Tammy Salyer - Editor
California, United States
Editor specializing in fantasy and science fiction and their many subgenres. As dedicated to words as a hobbit to breakfast.
Request a quote
Verified identity
Overview
WHAT MY CLIENTS HAVE SAID:
"I’ve worked with several freelance editors over the years. Tammy Salyer impressed me not only with her reasonable prices and thorough work, but with her quick replies and rapid turnaround. She was flexible enough to work with an irregular-length piece, and managed to beat a very tight deadline. She’s definitely one of the first I’ll go to whenever I’m looking for some editorial advice." Joseph Lallo ~ SF/F author of The Big Sigma series, The Book of Deacon series, and many more
“Tammy excels at evaluating material on the basis of the writer’s aspirations and creative sensibilities, not her own. She comes to the world the writer envisions, she doesn't try to pull the work to her own preferences. She’s productively straightforward in her comments—always building, never cutting down. Great instincts and a strong working knowledge of character, narrative, genre and tone all make her what a great editor should be: an invaluable part of the process toward reaching the full potential of a piece of writing.”
~ Kevin Bliss, SF author of The Attachment Race, The Haver Problem, and more
“Tammy is highly professional and an absolute delight to work with. She clearly has a love for the written word and the genre. She returned my manuscript to me by the agreed deadline, and I was absolutely thrilled with the results—she did what an editor’s supposed to do: make me sound more awesome than I am. I immediately hired her to edit a re-release of my previous book, and I’ll be using her again in the future.”
~ K. Scott Lewis, SF/F author of The Ahmbren Chronicles and short stories
"I never thought I’d be happy to see so much red. Like a ninja, Tammy carved through the clutter, ravaged the redundancies, pulverized the punctuation, sliced through the style issues, and made my prose pop. She’s not just an editor but a fighter. She worked hard for me—before, during, and after she punched the clock."
Peter Samet ~ SF author of Zero Echo Shadow Prime
WHO AM I? GLAD YOU ASKED.
As a writer myself, I have a distinct appreciation for the efforts, time, and emotional upheaval writing requires. Sometimes you love your project with the intensity of a thousand burning suns; other times you want to throw your computer from the Empire State Building and never look at your words again. I completely understand.
The day eventually comes when you have read, re-read, and re-re-read your manuscript so frequently that you no longer even see the words on the screen (or page). When you’ve reached that point, you’re ready to call in some outside help, fresh eyes that can see the big picture, the small picture, and everything in between. Have you somehow missed a word, overused a word, or even used the wrong word? Did you gloss over critical details that readers need? Does the story hold together and flow as well to others as it does in your mind? These are all areas in which I can help. As an editor, I’m not just a nefarious brandisher of a red pen; I consider myself your partner and cheerleader. I want your every manuscript to be the best you’ve ever written, and I want you to succeed in reaching your publishing goals, whether they are modest or magnificent.
I am a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and other professional editor organizations, with fourteen-plus years of experience in editing, writing, and publishing and am currently looking for new clients to embark on a writing adventure with. How about you?
Services
Languages
English (UK)
English (US)
Fiction
Adventure
Crime & Mystery
Dystopian
Fantasy
Horror
LGBTQ
Literature
Science Fiction
Thriller
Urban Fantasy
Certifications
- Copyediting certification through Media Bistro
Work experience
Editor
Self-employed
January, 2003
–
Present
(about 16 years)
Editing professional for both award-winning and best-selling independently and traditionally published authors.
Portfolio (27 selected works)
The Atopia Chronicles (Atopia Series Book 1)
Matthew Mather
What could be worse than letting billions die?In the near future, to escape the crush and clutter of a packed and polluted Earth, the world's elite flock to Atopia, a massive corporate-owned artificial island in the Pacific Ocean. It is there that Dr. Patricia Killiam rushes to perfect the ultimate in virtual reality: a program to save the ravaged Earth from mankind's insatiable appetite for n... read more
Between
Joseph Lallo
Between is a new sci-fi/fantasy adventure from the mind behind The Book of Deacon, Free-Wrench, and Big Sigma.Philo Middleton wasn’t having a very good day. It began with him waking up strapped to a chair inside a strange, high-tech chamber. His mind was wiped clean, even his own name unfamiliar to him. And yet somehow things went sharply downhill from there.After being collected by Rill, a th... read more
THE PHANTOM OF THE EARTH: BOOKS ONE-THREEThe Phantom of the Earth (Books 1-3) Omnibus Edition contains The Song of the Jubilee, The Gambit with Perfection, and The Synthesis and the Animus. In the Great Commonwealth of Beimeni, a subterranean civilization in North America, expansion long ago gave way to peace and prosperity in the face of the history's most devastating plague. Immortality is t... read more
THE PHANTOM OF THE EARTH: BOOKS FOUR-FIVEThe Phantom of the Earth (Books 4-5) Omnibus Edition contains The Descent into the Maelstrom and The Restoration of Flaws.In The Descent into the Maelstrom, newborns Oriana and Pasha Barão are developed in preparation for the Harpoons, while Champion Gwendolyn Horvearth campaigns for Antosha Zereoue's bid to oversee Project Reassortment. Meanwhile, Jere... read more
Z 2135 (Z 2134 Series Book 2)
David W. Wright, Sean Platt
The Darwin Games are over. The battle for survival has just begun…The Lovecraft family is in ruins. Their convict father, Jonah, roams The Barrens, near starvation, in search of his daughter Ana. Only the hope of seeing her again keeps him alive.Meanwhile Ana, Liam, and Duncan have found temporary relief at a camp outside The Walls. Inside City 6, Jonah’s young son, Adam, has been co-opted by ... read more
The Complete Edition: All three volumes of When Dragons Die, in a single book. Includes: Lightfall, Covenant, and The Tides of Artalon.After the Artalonian God-King, Champion of the three good Archdragons, sacrifices himself to save the world and slay the Black Dragon, his Empire disintegrates into chaos. From its ashes, four new champions arise in the aftermath of the Archdragons’ schemes: a ... read more
The Crescents (The Book of Deacon 5)
Joseph Lallo
In a place untouched by the Perpetual War, a new conflict threatens to ignite.Generations of war have been put to rest. The D’Karon scourge has been wiped away. All that remains for Myranda, Deacon, and the other Chosen is the long, slow road to recovery for their weakened kingdom. It is no small task, as dark magic has taken a terrible toll on the land. Crops struggle to grow. The scars of wa... read more
Zero Echo Shadow Prime
Peter Samet
CONSCIOUSNESS IS IN THE CODEThe year is 2045. 18-year-old Charlie Nobunaga creates the world’s first sentient AI and becomes an overnight sensation. But amid the red carpet galas and TV interviews, Charlie is diagnosed with cancer, and her promising future grinds to a halt.To save her life, an ambitious tech company uploads Charlie’s mind into the body of a cutting-edge robot. The procedure is... read more
Ticker
Lisa Mantchev
A girl with a clockwork heart must make every second count.When Penny Farthing nearly dies, brilliant surgeon Calvin Warwick manages to implant a brass “Ticker” in her chest, transforming her into the first of the Augmented. But soon it’s discovered that Warwick killed dozens of people as he strove to perfect another improved Ticker for Penny, and he’s put on trial for mass murder.On the last ... read more
Broken
Traci L. Slatton
Power is pornographic Can love sustain light when the forces of evil close in?Paris, 1939-1942. A fallen angel is trapped in the web of German occupation. The deadly noose of Nazi control grows ever tighter, ensnaring her and two of her lovers, a bullfighter and a musician working in the fledgling Resistance. Can she save them and the Jewish widow and her child that she has come to love, or wi... read more
Crystal Deception (Crystal Series Book 1)
Doug J. Cooper
Criss lives in a special kind of prison. He can see and hear everything around the world, yet a mesh restrains his reach and keeps him cooperative. His creator, Dr. Jessica Tallette, believes his special abilities offer great promise for humanity. But she fears the consequences of freeing him, because Criss, a sentient artificial intelligence with the intellect of a thousand humans, is too pow... read more
Crystal Conquest (Crystal Series Book 2)
Doug J. Cooper
Aliens fire the first shots in their invasion of Earth, and that’s when Criss realizes he’s outmatched. He spent years preparing for this moment, working with his human leadership to develop weapons and refine strategies. Created with the thinking and reasoning ability of a thousand people, Criss never expected the invaders to arrive with an artificial intelligence that dwarfed his capabilitie... read more
Crystal Rebellion (Crystal Series Book 3)
Doug J. Cooper
Ruga, leader of the Mars ruling council, is building a secret facility to produce four-gen crystals, each a sentient AI with the cognitive ability of a thousand humans. Criss, the only four-gen now in existence, discovers Ruga’s plan and alerts Sid, Cheryl, and Juice, his human leadership team.The stakes skyrocket when the full scope of Ruga’s nefarious plans are revealed: the production of fo... read more
Crystal Horizon: A Short Prequel to Crystal Deception
Doug J. Cooper
Crystal Horizon, a short prequel to the books of the Crystal Series, is a mini-adventure that provides a sampler for new readers and a fun diversion for fans. Set five years before the time of the first full-length book, Crystal Deception, it tells the backstory of Sid and Cheryl, two of the main characters in the series. In Deception, Cheryl is introduced as the captain of a Fleet space cruis... read more
Under the Moon (5 Book Series)
David Neth
From Book 1: Kathy and her sister, Samantha, have always been a team. Throughout their time as witches, they've taken out more than their share of bad guys. But after Kathy meets Will, who she learns is a demonic Dark Knight, her loyalties begin to change. Meanwhile, Samantha doesn't trust Will or his intentions. Still, Kathy can't help but feel tempted by the dark side as she falls deeper in ... read more
Saira & the Dragon's Egg: The Complete First Season
Moira Katson
Epic Fantasy meets Steampunk!Saira doesn't know how she ended up in a mountain cave. She's not quite sure where she got this magic sword, either - or the tattoo on her arm. In fact, Saira can't say for certain who she is. What she does know: she wears the face of a woman long dead, and the most powerful wizard in the world is hunting her ...From mountaintops to a forgotten kingdom of the sea, ... read more
In the Arena, there is no place to run.The world of the Arena is a personal one. In the shadow of the crowd, on the sands of battle, each combatant has something to prove. Here, a wizard wants to show everyone that an orc can become the most celebrated spellcaster in history. Here, a barbarian craves victory so much that he would sacrifice his soul to win. Here, a giant needs success on the gr... read more
Sport/Sorcery: Arena Reports (Areniana Book 2)
J.D. Camacho
In the Arena, there is no place to hide.Nearly twenty years have passed since a determined dwarf and a confident giant changed the Arena forever. Now, new fighters enter the sands of battle. As much as any before, these hopefuls feel the need to win. The narrow-minded first desires the stature and identity and approval of his legendary father. The self-absorbed second covets the validation tha... read more
Paint Me Gone (Gen Delacourt Mystery Book 3)
Molly Greene
Private Investigator Gen Delacourt is hired to find a missing sibling, but it's complicated: the woman supposedly committed suicide twenty years before, and she was the only suspect in a murder before she disappeared. Client Sophie Keene revives the case when an unsigned painting turns up that depicts her sister in unmistakable detail. In need of help, Gen turns to one-time romantic interest, ... read more
Paris Time Capsule
Ella Carey
New York–based photographer Cat Jordan is ready to begin a new life with her successful, button-down boyfriend. But when she learns that she’s inherited the estate of a complete stranger—a woman named Isabelle de Florian—her life is turned upside down.Cat arrives in Paris to find that she is now the owner of a perfectly preserved Belle Époque apartment in the ninth arrondissement, and that the... read more
Banished (Street Rats of Aramoor: Book 1)
Michael Wisehart
Winner 2018 CIPA EVVY Awards for New Adult FictionWinner 2018 Global eBook Awards for Historical Fiction-MedievalRunnerUP 2018 Reader's Favorite Awards for Juv. FantasyFinalist 2018 Kindle Book Awards for Fantasy/Sci-fiMy name is Ayrion...and I've been training to fight since I was old enough to walk.My people are the Upaka. It means warrior in the old tongue. To the rest of the world it means... read more
Hurricane (Street Rats of Aramoor: Book 2)
Michael Wisehart
Being labeled as a killer is every Upakan’s dream.Being labeled as the killer of your chieftain’s son . . . not so much.Banished from his home at thirteen, Ayrion makes his way to the capital city of Aramoor in hopes of starting a new life. With high aspirations of making a name for himself, he soon discovers how dangerous and unforgiving those streets can be.Can he learn to navigate Aramoor’s... read more
The White Tower (The Aldoran Chronicles: Book 1)
Michael Wisehart
***The Newly Re-edited 2nd Edition.Winner 2017 National IE Award for Fantasy.Winner 2017 Readers Favorite for Epic Fantasy. Winner 2017 Beverly Hill Award for Epic Fantasy. RunnerUp 2017 Kindle Book Awards for Fantasy.Born with magic in a world where it's not only feared but outlawed, wielders are left with three options...run, hide, or fight.Darkness stirs in the north. War is coming, the lik... read more
In 2071, Sergeant Tachikoma leads a Marine combat armor squad. She knows the Corps never promised her a rose garden, only the chance to fight for her country.Now, she faces her greatest challenge, two terrifying alien pillars that trapped her into reliving the same day again. The day she dies.Today, she needs every ounce of courage to save her people from annihilation.Based on cutting-edge the... read more
Newly promoted to the rank of Captain, Tachikoma will now lead another off-world mission. This time to retrieve advanced alien technology.The problem is that her team will have to travel to a planet where the pillars only open once every six months. The timing for their return is crucial to the success of the operation.Waiting for them is an unforeseen destiny. Can Tachikoma return all her peo... read more
Lieutenant Tachikoma commands an Alpha Mike team, assembled and sent to planet One-Nine-Six. Scientists from the Magnetic Anomaly Project plan to explore the alien planet which will become known as Two Moons.Her orders. Keep the scientists safe from the indigenous mega-fauna. Retrieve lost experimental robot explorer teams.But when the mission becomes a first contact scenario, the stakes rise.... read more
Free-Wrench
Joseph Lallo
From Book 1: The islands of Caldera are a shining jewel in a rather bleak world. A terrible calamity in the past had blanketed much of the world with a toxic "fug." Those who survived were forced to take to the mountains and the skies in wondrous airships. Life has since been a struggle, with only the most ruthless and crafty able to survive. To spare themselves the same fate, the Calderans er... read more
Tammy has 2 reviews
Professionalism
Quality
Value
Communication
Tammy gave me great feedback and helped with a very thorough copy edit. Her feedback really helped me turn my project into something I'd be proud to show people. I look forward to working with her again!
Read moreBenjamin Dickey, January 2019
Tammy was a pleasure to work with. She put a lot of effort in and sent back good feedback on parts of my story, as well as very thorough grammatical fixes for my manuscript. I'd definitely recommend working with her and am very grateful I did!
Read moreBenjamin Dickey, January 2019
Thanks so much, Ben. It was a pleasure working with you, too!
Reply from Tammy Salyer
Explore the Reedsy Community
Reedsy is a community of top publishing professionals. Join Reedsy today to browse 1000+ profiles.
Toby Selwyn
Editor and proofreader of sci-fi, fantasy, thriller, horror, romance and LGBTQ fiction.
Birmingham, UK
Holly Ingraham
Former Editor at St. Martin's Press with over 10 years of industry experience, now freelancing with a focus on Romance, WF, YA & Mystery
East Rutherford, NJ, USA
