2x award-winning book indexer and the author of Book Indexing: A Step-by-Step Guide. I teach you how to write excellent indexes, along with reflections on succeeding as a freelance indexer.
Hello, I found myself thinking last week about the value of making a plan before starting an index. It is something I do as part of my indexing practice. But what do I mean by making a plan? While I discuss elements of making a plan in my book (especially in the “Get Ready” section, though the whole book, really, is to help you make a plan to tackle your index), I don’t think I’ve previously pulled together what it is I mean when I am beginning an index. So, assuming you understand the basic elements and process for writing an index, and you have received the page proofs from the client and are getting ready to start the index, how can you go about making a plan? For me, making a plan can be broken down into answering the following six questions.
All of these plans are, of course, contingent. It may take me longer than I expect to write the rough draft. I may discover an unexpected challenge. I may need to rethink my approach in order to keep the index short enough. Continuing to revise and refine the plan is, for better or worse, part of my indexing process. But I find there are still benefits to thinking through all of these questions before starting. Knowing what the book is about and who the audience is helps to shape the entries I create and cuts down on irrelevant ones. The rough draft is usually a little cleaner and easier to edit. Indexing to the space available helps to avoid needing to make deep and painful cuts late in the process. Identifying challenges early means indexing correctly from the start, rather than going back to fix. Creating a schedule helps to keep me on track. How much time should you spend making a plan? That is up to you. For many books, I only need about five or ten minutes to assess and make a plan. I may jot down a couple of notes and otherwise will keep my thoughts in my head. I’ve so far indexed around 500 books and many books are similar enough in terms of structure and genre conventions that I quickly know what to expect. Though I also work on some books that are more complicated or unique, and for those I do spend time digging into what it is I am unsure about. I am also aware of some indexers who use a checklist or form to help them prepare for each index. Find a system that works for you. Writing an index is a constant process of decision-making. Making a plan can help streamline some of that decision-making, and provide confidence that you are setting out on the right path. Happy indexing! Stephen P.S. Thank you to everyone who bought a copy of my book or recommended it to someone during Smashwords’ recent Read an Ebook Week sale. Six copies of the ebook sold. I’m very pleased with that. Overall, the book seems to be selling 10 to 16 copies per month, some months a little more or a little less. One of my hopes was that the book would remain relevant and would sell steadily, so I am thankful for these sales numbers. |
Professional Book Indexer
2x award-winning book indexer and the author of Book Indexing: A Step-by-Step Guide. I teach you how to write excellent indexes, along with reflections on succeeding as a freelance indexer.
Hello, It is not too often that I have the privilege of indexing an entire series. It is also not every index in which structure plays such a prominent role. I mean, structure—deciding which entries and arrays to create, where to place them within the index, and how they relate to each other—is always important, but for some indexes structure can play a heightened role. I recently indexed the fifth volume in the Alpha Wolves of Yellowstone series, written by Rick McIntyre and published by...
Hello, From my perspective as a relatively younger indexer, it feels like indexing is in the midst of a generational turnover, both in terms of long-time indexers nearing retirement and in regards to software. A lot of programs developed in the 1980s and 1990s are still vital to our work, but what happens when their developers either retire or die? The indexing community has been struggling with this question over the last few years. Dave Ream died unexpectedly in 2017, leaving his programs...
Hello, One of the challenges of being a freelance indexer is knowing where to draw the line on projects that are a good fit. Do you stick to subjects that you are comfortable with and for which you have prior professional or academic expertise? Or does indexing know-how mean that you can index anything? I think it is a bit of both. I consider myself a generalist, with some caveats. I am comfortable with most trade books, written for a general audience, since I consider myself part of that...