Love It or Leave It?
- Sep
- 25
- 2017
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in Events, Language, personal reflections
When I was a kid, the nightly news was filled with images of the Vietnam War and the ugly protests against the war that were raging around our country. Although the pictures were disturbing, I would sit and watch the evening news with my dad any chance I got because I enjoyed the way my […]
Honoring a Dream
- Jan
- 16
- 2017
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in Events, personal reflections

A couple of months ago, I got the chance to spend the day at the new National Museum of African American History and Culture. It’s beautiful, fascinating, troubling, and inspirational. And it reminded me that the battle for justice has been long and brutal — and that it continues. Today, on the day that our nation has set […]
Two Opportunities for Ventura County Writers
- Oct
- 20
- 2016
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in Editing, Events, Publishing, Writing

Two opportunities for Ventura County writers to learn more about the craft and the world of publishing are coming up in the next couple of weeks. In the first, editor Dennis Mathis will discuss his working relationship with author Sandra Cisneros. Mathis will speak at an October 27 dinner/lecture co-hosted by the Small Publishers, Artists, and Writers Network […]
Want To Be an Academic Editor?
- Sep
- 22
- 2016
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in Editing, Events

Freelance editors can find many opportunities to work with academic writers and publications. But if you don’t have multiple advanced degrees, you may wonder if you have anything to offer a scholarly writer. Or you may be reluctant to tackle academic projects because you find the writing exasperating and mystifying. If you’ve been passing up academic job listings for those reasons, I […]
An Editor at a Writers Conference
- Apr
- 03
- 2016
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in Editing, Events

I was fortunate to get a chance to hang out for a few hours on Saturday at the 2016 AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs) Conference and Bookfair at the Los Angeles Convention Center. AWP is like Disneyland for writers and writing professors and writing students. I spent most of my time there extolling the […]
Looking for a Perfect Match
- Sep
- 17
- 2015
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in Editing, Events, Publishing

Wherever two or more writers are gathered—from local critique groups to large national conferences to digital group hangouts—the topic of editors is bound to come up eventually. Almost all writers and publishing professionals say a good editor can make or break a book (see my post about Harper Lee’s Watchman vs. Mockingbird). But where […]
Learning the Worth of Editors at PubU 2015
- Apr
- 14
- 2015
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in Editing, Events, Publishing

PubU 2015 was jam-packed with information and interaction, giving me a chance to learn from publishing veterans with expertise in every facet of book publishing, including design, printing, distribution, copyright, and marketing. There will be more details about what I learned in later posts and articles, but today I’m focusing on what I learned that affects […]
Looking forward to 2015 Publishing University
- Mar
- 06
- 2015
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in Editing, Events, Publishing

I’m super excited about attending the Independent Book Publishing Association’s Publishing University next month. And I’m even more excited about the trip because I’ve been granted an affiliate scholarship on behalf of the Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network. The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) is the largest professional publishing association in the country, and it […]
Editing Harper Lee
- Feb
- 04
- 2015
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in Editing, Events, Publishing

By now, anyone who pays any attention to the world of words knows that Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, is releasing a new book. The stature of To Kill a Mockingbird, which was published in 1960, can surely be measured by the number of news outlets around the world that breathlessly announced […]
The Words Behind Selma
- Jan
- 20
- 2015
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in Events, Writing
I went to see the movie “Selma” tonight, and I loved it. The movie is a powerful portrayal of events so recent that they were never included in my history schoolbooks but so distant that I can scarcely believe they happened in my country in my lifetime. The movie, which was directed by Ava DuVernay, […]
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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.