Becoming a book indexers

I read a book about indexing years and years ago, and the author said. One thing you have to be able to do when things get complicated is to. The newly elected secretary, michelle guiliano, is a native new englander, and she practiced medicine for a number of years before becoming an indexer. Theres a lot online about the technology of indexing, but not much about the soul of it. Professional book indexer book indexing services since 1992, ferreira indexing inc. Book indexers earn their living by providing a useful service to authors, publishers and readers, yet many people have never of this profession. The sublime joy of making a book index without bullshit. Home australian and new zealand society of indexers. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. An index takes the form of specific arrangements entries intended to help readers find. How difficult is it to find work as a professional indexer. However, book indexes are often about relationships, and synonyms can be a a problem. This is becoming a bigger and bigger problem in the stock market.

Stock indexes were originally designed as reference pointsmeasurements of market success. There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. Recently he was part of a twitter hour that focused on ebook indexing that he found to be worthwhile. Book indexers usually work from home on a freelance basis. Jan 11, 2017 indexers generally are classified as technical information specialists, in the gs1412 job series. Blame trump readers have bemoaned the absence of an index in the former first ladys bestseller becoming, but indexers say it could have been a. Useful indexing software does indeed exist, but its not the fully automated concordancemaker that used to be bundled into word processing. For this, youll need to master book indexing software and industry standards or find a freelancer to index your book.

They also offer workshops on working as a freelance indexer and establishing an indexing business. We specialize in creating accurate and reliable indexes that meet our clients specifications and are delivered on time. They also offer workshops on working as a freelance indexer and. So you want to be an indexer american society for indexing. Others believe indexers are the ultimate timesavers, because they cull through millions of bits of information so you dont have to. Many authors hate the prospect of doing it themselves and so hire an indexer. Remember that the purpose of an index to a book is to enable readers to find. Indexers can index books, magazine articles, and other types of publications.

The becoming, the first book in a new trilogy and meigs first novel follows three main characters as they experience the initial outbreak of the zombie virus michaluk and fight to survive. Becoming is the memoir of former united states first lady michelle obama published in 2018. I was recently contacted by a qualified health sciences librarian with a biomedical degree as well as mlis who is searching for a virtual position because there are no local opps in her area. The book is published by crown and was released in 24 languages. How to make money from home by indexing books toughnickel. To solve the rat infestation, the french offered a bounty on rats, which could be. Whether your goal is simply to be a published author in a certain niche or you want to publish a book to promote your overall freelance writing business, your book might need an index. If you think indexing may be for you, have a go at the questionnaire and simple indexing exercises on the next pages. Frequently asked questions the faq frequently asked questions has been compiled to provide basic information on indexing as a freelance career, and indicate some resources for further research. She is brutally attacked, raped and left for dead and when she wakes up she doesnt really recognize the. It fosters high standards in editing, proofreading and indexing, protects the interests of its members, and helps to match authors, indie writers, publishers, businesses, public bodies and charitable organisations with. At the conclusion of the formal meeting, the new england chapter held its business meeting.

Australian and new zealand society of indexers anzsi aims to represent the interests of indexers and to provide training and other resources to all. Because authors and publishers rarely create the indexes themselves, this job must. Some say theyre the ultimate slicers and dicers because they cut through so much copy so you can find what you need. Books are usually delivered to the indexer via email as adobe pdfs portable document file and the search and find features in the program can be useful to an indexer in tracking down kernels of information that he might initially have thought inconsequential. It is the story about how anna strong, bounty hunter, becomes anna strong bounty hunter with vampires fangs. Indexing books as a career free mooc sylvia coates. This fivestep process is what every indexer does, in one form or another, to write an index that your readers will return to to make full use of your book. Indexing books as a career a free mooc on canvas network want to learn more about indexing before investing in a comprehensive indexing course. These authors dont know how to do to thisoften dont have time, and many hire professional indexers. I think its good to have because it gives the reader a good overview of the book, but im not sure whether its okusual for a memoir to have an index. Indexing books and other materials is, however, a useful skill that lets individuals from all sorts of backgrounds use their knowledge and skills to earn money in the comfort of their own homes. The society of indexers runs short workshops, which give an overview of indexing together with practical exercises. Every time someone opens a nonfiction book and flips to the index to look something up, she or he is taking advantage of this persons hard work.

Yes, often authors are told by the publisher to take care of the index. Then this free online course might be just what you need. Linguistically motivated features for enhanced backofthe. Its not unusual for publishers and editors who have not come from a scholarly background, or who have worked mainly with fiction, to have an incomplete understanding of what an index is, its purpose, and how it works. There is a wealth of information on indexing, including books, workshops, webinars and training courses. What this can lead to is some active managers, in an attempt to perform as well as the indices, end up becoming closet indexers managers that talk about stock picking but in reality are. Browse our complete bibliography of indexing and indexrelated journals, articles, and books. Loving the process to wholeness paperback october 3, 2017 by clint gresham author visit amazons clint gresham page. Some do it as a fulltime career, others use it to supplement income from other activities or pensions, or as a means to earn some money while staying at home with small children. Frequently asked questions american society for indexing. Indexers generally are classified as technical information specialists, in the gs1412 job series. The becoming is the first book in the anna strong chronicles.

A hot topic among the money management crowd is the amount of money being pulled from active managers i. An index takes the form of specific arrangements entries intended to help readers find information within a book. Training and online courses australian and new zealand. Ive known indexers who can do a book a week, but those people typically dont have kids, dont have other jobs and dont need much sleep. In my new book becoming, i explore how a processbased mindset, views setbacks and hurts as something entirely different. As with all careers, however, not everyone has the skill or temperament required for the profession. Units, tutorial support and formal tests are all available separately, so that you can learn in your own way and at your own pace. Lisa began her talk by highlighting four steps that would promote a working relationship with other indexers. Professional book indexer vanessa wells gives us a peek into her diary. Indexing a book does require a certain amount of time, knowledge, and skill. Misinterpretations of handwritten census manuscripts and transcription mistakes continue to thwart research, particularly when the first letter of a name is. Professional book indexer joanne phillips shows its done.

For information about applying for work as an indexer with nlms contractors, please contact the index section for a listing of all firms with a current indexing contract. These are useful for anyone who may be thinking of taking up indexing as a career. Its simply a case of using the mark index entry button to highlight the words you want to index, and word will automatically find every other instance of the word, and save each instance to the index so the indexing task is really just. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Okay, youre a publisher or editor and you have a book that needs to be indexed. Fiction authors are lucky that they only have to create a table of contents, but nonfiction authors also have to create a robust index to help readers navigate their book. Book indexes are also created after the books are written or sometimes after a chapter is written. Indexers can receive training through indexing certification classes and seminars.

Afepi ireland association of freelance proofreaders. However, some publishers also keep a list of indexers on their books and farm out indexing work directly. Its a pretty simple process to create an index in word. There is an active community of indexers in cyberspace, bolstered by a professional organizationthe american society for indexing asi there are listserves more than one for chatting, problem solving, and advice. It fosters high standards in editing, proofreading and indexing, protects the interests of its members, and helps to match authors, indie writers, publishers, businesses. Despite the advanced technology, however, no index is errorfree. Interview on nonfiction book indexing with virginia c.

May 10, 2010 most book contracts from academic presses now require the authors to do the index themselves. So although book indexing is the traditional form of indexing, there are many possibilities now within the field, some of them very modern and involving digital media. Fivestep process for writing a book index the writing. But now they are also the targets for the most popular investing strategies in the world, for both pure indexers and closet indexers. The association of freelance editors, proofreaders and indexers of ireland afepi ireland is a professional organisation for publishing and editorial freelancers in ireland. If you are looking for an interesting, satisfying and intellectually challenging job which can be combinedread more. I am becoming worried about how difficult, complicated, and timeconsuming the task may be. She has been running her business spanier indexing since 2010, and she focuses on database indexing and backofthebook indexing for a wide range of topics. Others want to join the workingathome revolution set in motion by the availability of personal computers with communication links.

Examples are an index in the back matter of a book and an index that serves as a library catalog. The becoming the becoming series book 1 kindle edition by meigs, jessica. Some are women who want to work at home on a parttime basis while they also care for their children. Instead of a life sentence to pain, its actually a training ground where the gift of courage and strength are established in us. Have you ever considered writing a nonfiction book. If you have written the book yourself, its quite difficult to distance yourself from the text and think how to construct an index in a way that will be most helpful for the reader. This essay was published in 2 parts in keywords, the jounal of the american society of indexers asi. Because authors and publishers rarely create the indexes themselves, this job must be completed by a professional indexer. Apr 25, 2020 in a book about nutrition, for example, one might expect to be able to find terms like calories, diet, nutritional values, and so forth in the index. Steps to becoming a freelance book editor published march 10, 2015 usually, my blog posts are directed at fiction writers and editors with tips on how to develop their craft. Described by the author as a deeply personal experience, the book talks about her roots and how she found her voice, as well as her time in the white house, her public health campaign, and her role as a mother. Book indexers may rearrange a scheme as they progress through a book. Nov 04, 20 for a fulllength book written for specialists, i like to have an entire month, although i rarely get that much time because of the way publishing calendars work. Some people call them unsung heroes because their behindthescenes work makes possible.

How to contract with a book indexer word for word book services. I am a professional book indexer the yawning chasm. If you love books and reading, have a fairly analytical mind, would love to be a. Computer technology has revolutionized the process of indexing census schedules. The following organisations offer indexing training online. As a selfemployed indexer, you will also have the advantage of being able to. So im sharing my technique in the form of a recipe.

Even where the author is an indexer herself, she may choose to employ someone else to index her book, as pat booth did for indexing. Some indexers specialize in specific formats, such as scholarly books, microforms, web indexing the application of a backof book style index to a website or intranet, search engine indexing, database indexing the application of a predefined controlled vocabulary such as mesh to articles for inclusion in a database, and periodical indexing. A career in indexing indexing offers the flexibility of working from home. Becoming an indexer, the indexer the international journal of indexing if you are embarking on an indexing training course or considering turning to indexing as a career, why not take a look at becoming an indexer. A thorough knowledge of spelling and grammar is essential in the world of publishing as is the ability to work to tight deadlines. The indexing books as a career mooc is intended for individuals interested in exploring a possible indexing career as well as for authors and editors who work with indexers. Browse through the book and put yourself in the place of a reader or teacher or student and imagine what kinds of things you might want to locate. She is brutally attacked, raped and left for dead and when she wakes up she doesnt really recognize the woman in the mirror. Indexing is one of the most important parts of publishing a book. Indexing books as a career is a free online course mooc provided by sylvia coates indexing services.

Jane read is a professional indexer and a member of the society of index ers the interview. It provides an introduction to the process of indexing and working as an indexer, but it is not a substitute for a comprehensive indexing training course and will not prepare anyone to work as a professional indexer. Indexing offers the flexibility of working from home. Becoming an indexer takes moderate education, persistence and a strong desire to work independently. As a result of the conference, ive received a referral and am being. As a copyeditor or proofreader youll ensure that material is clear, consistent, complete and credible, and that text is well written, grammatically correct and accessible.

Can backofthebook indexes be automatically created. So you want to be an indexer indexing is a professional, creative, serious, enriching career with serious potential for income generation, knowledge exploration, and community improvement. The becoming the becoming series book 1 kindle edition by. Indexers need a good understanding of alphabetization because computer software does not always sort complex terms in the most suitable way. Computergenerated census indexes are becoming increasingly available in book, microfiche, cdrom, and online forms. Publishing copyeditorproofreader job profile prospects. In most cases, indexing is a second or later career. An indexer organizes information and creates an index which can be used to locate that information. Dec 31, 2004 the becoming is the first book in the anna strong chronicles. For many it is part of a portfolio career encompassing other paid employment or freelance activities such as editorial work, or provides a means of income which fits round other commitments. He also mentioned that indexers dont even have to leave the office to participate in meetings. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the becoming the becoming series book 1.