Sigrid Macdonald

Book Magic provides manuscript evaluations, copy editing, and proofreading for all genres of fiction and non-fiction. We also assist authors in composing query letters, book proposals, and synopses for agents and publishers. If you want to self-publish, we have connections with some well-renowned hybrid publishers and can get you a discounted publishing package with FriesenPress, one of the best publishing houses in Canada for self-published authors. If you want to spend less money, we can also connect you with expert formatters and cover designers who will upload your book to Amazon and other international platforms.

We have extensive experience with fiction and non-fiction: 

Fiction: literary, historical, and women’s fiction; sci-fi and fantasy, horror, paranormal, and dystopian; mysteries and thrillers; erotica, romance, romantasy; and YA (young adult)

Non-fiction: biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs; business management and leadership; finance and economics; history; self-help and personal development, including inspirational material; true crime; science and nature; and travel and adventure

Sigrid Macdonald, owner and chief operator of Book Magic, has an academic background in psychology and social work. She loves working on memoirs and autobiographies. Nothing is more fascinating than somebody’s life story!

There is quite a debate about AI in the world of writing, editing, and publishing. First, AI cannot replace a human being. It doesn’t have the insight, wisdom, or empathy to evaluate your work through human eyes. Second, we do not judge or discourage anyone from using assistive or generative AI. If you’ve written your book using AI, just let us know. We’ll do a different kind of editing to make the vocabulary sound like you wrote the book and to reduce some of the “AI tells,” such as excessive use of EM dashes, metaphor stacking, and describing one paragraph after another with three points. AI also tends to use a formula of “not this, but that.” We can restructure that if you want the book to sound more like you wrote it.

Book Magic generally uses the Chicago Manual of Style, but if that’s not to your liking, we can accommodate your style choices. Upon request, we are also happy to work in plain or inclusive language.

Over the last twenty-five years, Sigrid has worked with nine national and international publishing companies; she works for FriesenPress and is affiliated with a publisher in San Francisco and Hasmark International Publishing in Southern Ontario.  Sigrid is the author of four full-length books, so she knows what it’s like to hand over a raw manuscript to a stranger. Almost fifty percent of Book Magic’s clientele are return customers. This indicates that clients are happy with their experience here, as they keep coming back. Whether you need major reconstruction or minor surgery on your manuscript, Book Magic can polish your prose.

What Clients Are Saying About Book Magic

“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 unravelling and revealing two interlinked lives. It was my life story to tell, but at the same time, it was a mentally ill woman’s life story to respect, with episodes and impacts she would 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 on my timeline. Throughout both processes, Sigrid not only edited the manuscripts but also advised me on my writing, storytelling, and various tactics for gaining 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

Website: http://www.bookmagic.ca/

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