Helping your words do their best work.

From non-fiction books to knitting patterns, I help shape work that’s accurate, inclusive and ready to share.

Smiling woman with short grey hair and glasses, holding a mug and book on a sofa.

Welcome

Hi, I’m Rachael, an editor with a calm approach and a sharp eye for detail. I work with publishers, independent authors and pattern designers to help shape their work, whether that’s an academic article, a book of non-fiction or a graded garment pattern.

My job is to bring structure and clarity to your words while preserving your unique voice. I care about accuracy, inclusivity and clarity, but I also care about how you feel during the process. I will work with you in a way that gives you confidence to share your work with the world.  

Ways to work with me

Stack of colourful hardback books.

Copyediting

Preparing your work for publication, whether you need a thorough check for grammatical and formatting errors, or more in-depth work for consistency and clarity.

Knitting supplies with yarn, needles, and a colourwork chart.

Technical editing

Readying a knitting or crochet pattern for release, including thorough checks of numbers, measurements and fit, providing charts and schematics, and grading across an inclusive range of sizes.

Person reviewing printed documents at a desk.

Proofreading

Checking text, images, schematics, references and layout. This is the final step before publication, so it deals with the absolute essentials.

Abstract open book design with pink lines extending from the centre.
Abstract open book design with pink lines extending from the centre.
Abstract open book design with pink lines extending from the centre.
Abstract open book design with pink lines extending from the centre.

Kind words

  • "From the very beginning, it was clear that her contribution was so much more than just editing...

    Since my crochet patterns are written in English and I’m not a native speaker, I needed someone who could truly understand what I was trying to say — and Rachael always does. Her feedback is thoughtful and spot-on, helping me express myself more clearly while staying true to my voice. She’s reliable, supportive, and I trust her work completely. I honestly feel grateful to have found her.”

    Olga Panagopoulou, Plexto Pattern

  • "Rachael is a pleasure to work with, communicates effectively, and has a great eye for detail.

    I feel confident when Rachael has checked our patterns, as I trust she’ll iron out any concerns and always deliver on time. In addition to raising mathematical and style issues, Rachael also reviews the consistency of shaping across all sizes. I would recommend her to anyone in need of a reliable pattern checker.”

    Anna Hull, Technical Design Co-ordinator, Rowan

  • "No task ever seems too big, and there doesn’t seem to be much she can’t do!

    Rachael is an extremely talented individual who has worked for me on several books – both as a copyeditor and a tech editor. Her clear communication, knowledge, and organisation make her a delight to work with. She always goes above and beyond with everything she does. I cannot recommend her enough.”

    Victoria Allen, Editor, David & Charles

  • "Rachael is our go-to technical editor for our most advanced and complicated knitting patterns...

    …she has an encyclopaedic knowledge of knitting techniques, incredible skills with knitting maths, and a determination to solve the most challenging pattern problems. She has a gift for explaining in-depth technical subjects in a friendly, accessible way, producing masterclass articles that are as entertaining to read as they are informative.”

    Helen Spedding. Operations Editor, The Knitter

  • "Rachael has a very fluent style and is brilliant at re-wording text, especially if the author is not a native English speaker.

    We can always rely on her to cut text if it has been submitted over length, check technical elements such as charts and patterns, and code texts for a designer.”

    Sara Simper. Assistant Editor, Special Interest, Bloomsbury Publishing

  • "We would definitely recommend Rachael...

    We were looking for a professional copy editor with proven technical experience in editing crochet instructions and charts. We were able to completely rely on her thanks to her expertise. We like the fact that she offered a package of copyediting, chart designing and copywriting.”

    Caroline Guillet, Assistant Editor, Arts and Crafts, Bloomsbury Publishing

  • "I really appreciated Rachael’s organisation, her method and the way she explained all the suggestions for change...

    "My colleague and I had a contract to publish a collective volume on a very specific topic in human sciences with many authors who were not native English speakers. Not being native English speakers ourselves, we were not able to see all the linguistic flaws in the contribution. It was very reassuring for us to know that we could rely 100% on Rachael’s work."

    Isabelle Aubert, Sorbonne University

  • “Working with Rachael was a pleasure.

    She was not only quick and precise, but generous in her feedback and undaunted by my 16-size pattern.”

    Katie Green of Katie Green Bean

Trusted by

David & Charles Publishing
Bloomsbury Publishing
The Knitter
Rowan

Got a project in mind?

From proofreading to technical editing, I’ll help you polish your words and bring clarity to your content.