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Episode 1: What is a Tech Editor
219 Plays3 years ago
We discuss what a tech editor is, what skills they use, and where you might find training to become a tech editor that works with knit and crochet designs and other forms of writing.
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Knit, Design, Edit, Sleep, Repeat'
00:00:16
Speaker
Welcome to Knit, Design, Edit, Sleep, Repeat with Lisa Conway and Denise Finley. Let's listen in and see what's happening, who's happening, and what's new in their world. In today's episode, we talk about tech editing.
What is a Tech Editor?
00:00:38
Speaker
Hey, Denise. Good afternoon, Lisa. How are you doing? I'm doing great, and you? I am well. I'm well for now.
00:00:50
Speaker
Okay, well, as long as it's in the okay range. It is, it is. That's all that matters. So I got some questions I'd love to ask you. Do you have some time? Oh, yeah, that's, I'd love to. Okay, well, this is going to be about tech editing.
00:01:10
Speaker
You know, here's the thing. Last year I was sort of out of the whole communication pike of anything knit crochet or anything like that because I was so busy working on that wedding dress. I mean you know it took up so much of my time.
00:01:27
Speaker
And I just really didn't do a lot of listening about anything. And I know tech editors have been around for a while. But now, when I go to buy a pattern, I will see that it says this pattern has been fully tech edited. And here's my major question that I've had. Exactly what is a tech editor?
Role of Fiber-Related Tech Editors
00:01:49
Speaker
Well, a tech editor is basically anyone that edits within a specific field. So you'll have scientific tech editors that do nothing but a specific area of science. And then in our case, you have the fiber-related tech editors like myself who specialize in editing any form of writing that relates to the fiber world, whether that's a pattern,
00:02:17
Speaker
which is probably about 80 to 90 percent of the work that we do these days anyway with the explosion of indie designers. Articles for magazines, now usually magazines have an in-house tech editor that they use, but sometimes they'll hire an independent or
00:02:42
Speaker
an author who is writing for a magazine may want to have their article edited before it even goes, is submitted to the magazine. So an independent will get hired to do that.
Inspiration from Scientific Editing
00:02:53
Speaker
Or a publishing house will have a specialized tech editor that specializes in either knitting or crochet or weaving or whatever. So whatever
00:03:06
Speaker
We're an editor and we do all the basics things that an editor does, but we do it within a given field, a given area that is our area of expertise. Huh. Well, that makes sense. And how funny is it? Last couple of years ago, I started a series of books. I'm all into these cozy mysteries and stuff. And one of them is a girl and she is, huh, I just happened to think of this. She's a tech editor and she works at home, you know, for some magazine.
00:03:36
Speaker
i think i know the series because i read every one of those what no i take that back i have one her most recent release that i haven't read yet but it is sitting on my table and she i believe i see it so she just released a win pre release on her next.
00:03:54
Speaker
Oh, how exciting. Well, that's kind of fun. And it also ties into when I was in school the last time, I had to write in a scientific format and they had what they called tech editors that went over our papers to make sure that we were using the correct terminologies and things like that. So that makes a lot of sense.
00:04:14
Speaker
Yeah, that's exactly what it is, Denise. I actually have a friend who is a scientific tech editor, and I can't remember her field of expertise, but she works as an independent tech editor in the science realm somewhere, which really
00:04:32
Speaker
is kind of how I got the idea to become a fiber-related tech editor, was we would talk about the skills she used and I would go, well, that's me. Right? Yeah, I do that all the time.
00:04:49
Speaker
Yeah, I could do that. Yeah, so that was where it all started was a couple of years ago when we would talk about what she was doing, and me thinking, well, gee, I could do that as long as I did it in a field I was comfortable with. And with 45 plus years in the fiber world, that made a lot of sense.
00:05:12
Speaker
to move into it. It does. And now you mentioned 45 years in the, and not me too, I'm a little over 50 because I'm a little older than you. Just a tiny bit. Here's the question, I'm feeling every bit of it today. Here's the question that I've got also because this would be important in case any of our listeners
00:05:34
Speaker
are thinking, well, I've got some of those things I can do too.
Skills for Tech Editing
00:05:38
Speaker
What skills do you have to have as an editor? Like before you can market yourself, I am a whatever tech editor, science tech editor, whatever, or let's just specifically talk about fiber. Okay.
00:05:54
Speaker
Fiber tech editors obviously need a full range of skills within the fiber craft. I wouldn't be comfortable, for example, editing a weaving pattern because although I have done a little bit of weaving, I am by no means an expert in that field. You need to understand how writing is related to that field.
00:06:19
Speaker
For knitting, it's about understanding what the abbreviations should look like. It's about understanding how row or round instructions are written down in a format that people are familiar with, that people understand. So you have the fiber-related information that you need to know, but then you have the full range of regular editing with punctuation, grammar,
00:06:51
Speaker
Spelling all of those things do play in so you have to be good at those things And the last thing you have to be good at to be a fiber related because we if you're dealing with patterns It's a really really important to be good at math. Yeah math. Oh my not favorite thing. Oh
00:07:11
Speaker
Well, you have to, at the very least, understand spreadsheet software and how that spreadsheet software can help you do the math. Ah, well, I'm out. But tell me, so you just, if you consider yourself an expert, you can just start marketing yourself as a tech editor? In some cases, yes.
00:07:34
Speaker
If you have enough English or whatever language you're working in, because there are tech editors worldwide, and we do need more tech editors in alternate languages besides English, I think, from what I'm seeing. Now, I could be completely wrong on that.
00:07:53
Speaker
But I do know that I've had a number of people reaching out lately that have said, Hey, I can't find a tech editor in German. Does anybody know anybody that tech edits in German or in Finnish or whatever that is?
00:08:11
Speaker
So I'm seeing calls for more and more of that. You see that on patterns, too, on, let's say, Ravelry or any of the other popular sites. They'll say, thanks to this person for translating this into whatever language. Right. That's becoming more and more popular, but having editors that then check the translation is important, too, because
00:08:35
Speaker
I edit patterns that are originally written in one language are translated to English and then I check that English. And I would say at least 70% of the things that I spot in it are where the translation doesn't quite make it into what would be normal English. Right.
00:09:00
Speaker
the patterns are great, it's just the wording is backwards or the term used doesn't mean what they think it means as related to knitting. So skills, like I said, good English or whatever language you're working in, good punctuation, a clear understanding of the fiber art you're working with and math.
00:09:28
Speaker
Those things are important.
Importance of Ongoing Education
00:09:30
Speaker
Okay, now I happen to know that you took a class in this. Do you advise that for any tech editor to be on the top of her game or what do you think about that? I think it's a valuable resource. There are various classes out there. I happen to take the one through the Knitting Guild Association that is based in the United States.
00:09:56
Speaker
Good. I have opinions about that course, plus and minus. There were good and bad things. There is an alternate course through the Tech Editor Hub. And I know that they are working hard on revamping that course and making it even better. I've heard really positive things. And I know that the primary instructor for that, who used to own the Tech Editor Hub but doesn't anymore,
00:10:24
Speaker
is a really good teacher, so that's a really great resource. Tech Editor Hub also offers other classes that some tech editors find really helpful in expanding their skills, and that is in grading.
00:10:43
Speaker
the act of taking a pattern and making it multi-sized and schematic drawing. The schematic classes are still pretty small, but it gives you the fundamentals of how to accomplish those drawings.
00:11:00
Speaker
So what I hear you saying then, Lisa, is just anyone actually that has the same skills that you listed above in the beginning of your description of this are important, but that there seems like there's always things that you can add to it, kind of like continuing education for nurses or practitioners, that type of thing? Well, there's skills that you can add to it, and there's skills that actually, because you've added those skills, expand your
00:11:29
Speaker
range of options of services you can provide. So it's all dependent upon whether you want to offer those services. You can be good at the math of checking the numbers in a pattern. Because you have to, as a tech editor, you're checking every single number. The number of stitches actually gives the measurement that they are listing based on the gauge that they've given.
00:11:57
Speaker
That's one type of math. That's just checking math that's already there. Grading is creating that math. And so some tech editors aren't comfortable going that far. But it is a way to expand your business and offer more services. So there's a variety of things that you can do as a tech editor that
00:12:20
Speaker
helps keep you busy. Let's put it that way. That sounds like actually very interesting for a lot of people. I hope a lot of people think about that. But let me let me ask you on the from the other side of the coin now.
Process of Tech Editing a Pattern
00:12:32
Speaker
So say I'm a designer, and I've sent you this pattern. And, you know, I'm
00:12:40
Speaker
I mean, if you've read any of my books, you know that I am just kind of all over the place and I'm not technical and I could never, I'm an independent author, I have to be, because it would come back with red like it was bleeding, okay, on each page. So what things do you look for as a tech editor if I send you a pattern and you're going to be editing it for me? What do you look for? First thing I look for is the standard spelling punctuation.
00:13:10
Speaker
that grammar, those kinds of things. That's the very first thing I look through the pattern for. So the English or the spelling of it and everything. The English, the basic English. Then I go through the pattern again.
00:13:22
Speaker
And I look for whether or not the abbreviations have been used and listed correctly. So we'll get into a real deep conversation about abbreviations at some point, I think, but basically you want to make sure that every abbreviation that's used in the pattern is in a glossary and every abbreviation that's in the glossary is actually used in the pattern.
00:13:49
Speaker
Then I go also go through and check all the numbers. So like I said before, I'm looking for whether or not the gauge that they give is really accurate for the final measurements.
00:14:09
Speaker
let's take a scarf pattern, for example, let's say they've measured their little four inch block of of stitches and they get one gauge, but then they knit the the project and the measurement of the project doesn't really match that gauge. it's you.
00:14:27
Speaker
That's actually happening to me. One thing I'd love to teach designers is you use that basic gauge that you'd got from your swatch to create your sample. But then you check your sample size to determine whether that gauge was accurate. Yeah, because I got something that just was not going to fit me and I had gauge. Right. And oftentimes, your final measurement, so say the width of a scarf, for example, comes out
00:14:55
Speaker
quarter inch, half an inch different than what your gauge math shows. But that just shows that your gauge math was just a little bit off. So let's fix the gauge math in the pattern. And that way the finished size is in fact what they can aim for. That makes more sense. That makes a lot of sense. There's
00:15:21
Speaker
kind of some C words that we like to use in the industry. We want to make sure your pattern is clear. Does it read accurately? We want to make sure it's concise. Is everything that you state in the pattern actually used to create the finished item in some way? And is it accurate? Is it
00:15:47
Speaker
complete? Are all of your instructions present and accounted for? And again, is it accurate? Are those numbers especially going to produce what you had in mind? Wow. So basically, let me run it down a little bit here for you. So basically,
00:16:08
Speaker
I send you a pattern that I have written down the way I did this, let's say, hat. And you're going to check the words, the abbreviations, the math, all the numbers, gauge to make sure your swatch is the same as the finished product, and then the three C's. Make sure that it's clear, concise, and complete. I like that. Yeah.
00:16:33
Speaker
that everything that the end knitter is going to need is in that pattern in a way that they can really read it. And let's not forget punctuation, because punctuation, believe it or not, plays a huge role in whether those instructions read accurately. Well, it's just like writing a book, Lisa. If my comma's in the wrong place, I wrote a book one time called Let's Eat, Grandma. But if you take the comma out, it's let's eat grandma.
00:17:02
Speaker
That's right. And those commas make as much difference in a row instruction as they do in reading a book or reading a sentence. I have come across some and I'm thinking, why is that comma even there? You know, it doesn't make any sense. But then I've seen places where there should have been some. I understand completely what you're saying.
00:17:24
Speaker
Not all designers use it. And as a tech editor, I have to defer to the designer. But for example,
00:17:33
Speaker
I really prefer and will recommend if you're writing your row instructions, for example, your written row instructions, that you make sure you have a period at the end of every one, even though you've got row one, row two, row three, make sure that row one has a period on it because that tells the human eye, this is where you stop. It's a stop. Yep.
00:17:58
Speaker
Very good. That's part of what we're taught and we're taught to read. And the same applies in a pattern as it does in an article or a book or anything else. Well, that makes a lot of sense, Lisa. Now, here's the deal. I got another question. I'm full of them today. So I send you the pattern. Do you have any special tools that you use as a tech editor?
Tools for Tech Editing
00:18:25
Speaker
Most of my tools are technology related. Spreadsheets I mentioned already. I could not do my job without spreadsheets because that is where I triple check the numbers. Either a word processing program or a
00:18:50
Speaker
PDF annotator, I really prefer working on PDF files rather than in a Word doc or a Google doc or something of that nature.
00:19:02
Speaker
Those are great ways to do it and a lot of editors prefer it and a lot of designers prefer that you do it that way where you're leaving comments right within the document. I like to use a PDF editor where I'm highlighting and notating the things that maybe need to be checked or I always try to find at least one thing in there that I can say, oh, this was really good.
00:19:30
Speaker
because you spend so much of your time telling people they've made mistakes. It can be a little demoralizing for the poor designer and I try really hard not to be offensive.
00:19:46
Speaker
I guess let's go back one step and say one more skill that a tech editor needs is communication skills. Because it's really important that we communicate accurately what it is that we found in a way that's not offensive. So I'm going to add that in. So spreadsheets, word processors, PDF editors,
00:20:09
Speaker
I use a time clock because I bill by time, so I start a clock running when I start work and I turn it off when I'm done. Like an attorney? Yeah, just like an attorney. And there is absolutely nothing like a red pencil.
00:20:29
Speaker
Yeah, I know. I have to say that as I've gotten older and my eyes aren't as spry as they used to be, looking at a screen
00:20:44
Speaker
trying to read everything on a screen and filter it through is not the easiest for me. So I print every pattern I receive, which also is not a bad idea simply because you can check formatting things that you wouldn't see necessarily on the screen. Are the margins big enough? Does the photo print in the right location?
00:21:10
Speaker
All of those little things are really helpful. Did the chart print dark enough that people can actually see the lines? Lots of little things. So I always print the pattern. And my first edit through really is with a pencil. And I had another tech editor turn me on to these pencils that are half red and half blue. Oh, yeah, I've seen those. They're wonderful. They're absolutely the best thing since sliced bread.
00:21:39
Speaker
So really it can be as simple as the right pencil And that's basically all your tools then or your your yeah tools. Yeah, that's pretty much it It's a pretty low overhead type of business, which is nice You don't have
00:21:59
Speaker
other than your advertising and things like that, you don't have a lot of outlay to do each job. Okay. I'm really excited now. Okay. Well, not that excited, but so I've got this thing that I've made a pattern from, let's say it's a sweater for a big guy. Okay. And it's on a piece of legal pad right now. I need to get it to you somehow or a tech editor.
00:22:26
Speaker
So I'm new to this game, right? I have a friend who her very first project was a sock contest and she won. And now she's the sock designer extraordinaire.
Finding a Tech Editor
00:22:37
Speaker
But where do you find a tech editor? How do you do you look in the phone? I mean, we don't have phone books anymore. But do you look good? Will Google tell you? Google will bring up various websites if they've got good SEO. That's that's a whole nother ballgame. Something that I am no expert in whatsoever. Right.
00:22:56
Speaker
You can go to Ravelry and any of their designer groups have a listing of tech editors. Good to know. Okay. You can go to Facebook and find tech editors on Facebook or Instagram. You can search the hashtag.
00:23:12
Speaker
tech editor. Now I will tell you that hashtag brings up editors that are not knitting related tech editors. And there is no hashtag specifically for knit tech editors or crochet tech editors. So you have to kind of filter through those, but you can find them there. A great place, absolutely fabulous place is on Facebook. And it's a group called the tech editor hub.
00:23:40
Speaker
And they, all you have to do is post that you have this new pattern. You're looking for an editor that specializes or will do a certain type of pattern, for example, because not all tech editors edit every type of pattern. There are some that will only edit accessories. For example, they don't like doing sweaters because they don't like doing the math in a sweater. Yeah. Okay.
00:24:08
Speaker
And you'll get a number of responses back to a request there. Or you can visit my website and contact me through the form on my website. Excuse me. And my website is arcticedits.com.
00:24:26
Speaker
So what about like my local yarn shop? I live in an area where there are a plethora of yarn stores, also maybe a library. Would anything like that? Would I get any information there? Or is it too new?
00:24:40
Speaker
I don't know how you would find it at the library. I've never even considered searching there. That's an interesting question. Some local yarn stores may know a tech editor. I know that when I started business, one of the first things I did was go into my local yarn stores and provide a little advertisement card that they could give people. That's what I was thinking. That would make sense. Your local yarn store might
00:25:08
Speaker
or might not. It all depends on whether someone's had the forethought to advertise through their local yarn store and whether their yarn store is willing to advertise for them. Right, right. Well, Lisa, I am scared and excited because I've been thinking about it. I have some things until the end of March that will keep me away from anything I attempt to do with a new design. But after that, I think I might give it a whirl.
Collaboration with Designers
00:25:38
Speaker
So you have enlightened me so much as to the insides of what a tech editor does. And please share with our listeners and with me, tell me what you like the most about your job, about your job as a tech editor. The people.
00:25:55
Speaker
Believe it or not, I believe it or not, I sit here all by myself at my desk doing my job. But it's the contact with the designers. It's the inspiration that I receive on a daily basis working with these incredibly creative minds and their kindness and their joy.
00:26:13
Speaker
It's wonderful because these people really inspire me to do my best work. I see what I do as a collaboration with these people. I see this as a give and take between us.
00:26:30
Speaker
which I don't know whether every tech editor feels that way, but I know I do. And I know that working with these creative minds just, it kind of blows my mind and really inspires me. Well, Lisa, that just makes me happy to hear you say that. And on that note,
00:26:51
Speaker
I think I hear the tea kettle whistling in the kitchen and I may have to run off and make myself a cup of tea or coffee. Oh, that sounds like a plan. Thank you so much for taking my call today and we'll chat again soon. Sounds great.
Podcast Giveaway and Community
00:27:12
Speaker
I am happy to announce the winners of our giveaway. Winner of 50% off their next tech edit job is Celine. And winner of the 50% off a grading job is Janet. Congratulations. I will email you both by February 7th. Click follow or subscribe and come back for episode two where we interview Nathan Taylor, the socmetician.
00:27:44
Speaker
Don't forget, if you have questions or just want to take part in our community, join our Facebook or Ravelry groups under Knit Design Edit Sleep Repeat or email us at knitdesignedit at gmail.com. You can also learn more about me and my services at my website arcticedits.com.