My World of Words
- Jan
- 05
- 2011
- Posted by Tammy Ditmore
- Posted in Editing, personal reflections, Writing
I’ve been looking for a forum to offer up my wisdom on writing and editing for a long time. Now that I have one, I’m not quite sure where to start.
So I guess I’ll try beginning at the beginning—or close to it. My mother tells me that long before I could read my favorite objects were books; I would beg not for toys or candy but a new Little Golden Book displayed near the checkout counter at the grocery store. My grandmother used to marvel at how long I would sit still while thumbing through her stacks of Reader’s Digest, wondering why I would choose to look at page after page of text when I couldn’t read a word of it.
Books became even more precious to me when I did learn to read, and I was rarely found without one. I learned to do many things while holding a book so that I didn’t have to interrupt my imagined adventures for mundane tasks like brushing my teeth or tying my shoes.
I chose a career in journalism and was thrilled to experience first-hand the power of words to inform, encourage, frighten and confuse. I loved the work but eventually discovered that I could not comfortably reconcile the demands of daily newspapers with the demands of a growing family.
Reluctantly leaving the newsroom, I was excited to find other ways I could engage in word work, and I have followed many such paths. Language continues to fascinate me, and I can find the same kind of delight in a well-crafted sentence as I do in a delicate flower or sunset-streaked sky.
I hope that I can craft a few such sentences to share in this space in the days to come.
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I appreciate Tammy’s willingness to ask questions when appropriate, flex on deadlines, offer sound advice, and rewrite sentences or sections as needed. Her command of substantive and copy editing make Tammy an asset to any project.
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!
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.
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
I had a book manuscript that had a thorough edit by a copy editor, but there were many changes made and I wanted another set of eyes to look at it carefully. So I hired Tammy Ditmore to do a “final” proofread and flag anything that she found awkward, confusing or ill-fitting. That is a difficult job—to look both for errors and to comment, but that is what I needed. Tammy took it on and did a great job. Tammy also understands a schedule and finished the work on time—even ahead of time. Thank … 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.
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.
Tammy’s approach to editing was like telling a story to someone who listens very well and offers suggestions only when something is confusing or grammatically incorrect (or embarrassing).
Tammy Ditmore was the consummate professional. She was very humble in dealing with me and tailored her editing style to fit my specific needs. She was prompt and punctual with deadlines and was very open to communicating with me. I would hire her again in a heartbeat.”