in a better manner.
— Meg Barber, Author of The Army’s Daughter
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When we approached Cecile to assist us with editing our three WholeBrain Learning books, we found her insights very helpful. Her friendly, professional manner and skills are outstanding. Cecile edited our work with care and accuracy; she was able to quickly understand our unique requirements with careful consideration of our audience. She was able to guide us to write our visual-auditory-movement-program in a way that is easily understood. We highly recommend Cecile for all your editing needs.
— Denise and Janeen, WholeBrain Learning
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Thank you, Cecile! You did an incredibly thorough job of editing my latest book, and turned it around so quickly as well. Along with your signature attention to detail, I also really appreciated the added feedback with regards to layout and voice. This was absolutely invaluable advice for me moving forward, and I look forward to working with you again.
— Amy, Author and Publisher; Of the World Books, Accidental Publishing & Fiosracht Press
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Cecile is an excellent proofreader, spotting errors that I just couldn't see despite reading my manuscript many, many times! Her response was timely, and allowed me to finalise my book in very good time for its launch.
— Juno Harvey, Author of A Sticky Situation; A Mulbury Mystery
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Cecile has been invaluable in her help with my children’s book. She was very thorough and, as though instinctively, helped me find the best phrase or word in places where I needed something ‘more’. I am very grateful for her help.
— Wendy Lawrence, Author of Paru, The True Story of an Orphaned Indian Elephant
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You've picked up several careless errors, and I am very happy with the thoroughness of your work.
— Dharshaini G, Author of The Devil’s Ward
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'I’m a great believer in the one-percenters: those small, often invisible details that take a creative work from good to exceptional. Cecile has an extraordinary instinct for them, grounded in real wisdom and experience. She understands the heart of a vision, protects what makes it distinctive, and knows exactly where to sharpen, clarify or refine. Working with Cecile is like breathing a sigh of relief. You know that nothing important has been missed, and that the work is stronger without ever feeling less like your own.'
— Katerina Larsen, Artist, Author & Founder of Raising Light
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I can’t recommend Cecile highly enough! She has been instrumental in helping me develop my picture book manuscript. Generous with her time and expertise, she helped me revise and polish my story. Thanks to her professional guidance, I now feel confident pitching my manuscript. I’m so grateful for her support and would wholeheartedly recommend her to any writer looking to elevate their work.
— Antonia Ridge, author and illustrator of children’s books
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Cecile's skills as a beta reader were invaluable as I prepared my manuscript for submission. Her comments on structure and character helped me identify changes that would tighten the story and it was an added bonus to have a beta reader who is a professional editor!
— Hannah McCarthy, Romance writer
Cecile interviewed me twice in one day at two different venues for the release of my last book, and I felt in very good hands both times. It was clear Cecile had not only read the book but had also taken the time to research my life as an author. She varied her questions and approach between the two events, making each conversation feel fresh, engaging and fun. Cecile is a true professional, and I would highly recommend her for any author in-conversation event.
- Rachael Johns: bestselling, award-winning author of romance and women’s fiction
(Events part of Goldfields Libraries regional programming, Oct 2025)
Testimonials - Moderating
Cecile put together a brilliant list of questions, which were thoughtful, relevant, and came from a place of deep reading. I thank her very much for looking beyond the words.
- Dr Debra Dank: Gudanji, Wakaja, Kalkadoon Author DipTeach | BA | GradCertComm | MEd | DPhil Enterprise Fellow Adelaide University
(Stella Day Out Bendigo and Echuca, March and May 2026)
Cecile is a skilful interviewer and deft moderator. Her questions are thoughtful, reflecting not just her deep reading but also her understanding of the context of the discussion and the needs of the audience. She has a rare set of skills, combining quality questioning with assured event direction. Any author would want to be interviewed by Cecile.
- Michael Winkler: Author of Griefdogg and Grimmish
(A Story Society event with Wayne Marshall, July 2026)
As a moderator, Cecile is all class. Intelligent, insightful, engaged and invested, Cecile brings that rare combination of literary expertise and empathy, professional skill and warmth. I love being interviewed by her as I always know I am in such capable hands.
- Professor Clare Wright OAM: award-winning historian, author, broadcaster, podcaster and public commentator
( In-conversation event for IPEd, Nov 2025)