I’m a former Big Five book editor who has worked with New York Times bestselling authors and projects across the adult fiction and nonfiction spaces.
I now work directly with authors, agents, and publishers to achieve their editorial goals.
Let's chat about how I can help you with yours!
What Previous Authors Have Said
“I've worked with many editors over the years, and no one has come close to what Cecily has been able to do for my book, Don't Believe Everything You Think. She not only captured my voice beautifully but also elevated it, transforming my manuscript into a masterpiece. It's no coincidence it has now become a New York Times Bestseller and is changing the lives of hundreds of thousands of readers around the world. If you want to transform your writing into timeless works that captivate the world, look no further than Cecily. She truly is a word alchemist.”
—Joseph Nguyen, New York Times bestselling author of Don’t Believe Everything You Think
“Cecily is a rare editor: at once attentive, patient, and tough, with a singular attention to detail. Her careful eye and unyielding commitment are evident in every line of her work, and I considered myself incredibly lucky to work with her.”
—Abe Streep, author of Brothers on Three (New York Times Editors’ Choice Pick) and contributor to The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, and Outside
“Cecily van Buren-Freedman edited my novel Granite Harbor (Celadon Books, 2024). Her acute eye, ear, sensibility, and feel for the direction of the narrative, helped me better see my book and vastly improved it. I’ve published seven books of fiction, nonfiction, and memoir at a number of renowned literary and commercial houses, and Cecily’s contribution is a standout. I hope to work with her again in the future.”
—Peter Nichols, author of Granite Harbor (Celadon Books, 2024), The Rocks (Riverhead, 2015), and A Voyage for Madmen (HarperCollins, 2001)
“I felt like I had stories to tell, but I didn’t always know how to find the heart or purpose of the story. Sometimes when working with editors, it can feel like they are more concerned with standardizing your work, or they make edits without explaining why they’re making certain choices. And when you’re dealing with content you feel passionate about that can feel like a demoralizing process.
Cecily was wonderful at helping me find what I wanted and needed to say with clarity, without changing who I am stylistically as a writer. She listens to you, and works with you as an editor and storyteller. Cecily is also sensitive about following you into those deeply personal spaces in a way that allows you to come out on the other side with a polished, poignant product that you can be proud of. Do yourself a favor and work with her!”
—Brandi Collins-Dexter, author of Black Skinhead (New York Times Editors’ Choice Pick) and the Schuster Media and Technology Fellow at the Harvard Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics & Public Policy
“Cecily van Buren-Freedman spins magic with her editing. She gently, but confidently, coaxes you into seeing where the heart of your story lies. Cecily will help you tell your story with grace, integrity and power.”
—Meg Kissinger, author of While You Were Out (New York Times Editors’ Choice Pick), adjunct professor of investigative reporting at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and trainer at the school’s Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma