Article
August 30, 2023
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by Stephen

Book Indexing: Post-Publication Highs and Lows

My book for sale at the When Words Collide writing festival, Calgary.

It has been seven weeks since I launched Book Indexing: A Step-by-Step Guide. It feels like that time has flown by and it feels like that time has crawled by. A book doesn’t stop (while, it kind of feels like it stops but it doesn’t really) when it launches, and a lot has been happening behind the scenes. I want to share some of that with you. 

All the Feelings

The first couple of weeks after publication were a burst of excitement, with the temptation to check sales reports five times a day. More unexpectedly, I’ve also spent a few weeks feeling quite low, struggling with focus and motivation. I wasn’t sure why until a client mentioned their own experience trying to stave off the empty-nest syndrome of having a new book published. Which makes sense. I spent almost three years focused on writing and producing my book. Now that the book is launched, there is some ongoing marketing, distribution, and sales tracking, but the bulk of the work is done. There is this feeling that the work has ground to a halt and I haven’t figured out yet what to replace it with.

I do want to continue writing and to start a new project. It is also taking me time to transition. Which is okay. I am giving myself permission to take some time to figure out what comes next. 

(And I am feeling better now, thank you.)

Sales

So far Book Indexing has sold about 70 copies, somewhat more in paperback than ebooks, which I think is respectable for a self-published book and such a niche subject. There was an initial spike in sales at the launch, with numbers now much lower, though still selling. My hope is that the book will remain perennially relevant (the technology may change, but I believe the principles of indexing will stay the same), with a few copies selling each month. 

When Words Collide

I first encountered indie authors and realized that self-publishing can be a viable option at When Words Collide, a grassroots writing festival in Calgary that I’ve been attending since 2015 or 2016. I didn’t think I would sell a copy at the festival, since the focus is mostly on genre fiction, but I figured if nothing else, it would be a good learning experience to have a few copies for sale on the shared authors table. And, I actually sold a copy! It felt like my self-publishing adventure was coming full circle. 

Audreys Books

Book Indexing is also now on sale at Audreys, a local bookstore in downtown Edmonton. I dropped four copies off last week and had a lovely chat with their staff member who handles consignment. It feels like another milestone: my book is on the shelf in a physical bookstore!

Local Bookstores and Libraries

Speaking of bookstores, self-published authors typically lack the distribution reach to get onto the shelves of brick-and-mortar bookstores, unless you are able to hand deliver copies. That said, most bookstores should be able to order the book, if you request it. So if you would like a paperback copy of Book Indexing and want to also support your local bookstore, you can!

Book Indexing is also available to libraries through a number of platforms, such as Overdrive and BorrowBox. If you prefer to borrow the book, please feel free to ask your local library to buy a copy. You get to read, I still get paid, and the book is then available for others to discover, which is awesome. 

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If you haven’t yet picked up a copy, links to online retailers can be found here (I’ve added more retailers since the last time I shared this link) or please order through your local bookstore or library.

Thank you again to all of you who have bought a copy, written a review, or helped spread the word. Your support and interest means so much.

Article
July 12, 2023
0 comment
by Stephen

Publication Day! And Why I Wrote a Book About Indexing

My book is officially launched!

It is a surreal experience to put the book out into the world. Today, I am still sitting at home, writing an index for a client. Not much has changed in my day-to-day life. Most of the work of finalizing the book and uploading the files happened a couple of week or more ago. And yet anyone can now buy and receive this thing that I have created. 

I am nervous, wondering if the book is going to be a complete flop or if it has a fatal flaw that I missed. But mostly I’m excited. This feels like an end to all of the work of writing and publishing, and the beginning of both marketing and supporting the book, going forward, as well as an opportunity to start a new writing project. I am excited to see how this book is received and what comes next.

I’m not very good at celebrating, but I did want to mark the occasion. My caffeinated beverage of choose is loose leaf green or oolong tea, and I recently bought some Japanese sencha green tea from a local tea shop. I decided to save it until this morning, and I enjoyed a cup as I got the day rolling.

I have also been reflecting on why I have written this book.

The original impetus was noticing that I would occasionally receive queries from authors who ultimately decided to write the index themselves. I respect their decision. It can be difficult trusting someone else to do a good job, or the price may be higher than their budget, or indexing just seems like such an intriguing puzzle. But I did feel bad that there were not better resources to help authors tackle this task.

Writing Book Indexing: A Step-by-Step Guide, I have tried to balance being thorough with also being practical and accessible. By the time you finish this book, you should understand the fundamentals of indexing, and—if you’ve been doing the exercises—you should have a solid head-start and plan for writing your own index. I have written the book so that each chapter builds on itself, so that there is a step-by-step progression. I have also tried to keep the language and descriptions simple, so that the concepts are not too difficult to understand, and so that the book can be read fairly quickly, if the reader is in a hurry. I believe that indexing is a skill that can be taught and learned. 

If you read the book, you can let me know how I’ve done!

Accessibility has also informed my publishing strategy. I’ve decided to publish wide, which among indie authors means that I am not exclusive to Amazon. Instead, the book is mostly being distributed through Draft2Digital, and for the ebook, direct with a few retailers, such as Amazon, Google Play, and Kobo. Through Draft2Digital, the book is available from retailers around the world, including ones that I had never heard of before. For example, with Vivlio, a major book retailer in France, and with Librerías Gandhi, one of the largest bookstore chains in Mexico.

This is in contrast to most books on indexing, which I’ve noticed can be both very expensive and can be difficult to find. They are not always even available on Amazon.

Do I expect to sell a lot of copies in France or Mexico? No, not really. But that is not the point. The point is that the book is available. The point is to make it easier for people to learn about indexing, regardless of where they live. The point is to help improve the quality of indexes, whether by authors, newer indexers, or people exploring indexing as a career. The point is to help editors and others within the publishing industry better understand what is required for an excellent index, and how to work with indexers. Maybe even readers who appreciate a quality index can grow in their appreciation and understanding.

Indexing is poorly understood, even within publishing. And lack of knowledge tends to lead to poor indexes. I want to make indexing more accessible and more easily understood. I believe that the more authors, editors, readers, and even indexers understand the mechanics of indexing and the qualities of an excellent index, the better books will be, and the better it will be for all of us. 

So, big dreams for indexing and indexes. Maybe more than this book can shoulder. But this book is a step, at least, towards making indexing accessible and making indexing known. 

PS. If you haven’t picked up a copy yet, you can find your preferred retailer here. If you’d like to learn more about what is in the book, please click here.