Sigrid Macdonald

Book Magic provides copy editing,  proofreading, and manuscript evaluations for all genres of fiction and non-fiction. We especially enjoy working on memoirs, biographies, and life stories. Book Magic edits literature and fiction, historical fiction, science fiction, speculative fiction and fantasy, true crime, mysteries and thrillers, women’s fiction, erotica and romance, books for or about kids or teenagers, relationships and parenting guides, business materials and reports,  health and wellness, and inspirational, spiritual, religious or self-help books. We do it all! Lastly, we thoroughly enjoy working with people who have English as a second language (ESL) so that they can get their prepositions and verb tenses right, and we love working with students, helping them to perfect and polish essays and theses on any given topic.

Book Magic can help authors compose and perfect query letters, book proposals, and synopses to approach agents and traditional publishers. We also work with self-published authors and connect them with formatters and graphic designers. If you need more than a copyedit or an evaluation,  we do developmental editing as well as rewriting, and, upon request, we are happy to edit using plain language.

We generally use The Chicago Manual of Style, but if that’s not to your liking, we can accommodate your style choices. In addition, we use a software program called PerfectIt, which ensures consistency in spelling, hyphenation, and capitalization. That is so easy to miss without this program. For example, American writers rarely incorporate Canadian spelling into their manuscripts. They are very unlikely to spell honor or favor with a “u,” but a Canadian author will frequently use American spelling by mistake. PerfectIt will pick that up and voila! We have a beautifully consistent manuscript.

In addition to working with individuals, Sigrid Macdonald, owner and chief editor at Book Magic, has had more than 20 years of experience as an editor. She has worked with eight publishing companies and proofreading services, including a publishing house in Ontario and several international firms. She is also the author of three books, so she knows what it’s like to hand over a raw manuscript to a new reader.
At least fifty percent of Book Magic’s clientele are return customers. This tells us that clients are happy with their experience here because they keep coming back. Being part of the process that enables writers to hold their first book in their hands or to see their masterpieces on Amazon gives everyone at Book Magic tremendous satisfaction.

The team includes experienced editors, editorial assistants, manuscript formatters, and cover design artists. We can connect you with experts in the self-publishing field who can guide you through the process or give you tips on approaching publishers or how to get your book into libraries.

Because many editors at Book Magic are writers, we understand how nerve-racking it can be to hand your material over to a stranger. Consequently, we ALWAYS provide constructive feedback rather than criticism. Whether you need major reconstruction or minor surgery on your manuscript, Book Magic can polish your prose.

What Clients Are Saying About Book Magic

“Working with Sigrid was an absolute joy! Her insightful feedback and supportive edits helped me strengthen my writing and publish my books ahead of schedule. I’m so grateful for her expertise and encouragement throughout the process.”

Sharla Fanous, author of a series of poetry books, including
Cocoon, Burn, and Rust

“When I engaged Sigrid to review and, later, copy edit my autobiography about my doomed marriage to a deaf woman who had schizophrenia, published by Provenance Press as Love for a Deaf Rebel: Schizophrenia on Bowen Island, I was looking for more than a copy editor armed with a copy of Strunk and White. I was looking for someone to guide me through the delicate issues involved in unraveling and revealing two interlinked lives. It was my life and story to tell, but at the same time, it was a mentally-ill woman’s life story to respect, with episodes and impacts she will never be able to understand. Yet I wanted to tell her story so others could learn from it. How could I record her shocking and tragic story with due respect for her privacy? Sigrid did not disappoint me with her thoughtful and insightful comments and suggestions. She was more than an editor. She was a partner and coach.” 

Derrick King, author of Love for a Deaf Rebel: Schizophrenia on Bowen Island

“Sigrid was responsible for editing two books for me, and I am delighted with her work. She took one of my projects on short notice and, within a week, had me back on track and my timeline. Throughout both processes, Sigrid not only edited the manuscripts but advised me on my writing, storytelling, and different tactics to gain readers. I also appreciate that she will give you a date when the manuscript will be back, and it is in your inbox.”

Gib Parrell, author of The Future The Past

“I found Sigrid online. I reached out, and within a couple of days, we were working together. Beyond just editing, Sigrid is a mentor and advisor, passionate about her work, and super easy to work with. I gained a lot more confidence in my project thanks to Sigrid’s comments and feedback. I highly recommend her services; Book Magic is true magic.”

Ned Nadima, author of Stories of My Life

“As a first-time author, I received advice from Sigrid on my draft manuscript, which has been immensely valuable. Her comments have helped to sharpen my focus on key points of my story, weed out what is irrelevant, better show the emotional side of things, point out where clarification or explanation is needed, and more. Sigrid’s interpretation of major events and situations offered inspiration as well. She has also been generous with advice to better relay my story to readers.”

Jean, a pseudonym for an author with a memoir in progress

“I wrote my first book, my autobiography, with the marvelous assistance of Sigrid Macdonald and her company, Book Magic. My book started out as a short guide, for my European and US relatives, on what to do and what not to do in their personal and business lives. After reading that manuscript, my relatives and friends from the USA and Europe encouraged me to write an autobiography for a much wider audience.

“In order to make that occur, Sigrid spent a lot of time with me and my manuscript, turning it into an easy, informative, and interesting read of my 39 years of working internationally in the financial sector. She also spent much time with me, explaining, in detail, the best practices of successful authors while at the same time assisting me in solving the problems of my recalcitrant computer, which did not, mysteriously, want to do what I wanted it to do. Sigrid’s efforts and counseling turned my average manuscript into an autobiography that could be easily read and would convey exactly what I wanted my readers to understand. And she did this with a great sense of humor, humility, and expertise. Thanks very much, Sigrid!”

J.C. Hallmann, Author of Sailing Against the Wind

Website: http://www.bookmagic.ca/

Testimonials: http://sigridstestimonials.blogspot.ca/