In short, a tech editor (technical editor) reviews your pattern and checks for grammar, spelling, formatting and mathematical errors, as well as whether you missed any important parts of your pattern. 

First and foremost a tech editor does NOT actually make the piece. A tech editor is only reviewing the written pattern. Tech editors and pattern testers go hand in hand to make your pattern the best it can be. Ideally you want to have your pattern tech edited first, then sent to testers, and then sent back to the tech editor after you’ve incorporated tester notes for a final review. Great testers will point out spelling errors, missing pieces of the pattern, math errors, etc, but the main job of a tester is to make sure your pattern is clearly written, easy to follow, and at the end the finished piece matches your photos. While there are many amazing testers who are excellent at finding and pointing out errors, the expectations of a tester versus a tech editor are different. Testers volunteer their time and resources and are not paid (with few exceptions). Tech editors are paid for their services, and the expectations and levels of service are higher. If your pattern is tech edited well, your testers have a much more enjoyable experience testing your patterns. This can ultimately lead to shorter testing timeframes, less testing notes to wade through, and more smooth pattern releases. 

Tech editors have a passion and skill for editing. Many tech editors have also been pattern testers at some point (or may still test occasionally), including myself. When I test, I give an abundance of notes. I don’t have time to test as much as I would like, so I decided to turn my love of correcting people (in a gentle way!) into tech editing. A tech edited pattern is a better version of the pattern for your testers. Having your patterns tech edited and free of typos, spelling or grammar errors, and getting those math errors fixed before publishing your pattern makes you as a designer look more professional and more like an expert in your craft. If you ever have a desire to have your patterns published in any sort of publication or if you want to work with a yarn company, having tech edited patterns is going to make a much better impression on them. 

Currently my turnaround time is 5-7 days.

Fill out the contact form below and I’ll send you an email with all the details on the process. Once you send me your pattern, I’ll complete an initial edit and send it back to you. You’ll implement the corrections you choose to include, send it out to testers if you’re having it tested, and then send it back to me when you’re ready for a final edit before publishing.