Author Archives: Tammy Ditmore
Happy 1st Decade to Me!
- Jan
- 24
- 2021
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in Editing

Ten years ago this month, I first sat down to work under the (virtual) banner of eDitmore Editorial Services. I was excited and nervous, unsure if I would be able to sustain the effort for even ten months. But here I am in 2021, still tracking changes under that same (virtual) banner. In the last […]
Monday Night Lights
- Oct
- 02
- 2019
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in Editing
Most days I spend my work days in front of a computer, my workplace interactions limited to email or the occasional phone call. But on Monday, October 7, I’m going to be talking about editing to a real audience of writers. I’ll be speaking to the Ventura County chapter meeting of the Independent Writers of […]
Working through Turbulence
- Jan
- 21
- 2019
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in Editing, personal reflections

Once again, Liz Dexter has done me a favor by featuring eDitmore Editorial Services in her “Small Business Chat Update” on her LibroEditing website. Hard to believe, but this is the seventh time I’ve participated in these chats, which Liz began to help small business owners learn from each other. Over the years, I have […]
Making Nonfiction Pay
- Sep
- 20
- 2018
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in Editing

I work with many authors who are new to publishing, and they frequently ask my advice about self-publishing or book distribution or marketing. So I am excited to have a new resource to recommend: The Nonfiction Book Publishing Plan: The Professional Guide to Profitable Self-Publishing by Stephanie Chandler and Karl W. Palachuk. Although a lot of […]
How Do You Know Whether You Need an Editor or a Ghostwriter?
- Sep
- 10
- 2018
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in Editing
I don’t often use this space just to plug another person’s blog, but I read a post today that struck me as too perfect to pass up. It appeared on the Gotham Ghostwriters blog, written by Josh Bernoff, a veteran writer and business consultant. The title alone is worth your time: “About Your Book Idea: […]
How Do You Write an Editor?
- Sep
- 03
- 2018
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in Editing, Publishing, Writing

You’ve finished your book / article / story, and you’re ready to hire an editor. You search the internet, find the names and email addresses of some promising-looking editors, and pick out a few to contact. Now what? What should you say? How do you write a message that will get a response from an […]
Celebrating Those Who Go Forth
- Jul
- 04
- 2018
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in personal reflections

The Fourth of July looks a little different to me this year. That’s because it’s only been a few days since my husband and I returned from eight weeks in Florence, Italy, and I’m still keenly sensitive to the differences of life in the suburbs of Southern California versus life in the birthplace of the […]
A Personal History of Persistence
- Feb
- 28
- 2018
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in personal reflections, Publishing

I don’t write book reviews often for this space, but this one is 20 years in the making, so it seems worthwhile. Katharine Graham’s Personal History has been sitting on my shelf for a long time. A former newspaper journalist, I’ve long been interested in Graham, longtime leader of The Washington Post and one of […]
Can I Trust Word’s Grammar Checker?
- Feb
- 04
- 2018
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in Editing

Although I use Word’s spelling checker regularly (see my 2015 post about my affinity for the squiggly red line), I have never found much use for Word’s grammar checker. It’s wrong so often that I generally just turn it off. But Word 2016 has added a little feature called “frequently confused words” to its spellchecker. […]
How Do I Remove My Name from Word 2016 Documents?
- Jan
- 21
- 2018
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in Editing, Writing

My recent update to from Microsoft Word 2011 to to 2016 (for Mac) continues to offer many chances to learn something new. So What I Learned This Week in Editing again is about a changed feature in Word 2016. How Do I Remove Personal Information from a File? When a number of people are working […]
Search
Blog Categories
Contact
Testimonials
I highly recommend Tammy Ditmore to you. She has edited three of my books in the past two years. Each time, I have been impressed with her professionalism, and pleased with her ability to provide a polished text.
I wanted to take a moment and thank you for your wonderful work. I marvel at your eye for detail and your ability to make a written text so much better.
Tammy has helped me become a better writer. I always look forward to seeing her email pop into my inbox. As I open the email and double click on the Microsoft Word file, I look forward with anticipation to reviewing her edits. Like a used target at a shooting range there are red marks riddled throughout the page. And the right column is full of thoughtful comments. I appreciate her precision and thoroughness. Because I know every word she cuts, every crooked sentence she straightens, and every p… Read more
She worked with me chapter-by-chapter over the course of nearly a year to hone my writing through attention to style, organization, and mechanics. Her close reading and keen eye have been invaluable during my revision process. I learned important guidelines about preparing my manuscript for its final review through this pleasant experience of working with her.
Tammy is just amazing. Before my book made it over to Tammy, I had used two editors — one a well-known author in NYC. I was unhappy with the editing, and basically Tammy was my last try before I just set my book to the side. Not only did she totally understand my “voice,” but she reconstructed, added, and melded in ways I would have never considered. Use her, trust her. She’s the best!
This book has been a major effort for me over the past 15 years—both emotionally and in time commitment. Your feedback helped me give it structure. Your insightful questions encouraged me to go deeper in my understanding and intentions, which provided enhanced clarity. Your recommendations provided a professional perspective that I needed towards getting it published. Thank you so much! When entertaining any future writing projects, you will be the first person I contact.
I can’t believe my good fortune to have found Tammy to edit my nonfiction book. I had narrowed down my editor search to ten; then I took advantage of their free sample offers. Nine of the editors were okay. Tammy’s edit, however, really showed her strength for detail and content development. I was absolutely wowed. She suggested, for example, how to improve the Introduction’s hook, added sentences that clarified a paragraph’s thought better, and deleted unnecessary words. She also mentio… Read more
Tammy Ditmore’s timely, thorough, detailed and accurate proofreading made my book print ready. She delivers high quality work on schedule and is a pleasure to work with.
Tammy is sensitive to my work and does a great job to maintain the integrity of my writing and my voice!
Tammy Ditmore edited my book, The Quest for Distinction: Pepperdine University in the 20th Century. It was a huge assignment, requiring skills that set her apart from most professional editors. She recognized the key themes of the manuscript immediately and proceeded to examine each paragraph, actually each word, in light of those themes. The result was a briefer, more coherent manuscript that will be read with greater interest and understanding.