Testimonials

“I have had the opportunity to work with Celia on two different projects, including my debut novel. Celia’s instincts and insights helped open doors for how the reader could connect to my debut in ways I would never have seen myself. She’s everything you want in an editor. She’s smart. She’s kind. She’s patient. And she takes the time to understand the material on an equal level with the author. In short, she’s a gem.” 

— Omar Hussain, author of A Thousand Natural Shocks 

“Celia Johnson is one of the finest developmental editors I have worked with in my forty-plus years as a full-time novelist and short story writer. Her perceptive analysis and editing skills are matched only by her agreeable approach to working with authors. I always look forward to her editorial letters—and that's saying something!”

—Jeffery Deaver, author of The Bone Collector and the Colter Shaw series (the basis for CBS's Tracker hit TV show)

“Celia is hands down one of the most talented editors I've ever worked with. She has this rare ability to understand exactly what you're trying to say and help you say it better. Her editorial instincts are spot-on, and she made the entire editing process feel collaborative rather than intimidating. She's not just talented—she's intuitive, which made all the difference in bringing my book to life. I can't recommend her highly enough.”

—Tamara Leitner, author of Wall Street Journal bestselling Don't Say a Thing

“Working with Celia was a masterclass in mystery storytelling. She found many brilliant opportunities on a macro and micro scale to inject more suspense into my novel. Beyond her incredible skill in the genre, she is also a wonderful developmental editor whose profound questions and astute observations helped me deepen my characters. I would work with her again in a heartbeat and would recommend her to any writer looking for a developmental editor.”

—Sandra Chwialkowska, author of The Ends of Things

“Celia was a gift, equal parts brilliant and encouraging, insightful and kind. Her keen notes — both into the larger issues of the mystery and the granular construction of the prose —  made the work immeasurably better. It’s impossible not to feel her support and her partnership — always encouraging, never coddling — and true partnership in making the manuscript the best it can be. Honestly, I couldn’t have done it without Celia and hope I would never have to.”

—Jon Harmon Feldman, author of What We Don’t Know (forthcoming)

“We’ve published a lot of books and can readily say Celia Johnson gave us one of the best developmental and line edits either of us has ever received—helping us fill plot holes, polish narrative arcs, and make our words shine brightly. She’s also warm, caring, enthusiastic, funny, and an all-around joy to work with. We would love to collaborate with Celia again. If you get the chance to work with her, take it.”

—Linda Joffe Hull & Keir Graff, AKA Linda Keir, authors of I Did Not Kill My Husband

“Working with Celia on Mom Com was a joy from start to finish! Her insights and communication were top notch and I loved her thoughtful, collaborative approach!”

—Adriana Mather, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Mom Com

“Working with Celia Johnson was a dream. Anytime somebody looks at your work with a critical eye, it can feel terrifying and overwhelming. But Celia put me at ease right away. Never did I feel as if she were tearing things apart. She recognized the things that I did well and understood my vision as well as I did. Instead of attempting to change that vision to fit somebody else’s commercial ideal, she helped me polish the novel so I felt proud and confident releasing it to the world. The Memory Ward, has been lauded for its structure and prose and has garnered film and TV interest. That wouldn’t have happened without Celia. There’s nobody I would rather collaborate with.”

—Jon Bassoff, author of The Memory Ward

“It was a gift having Celia read my novel, flaws and all, and see more clearly than I could what it was trying to be. Not only that, but she had clear, focused suggestions about how to get it there. The work we did together was such a special collaboration, I’m kind of outraged to read these testimonials and see she has this special bond with other writers as well.”

—Erin Flanagan, Edgar Award-winning author of Blackout 

“Celia Johnson is nothing short of a miracle. I feel incredibly lucky to have been paired with her on my 2026 release, Murder at 30,000 Feet. She finetuned the character arcs, tightened the pacing, found and filled plot holes, even smoothed out awkward sentences. I knew from the first meeting that I was in highly skilled hands and I came to trust her completely. With Celia, you get a big picture visionary and a highly skilled copyeditor. She is the whole package. And she works fast! Five enthusiastic stars!”

—Susan Walter, author of Murder at 30,000 Feet