Professional Book Editing for Powerful Storytelling
There are two kinds of books:
the kind that gathers dust on the shelf, and the kind that grabs you by the throat (the gut, the heart) and forces you to stay up late under the covers to find out what happens. Anything less, and back it goes onto the shelf. You want to captivate your readers? You want your story to stay with them long after they’ve turned the last page? From plot architecture to comma placement, find out what your draft needs to get your readers hooked and stay there. (Huddled, transported.)
The Editor Behind Cellar Door
Hello out there!
I’m Laura MacAulay, a developmental editor, line and copy editor, and proofreader specialized in fiction and creative nonfiction. I help authors craft reader-ready stories that burn brightly, chapter by chapter, word by word.
Since founding Cellar Door Editorial in 2019, I have edited over fifty novels, children’s books, memoirs, personal essays, and short stories. I trained in Toronto Metropolitan University’s Publishing Program and also hold a BFA and a certificate in English teaching. Editors Canada describes me as “a brilliant editor” with “a great ear for the rhythm and flow of a sentence” and “a remarkably astute editorial eye.” Past clients include FriesenPress, one of Canada’s best-known self-publishing service providers, and Episode, the world’s largest mobile publisher of interactive teen fiction. Before coming to my greatest passion—stories!—I taught English to kids, teens, and adults.
Member of:
“In 25 years of writing, working with Laura has been the most rewarding editorial collaboration I’ve experienced.
It’s hard to overstate the value Laura brought to my writing project. Seasoned and confident, focused and precise, patient and encouraging—Laura brought a rare blend of qualities to our collaboration, making the entire experience deeply instructive.
Laura isn’t the kind of editor who simply hands back your manuscript with the wrinkles ironed out. Instead, she teaches the why behind every improvement, empowering you to elevate your writing to its best. Beyond her editorial expertise, she also understands the business side of publishing, offering invaluable guidance on crafting a compelling, targeted query letter and insight into what agents seek.”
— Joseph Keon, memoirist and author of The Alzheimer’s Revolution
Editorial Services
As your editor, I help you get your story flowing like red-hot lava—beautiful to behold, impossible to ignore.
How can I best help you prepare your manuscript for publishing?
Manuscript Critique
A detailed report assessing your novel’s premise, plot structure, characters, and other big-picture narrative elements, as well as a summary of its stylistic and mechanical needs. This is a custom guide to revising your manuscript for powerful storytelling.
Developmental Editing
Comprehensive scene-by-scene feedback throughout each chapter of your manuscript flagging problems in point of view, continuity, believability, suspense, and more—and suggesting solutions to help you better reach your readers.
Line & Copy Editing
A thorough sentence-level edit of your manuscript, cleaning up bloopers in spelling, grammar, and punctuation, as well as sharpening your writing line by line so that each sentence conveys your intended meaning clearly and effectively.
“Laura went above and beyond in bringing my story to life.”
— Susanna Oreskovic, author of Expedition to Mystery Mountain
“I couldn’t have found an editor who gets my characters like Laura does.”
— Naemi Tiana, author of The Lovely One
Portfolio
A sampling of books I have recently edited. For each, I provided both story-level and sentence-level support.
