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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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.
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.
Tammy is sensitive to my work and does a great job to maintain the integrity of my writing and my voice!
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.
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 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
Tammy Ditmore is an excellent editor. My writing improved grammatically, in structure, and clarity under her skilled eye.
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’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).
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