Commission Your Legacy: Private Family & Business Histories by Walter Bruce MacDonald

Every family carries a story worth telling. Every business has a journey that deserves more than a footnote in time. Walter Bruce MacDonald — acclaimed writer, historian, and poet — transforms those lived histories into books that read like epics, blending meticulous research with the art of storytelling.

This is not genealogy. This is not corporate PR.
This is your family legacy, captured with depth, elegance, and truth.

The Offering

Bruce works with discerning families and visionary businesses who want to preserve their history in a way that feels alive — a book that generations can open, read, and see themselves reflected in. Each project results in a custom, limited-edition volume: part archive, part art, and entirely your story.

Your book may include:

  • The origins of your family or enterprise

  • Pivotal turning points, challenges, and triumphs

  • Character-driven storytelling about key figures

  • Archival photographs, letters, and heirloom images (researched and restored where possible)

  • A narrative tone that matches your family’s personality — from formal to whimsical, intimate to epic

The Process

  1. Discovery & Vision
We begin with an in-depth consultation. Bruce learns about your goals: Do you want a private family keepsake? A book to share with future generations? A corporate history for internal culture-building?

  2. Interviews & Research
Bruce conducts interviews with family members, business leaders, and key figures. He also combs through archives, photographs, and records — uncovering the forgotten details that make your story unforgettable.

  3. Storycraft & Writing
Drawing on his experience as a historian, poet, and creative director, Bruce transforms the raw material into a narrative masterpiece — weaving facts, anecdotes, and reflections into a cohesive story.

  4. Design & Production
Working with professional designers and bookbinders, your story is brought to life in a bespoke, hardcover edition. Choices include archival paper, leather bindings, and custom layouts with photography.

  5. Delivery of Legacy
You’ll receive a finished book that is truly yours — printed in limited quantities for family members, employees, or close partners.

How to Work With Bruce

Because of the personal and time-intensive nature of this work, Bruce only accepts a limited number of commissions per year. Each project is a collaboration, designed around your timeline and the scope of your story.

Investment begins with a consultation and proposal, tailored to your needs.

If you are ready to preserve your story — not as a file in a drawer, but as a living, breathing book — Bruce invites you to begin the journey.

Legacy Book Commissions

Every story is unique. Every commission is handcrafted. Due to the depth of work required, Bruce accepts only a limited number of projects annually.

Tier One: Memoir Edition

A keepsake for close family members
Investment: $25,000 – $40,000

  • 100–150 pages, professionally written and edited

  • 5–7 family or business interviews (in-person or virtual)

  • Integration of archival photographs, letters, and heirlooms (provided by client)

  • Custom book design and layout

  • 10–20 limited-edition hardcover copies

Ideal for families seeking an intimate record of a single person’s life story or a pivotal chapter in their family journey.

Tier Two: Legacy Edition

A comprehensive family or business history
Investment: $50,000 – $85,000

  • 200–300 pages of narrative history

  • 10–15 interviews across multiple generations or leadership teams

  • Original research, archival investigation, and historical context woven in

  • Professional photography of key heirlooms, locations, or properties

  • Custom hardcover design with archival-quality paper

  • 25–50 limited-edition copies

Perfect for families or businesses who want to capture not just what happened — but the meaning behind it, the struggles, and the triumphs that shaped their legacy.

Tier Three: Heritage Edition

An heirloom for generations, blending history, art, and story
Investment: $100,000 – $250,000+

  • Multi-volume narrative (family + business or multi-generational coverage)

  • 20+ in-depth interviews, including travel for in-person sessions

  • Extensive archival research and preservation of documents & photographs

  • Commissioned photography, illustrations, or original artwork

  • Luxury bookbinding options (leather, slipcase, gold embossing, etc.)

  • 50–100 limited-edition copies

  • Optional digital companion archive or short documentary film

Designed for families and enterprises who want their story not just recorded, but immortalized.

The Experience

Every commission begins with a private consultation. Bruce will listen to your vision, shape a project scope, and provide a tailored proposal. Together, you’ll create a book that will outlast trends, outlive generations, and stand as the defining artifact of your legacy. Begin Your Legacy Project Today


Inquiries & Commissions