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Episode 50: Saving $ on Editing
109 Plays6 months ago
Lets look at a few ways you can save time and money on the editing of your pattern.
—Check spelling
—Double check your abbreviations. Make sure that you are consistent with their use and that all abbreviations are in your glossary.
—Double check notions to ensure that if it's mentioned in the pattern, it's listed.
—Give yourself some time and then double check your numbers. Do stitch/row counts create size suggested.
—Check that Hyperlinks work. Make sure to give credit where credit is due.
Additional information on my website: Arctic Edits
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Transcript
Introduction to Knit and Crochet Design Business
00:00:14
Speaker
Welcome to Craft, Design, Edit, Sleep, Repeat. I'm your host, Lisa Conway. Welcome to my world where we try to understand the business of knit and crochet design.
00:00:38
Speaker
Welcome back, everyone. This is going to be a relatively short episode, but there is a lot going on in life in general, and I need to rush out the door. So let's get going.
Preparing Patterns Before Editing
00:00:55
Speaker
Today, I want to cover a few things that you as a designer can do with your pattern before you send it to your editor so that the editor spends less time with it and therefore you save funds. Okay, because we all know that it's not cheap getting our patterns taken care of, is it?
00:01:18
Speaker
The first thing is to make sure you check your spelling. This can include checking that you have consistently spelled your abbreviations. The problem with that is that your system will expect you to have
00:01:43
Speaker
Those words won't be in a dictionary, right? So it will tag all of these abbreviations as incorrect. That can be disconcerting when you're trying to check everything.
00:01:59
Speaker
So I will be including a tutorial in the show notes that shows you how on a Mac to add words to your dictionary. Now I know that it works very much the same.
00:02:17
Speaker
on a Windows machine. It's just the exact commands might be different. And I don't have current access to a Windows machine to verify. So you might need to do a little Googling and figure it out for
Managing Dictionaries Across Platforms
00:02:35
Speaker
yourself. But in your
00:02:38
Speaker
word processing document, whether it be Word or Pages, or if you just use a simple text editor, you can
00:02:51
Speaker
Click on a word that isn't in the dictionary, a word that the system thinks you have misspelled, but you haven't misspelled it and tell it to learn the spelling. You do that with a right click.
00:03:13
Speaker
If you don't use right click on Mac, you can go to the edit menu to the spelling and grammar and have it open that spelling and grammar checkbox. And there's a selection there to learn that word as well. So,
00:03:39
Speaker
However you want to do that with keyboard shortcuts or with your mouse or whatever, you can add words to the dictionary. Now, if you use more than one text editor or one word processor, sometimes I'm working in pages. Sometimes I'm working in Word. It can depend. I hope that hitting the microphone didn't change the sound. I apologize. I'm talking with my hands as usual.
00:04:09
Speaker
If you use Word and Pages, for example, you're going to need to add the same word to both dictionaries because it's not a system dictionary. The dictionary is within the application itself.
00:04:27
Speaker
On Mac, there is a system dictionary, but I'm finding you can't add things to it, which is interesting. If I find a way around that, I will update the show notes and send out a newsletter. So if you're not already on the show's newsletter and you want to get the show notes in your inbox, I will explain that later on.
00:04:54
Speaker
Okay, so exact directions will be in the show notes for this, including images. So if you have any questions, please, please go to the show notes, which is on my website arcticedits.com. The second thing you want to do is double check that your abbreviations aren't just spelled right, but that you're using the same one for all instances.
Using Spreadsheets for Consistency
00:05:24
Speaker
I have a particular method that I use that I'm going to share with you that helps me make sure that my abbreviations stay the same. After having my editor point out that I was using different language for the same thing,
00:05:45
Speaker
I realized that I needed to make sure that I was following a pattern. So I set up a spreadsheet and I have a list of the way I do my abbreviations because some things might be unique.
00:06:07
Speaker
And on that spreadsheet, I have how I type it. I have what it means. And if need be, I have the directions, each in a different cell. Then when I'm writing my pattern, I have that spreadsheet open. Every time I find I want to use a new
00:06:31
Speaker
abbreviation, I go into the spreadsheet and I put a little X in the very first column. I have an empty column of cells and I'll put an X in that cell in front of the abbreviation and then I can use that abbreviation in my pattern. The next time I go to use that abbreviation, I can see on my spreadsheet what I'm using.
00:07:01
Speaker
So there's never any question in my head that I'm using, say, for example, all caps for my SSK. I don't do that, but if I were going to, I would make sure that it was always in all caps and I would show that on my spreadsheet that it was in all caps. And so that way I would type it the same way or I would copy and paste it the same way.
00:07:31
Speaker
And then once I've got my pattern completely written, I now have a checklist of all of the different abbreviations that I've used.
00:07:46
Speaker
And this helps me create the glossary, because this spreadsheet is also kept in alphabetical order. If I add a new set of abbreviations, for example, I will alphabetize it before I do my glossary, and then I will
00:08:08
Speaker
hide any unused abbreviations, and the final column I forgot to mention is the column where I concatenate the meaning and the directions if they're there.
00:08:27
Speaker
And I have written out the explanation of how to do concatenate if you don't know how, again, in the show notes. But quickly, it's a function. So you type equals, you type concatenate. And then inside the parentheses, you select each cell that you want as your final sentence.
00:08:54
Speaker
with commas in between. And if you want spaces in numbers, you type quote,
00:09:05
Speaker
space quote into an empty cell. And in Excel, you just type a space. And so let's say I'm concatenating the words text to be combined. I will then have a cell that has either quote, space quote for numbers, or just the space in Excel.
00:09:34
Speaker
and so I will select text comma the space comma to comma the space comma etc until I've selected all of this and I do have an image of it in the show notes with exact
00:09:59
Speaker
instructions, you know, numbered instructions. And this brings all of that information in together. I now have it in a list format, and I can copy that list into my file. Now, I will say it copies it in as a table.
00:10:19
Speaker
So I then have to move it out of the table and that seems like extra work, but the work, it saves me tracking which abbreviations I'm using and having to type out all of the individual instructions and everything each time and making sure that it's in alphabetical order. It really makes my life simpler. So.
00:10:45
Speaker
whether you want to create a separate document with that information or you want to put it in a spreadsheet as I do, just keep track of what you're using so that you can adequately put it in the glossary and so that you're not choosing different abbreviations or using a different format for the abbreviations.
00:11:09
Speaker
later on in the pattern. This saves your editor a lot of time. And even though I don't specifically state I've double checked my abbreviations, I let my editor do that for me, I know that it's not going to take them long because it's in a good format.
00:11:33
Speaker
The same thing can go for what tools and notions that you use.
Ensuring Pattern Accuracy
00:11:39
Speaker
Should you put them in a list in a separate file or in a list in the spreadsheet? I may have a separate tab or separate sheet with the notions in it.
00:11:51
Speaker
This ensures making that if I, if I've used something, I can select it from that list and know that my list is complete. Okay. So that's, that's really important. Double check to make sure that if you've used a notion, that that notion is listed, even if it's not specifically stated in the pattern sometimes, but if it is specifically stated in the pattern, you definitely want to make sure it's listed. Okay.
00:12:22
Speaker
The number of stitch markers, for example, how many did you use? How many does the knitter actually need? I know many knitters and crocheters who pick a pattern and then they fill the project bag with the items needed for that project. So what yarn, what notions? Do they need stitch markers? If they do, do they need one? Do they need half a dozen?
00:12:51
Speaker
They put all of that in the project bag because even if they don't start the pattern today, they know that everything's present and available for when they do start the pattern. All right. Next, give yourself some time in between working the numbers.
00:13:14
Speaker
and sending the pattern for editing and go back and do a quick edit yourself of the numbers. Does your cast on stitches actually match the size that you're going for? I set up a spreadsheet just like I do when I'm editing someone else's pattern and I
00:13:42
Speaker
start to check my numbers. Now, I will say that this is a new thing that I'm started after a great deal of challenge with numbers in my latest pattern. But I am looking at it from an editor's point of view and I am filling out a spreadsheet just like I would for anyone else's pattern. And the better you get at doing that,
00:14:12
Speaker
the less time it's going to take for your editor because they're going to see your numbers are accurate. So don't try to do this the same day you write the pattern.
00:14:24
Speaker
Make sure you give yourself several days in between. And then open up the pattern and forget that you wrote it. That's the hard part. And open up a spreadsheet and look at the number and say, OK, what is this number supposed to do? What do I need to check it against? Do I need to check it against my stitch gauge, my row gauge?
00:14:50
Speaker
Are these numbers coming out to the expected size? Is my schematic showing the sizes that I needed to show?
00:15:03
Speaker
Lastly, I'm going to mention hyperlinks. Now, one of the things I do in every pattern is I open every hyperlink and make sure that it's going to the correct document or video. We usually use them for videos and patterns. I make sure that it's going to the listed item. And then I also make sure that I'm giving credit where credit is due. So if I am
00:15:31
Speaker
right? Using someone else's video, I make sure that I use their title and give credit. So I list who created that video. It's fine to use someone else's material, but make sure you give them credit for that material. It's
00:15:54
Speaker
important that we stay on top of that or there could be copyright questions down the line. So as long as you're giving credit, you're fine. I may also reach out and let that person know, hey, I've included a link to your video in my pattern because it's the best one I can find. You've done a really good job here.
00:16:22
Speaker
If they have any problems with that, they will let you know. Very few people who leave free videos on YouTube are going to question it, especially if you've given them credit and especially if you've let them know that you're giving them credit.
00:16:39
Speaker
So make sure those hyperlinks work.
Recap and Next Episode Teaser
00:16:42
Speaker
So quick recap, check your spelling, double check that you've used the same abbreviation and that they've been spelled the same all the way through and that each abbreviation is listed in your glossary. Same with the notions. Make sure if it's listed in the pattern, it's listed in the list of notions that need to be collected to complete the pattern.
00:17:06
Speaker
Try to double check your numbers as best as you can. This is the one part. This and the grammar are probably the two things that are hardest for you to check on your own. And then double check your hyperlinks. And anything that you're absolutely positive doesn't need to be checked.
00:17:27
Speaker
By the editor, you can then say, hey, I've double checked all these hyperlinks. I know they go to where they belong. I've checked it on more than one device or whatever. You know, check it from your phone. Make sure that it goes where you expect it to go.
00:17:43
Speaker
And then you can tell them, hey, I've double checked this. You don't need to look at it, right? And that's going to save them time. Also, if it's already correct, they're not having to stop and make notes and tell you what isn't working, right? That cuts time out on their end as well. So I hope this helped.
00:18:07
Speaker
I will make sure that this piece of information is all in the show notes. So if you want the show notes in your inbox, go to my website arcticedits.com and go to the newsletters link and make sure to sign up for the podcast newsletter.
00:18:31
Speaker
There is a second newsletter available if you want notification of my patterns. I don't try to send my podcast show notes to podcast listeners because they might not be interested in my patterns. So you have to sign up for both if you want both, or if you just want one or the other, you can sign up for just one of the newsletters, but you can do that from my website arcticedits.com.
00:19:00
Speaker
I hope you're having a wonderful day. I hope your knitting or crocheting is going very well and that you're really happy with your projects and happy knitting. Next episode, I'm going to take a look at finding testers and running test knits.
00:19:30
Speaker
Don't forget to like and subscribe wherever you listen and join the conversation in our Ravelry or Facebook groups. For show notes or knit tech editing and related services, please visit my website at arcticedits.com.