Article
April 16, 2024
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by Stephen

But Am I Really Qualified to Index That?

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 readership. I am comfortable with most scholarly books within the humanities and social sciences, though I have also learned that I have limits. While I can index philosophy, for example, I often struggle to wrap my mind around such abstract concepts. I index better and faster if I stick to subjects like history or political science that are typically more concrete. Then there are subjects like law, medicine, and engineering, which I have no background in and tend to avoid.

Except, when it depends. 

I recently indexed a law book for the first time and it turned out okay. (At least I think so and the author is pleased.)

It all started when the production manager got in touch. Carra Simpson, a phenomenal independent project manager who remembered me from a previous job, asked if I would be interested in indexing Coppock on Tennessee Adoption Law, 8th Edition, by Dawn Coppock, (Good Law, 2024). I initially resisted. I explained that I do not have a law background, that I am not confident that I will recognize important concepts, nor do I know what legal professionals will be searching for in an index. Carra patiently countered my objections, sent me the proofs for the 7th edition so I would have a better idea of what to expect, and offered to put me in touch with Dawn, the author. 

As it turned out, Dawn had a smaller budget, though still reasonable, and was comfortable with a simpler index, though at 700 indexable pages, there was still a lot to pick up. I focused on the main concepts and discussions, taking cues from the book’s structures and headings, which was clearly organized. I also tried to not get bogged down in minor details, though I still read the whole book. Creating a solid structure for the index proved important, one that was easy to navigate and which didn’t bury entries, as there was a lot of information to include (about 115 pages alone covering grounds for termination of parental rights, for example). We also decided to not pick up individual cases, which saved a lot of time. I also had an informative chat with Dawn over Zoom, which helped me better understand some of the terminology and how readers would search. Lastly, I appreciated that Dawn had written the book to be accessible to everyone involved, from judges and lawyers to adoptive and birth parents, which meant I felt like I could understand it too.

I also leaned heavily into my indexing expertise. Even when I don’t fully understand the subject matter, I’ve learned how to read as an indexer and I know what a good index looks like. 

This contrasts with my very first freelance index, for The Anthology of Social Studies: Issues and Strategies for Elementary Teachers, Updated Edition, edited by Roland Case and Penny Clark (Pacific Educational Press, 2013). The production editor suggested that I update the original index, which I foolishly agreed to do. What I discovered were chapters that had been added, removed, and rearranged, which made deconstructing and updating the index an extremely painstaking and mind-bending process. I should have insisted on rewriting the index from scratch. Except, I don’t have a background in education either. I think I would be fine now with indexing the book, but at that time, with neither subject-matter expertise nor enough indexing expertise, I was sinking fast. As painful as it was to update the original index, at least the original index showed me what the index should be like and helped pull me through.

Reflecting on these two experiences, my point isn’t to brag about how far my indexing skills have come. Rather, I want to encourage you to focus on building your own indexing skills. Indexing expertise counts for a lot when facing a difficult project or unfamiliar subject. It certainly helps to also understand the subject, and if you are out of your depth, I recommend talking to the author and maybe also doing some research to learn the basics. But it is also important to remember that the value we bring as indexers is our knowledge of indexing. It is knowing how to identify indexable material. It is formulating clear and concise headings and subheadings. It is being adept at creating a structure that is easy to navigate and highlights the main points of the book. If you can develop your indexing chops, it becomes way easier to stretch beyond your comfort zone. 

As you practice, whether on practice indexes or freelance projects, I suggest sticking to topics and subjects that are relatively easy. Focus first on building your skills, and then apply those skills to more difficult books. I began indexing when working in-house for Harbour Publishing, a trade publisher. While unplanned, that proved a good starting point because the books were fairly easy to understand and I could focus on crafting the index. Later, when I began indexing scholarly books, I had a small foundation of experience to build upon, which made scholarly books—at least in subjects I was familiar with—easier to tackle.

Ten years ago, I probably would have struggled to index Coppock on Tennessee Adoption Law. Now, I’m still no lawyer, but it turns out I can crack the index.

Article
March 5, 2024
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by Stephen

When to Walk Away

A month ago I wrote about my ideal working relationship with publishers, as a valued member of the team. But not every publisher or client is going to be ideal, and sometimes you need to know when to walk away.

Walking away from a project or client is scary. Especially early in my career, I was loath to pass up an opportunity. I needed the paycheck and would say yes to books that I either had no interest in subject-wise, or were beyond my skill level in either subject matter expertise or indexing know-how. Which isn’t always bad. Sometimes being pushed out of my comfort zone shows me where I need to improve or shows me that I am capable of more than I realize. Though sometimes it means that I need to set better boundaries.

Sometimes you need to walk away from a project because of the client, not the actual work. Or at least be willing to walk away.

I faced this situation with two different clients last year, both academic authors. The experiences caused me to reflect on what it is I need from clients in order to make this working relationship worthwhile. Are all of the terms dictated by the client, or do I have some agency too? Though to be fair to both authors, I found them both (or in the one case, the author’s assistant) pleasant and easy to work with. The problem actually lay with their respective universities.

Often when I am hired by an academic author, payment for the index comes from their university, in the form of funding that the author can tap into. This usually means that I need to register with the university as a vendor, which almost always means paperwork. In these two cases, both universities had requirements that I was unable to fulfill. In one case, the university wanted a tax number that I did not have (as a Canadian citizen and resident, with the university in another country, it was a foreign tax number I ordinarily do not need). In the other case, for a university in yet another country, their requirements seemed more suited to a larger company than my one-person freelance outfit. After initial inquiries, neither university seemed to want to budge.

What do I do? Do I invest time and money trying to meet their requirements, which could potentially take months trying to acquire that which I do not have? Or do I walk away? I don’t really want to walk away, because the issue isn’t with the book or with the author. But if being paid is going to be a drain on my time and resources, the project is no longer so appealing. How much red tape is $1000, or even $2000, worth?

In both cases I decided to be honest with the authors. It also helped that they had started the vendor registration process early, before the proofs were ready for indexing, so there was still time to find another indexer if necessary. I explained why I was unable to meet all of the vendor registration requirements. I asked if the university would be willing to waive the problematic requirements. I politely stated that if the requirements were not waived, then I would regretfully need to withdraw from the project and they would need to find another indexer who would be a better fit.

I felt anxious threatening to pull out of a project I had previously agreed to do. I didn’t know how the author or the university would react. I also felt okay at the prospect of losing the client and project. There was still time for another project to come along to fill that time slot in my schedule and it felt good to protect and value my own time and business.

Thankfully, both universities decided, after all, that they could waive the troublesome requirements. I don’t fully know what happened on their end, but the authors decided to advocate to keep me as their indexer and the university administrators found a way to make it happen. A happy outcome for everyone, at least from my perspective.

These experiences taught me a few lessons:

  • Know my boundaries. As an indexer, I am here to serve my clients, which involves dealing with payment and paperwork. Some paperwork is reasonable. But I also want to enjoy my work, and I only have a finite amount of time. To keep my business sustainable and enjoyable, I need to know and enforce my boundaries, which may mean saying no or goodbye to certain books or clients. I know I can’t serve everyone, so I may as well focus on the books and clients that are the best fit.
  • Always ask. Administrative requirements may not be set in stone. While the answer may not always be what I want to hear, it is worth asking if changes can be made (and letting the client know what I am willing and not willing to do) before making a final decision about a client or project.  
  • Learn to say no. I wish I was better at saying no, and that I was better at it earlier in my career. Turning down projects is tough, especially when offers are scarce. But if you are a newer freelancer, practice saying no, and maybe actually say it sometimes. This circles back to boundaries. Know what kind of work is too far out of your comfort zone. Know what level of red tape you are willing to deal with. It may be difficult in the moment to turn down a project or client, but your future self will thank you. 

Have you ever walked away from a project? What was that experience like? What did you do to make the situation better? Please feel free to reply below in the comments. I am curious to hear your experience.

Article
February 21, 2024
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by Stephen

Indigenous Terms and Names, Indexing

Living in Canada and regularly working with a number of Canadian presses, I’ve had the privilege, since I’ve begun freelancing, to index several books relating to the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. There seems to be a growing trend in Canada to publish books by and about Indigenous Peoples. I’ve also noticed what seems to be a further trend in the books I index, which is the preference for using Indigenous terms and names over their English translations. Often to the point where the reader needs to have or quickly develop a good working knowledge of these terms in order to read the book (or at least to have the glossary bookmarked for easy reference), because once the English translation is provided in the first instance, it is often not provided again.

This observation of mine is purely anecdotal. I don’t have access to the decision-making that lies behind these books, and I can only speak to the books I have personally worked on. However, it has happened enough times that it seems more than coincidence, and I think it is worth highlighting and celebrating.

I most often see Indigenous terms and names used for personal and place names, as well as for significant concepts, objects, and traditional practices. This often happens in books by and about specific Indigenous nations. For example, last year I indexed Tiná7 Cht Ti Temíxw—We Come from This Land: A Walk through the History of the Squamish People, by the Squamish Nation (Page Two, 2023) and Lhù’ààn Mân Keyí Dań Kwánje Nààtsat—Kluane Lake Country People Speak Strong, by the Kluane First Nation (Figure 1 Publishing, 2023). I also sometimes see a lot of Indigenous terms in books written from an Indigenous perspective, when the author wants to discuss Indigenous concepts in an Indigenous manner. The most striking example that I’ve indexed so far is Our Hearts Are as One Fire: An Ojibway-Anishinabe Vision for the Future, by Jerry Fontaine (UBC Press, 2020), which uses terms from the Ojibwaymowin language for all major concepts. My sincere thanks to Jerry Fontaine for answering all of my language-related questions.

As a white settler who does not speak an Indigenous language, needing to quickly become familiar with these terms and names is an additional challenge when indexing. And, I think it is a challenge that is worth the effort. So much of culture, identity, and knowledge is bound up in language. While these are Indigenous terms used in an English context, rather than books written entirely in an Indigenous language, incorporating and using these terms is still an important step towards revitalizing these languages, as well as reminding settlers—or realizing for the first time—that there is a richness already here that is worth attending to.

Let’s jump into a few examples.

Indigenous people can have both an Indigenous and an English name. Both may be given in the book. This was especially true for the book by the Squamish Nation, with people primarily referred to by their Squamish (or Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim (Squamish Language)) name. The English name was usually given in the first instance to help with identification and sometimes repeated later in the book. For example, Chief August Jack Khatsahlano, a well-known figure in Vancouver history, is most often referred to as X̱ats’alánexw Siy̓ám̓, which is how I indexed him. 

For some Indigenous Peoples, names, or titles, are hereditary, and two or more people in the book may share the same name. I encountered this recently when indexing Indigenous Legalities, Pipeline Viscosities: Colonial Extractivism and Wet’suwet’en Resistance, by Tyler McCreary (University of Alberta Press, 2024). I am thankful for the author’s guidance on differentiating between the types of hereditary names, and for how best to index. The key is to be mindful that I am not familiar with these naming conventions and to consult the author, as well as look for clues in the text, to make sure I properly identify and index everyone.

Place names are also often discussed using their Indigenous names, as part of marking traditional territory. The Kluane First Nation book includes locations such as K’ùà Mân (Kloo Lake) and Lhù’ààn Mân Jälí (Headwaters of the Kluane River). The Squamish Nation book also uses Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim names for several locations in and around Vancouver., such as Iy̓ál̓mexw (Jericho Beach) and T’aḵ’t’aḵ’muy̓ín̓ tl’a in̓inyáx̱a7n (Black Tusk).

Concepts, objects, and traditional stories and knowledge may also be discussed using Indigenous terms. From the Squamish Nation book, this includes sts’úḵw’i7 (salmon) and the X̱aays (Transformer brothers). For Our Hearts Are as One Fire, the index was in part built around concepts such as i-nah-ko-ni-gay-win (sovereignty) and o-gi-ma-win (governance). (In Our Hearts Are as One Fire, the book also inverts the common practice of placing non-English terms in italics, which I thought was a brilliant reversal of expectations and foregrounds the importance of Ojibwaymowin.)

All of these terms and names need to appear in the index and they impact how I index. I’ve developed the following best practices for myself.

  • Since the authors and publishers are making an effort to highlight and privilege these Indigenous languages, I think it is important that the index does so as well. However, I don’t know if readers will be familiar with these terms, or whether they will first search in English or the Indigenous language, and so the index needs to be searchable in both. I achieve this by double-posting everything. If an array uses subheadings, I make the Indigenous term or name the preferred main heading and include a cross-reference from the English. The index will be substantially longer than a similar, monolingual book, with so many double-posts and cross-references, but I think it is worthwhile to ensure that the Indigenous names and terms are included.
  • Similarly, in subheadings, I try to use Indigenous terms when appropriate, along with the English translation in parentheses. While also making for longer subheadings and larger arrays, I think it is still worthwhile to consistently use and emphasize the Indigenous terms throughout the index.
  • Diacritics and special characters are used in many of these languages, as in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim and Dań K’è (Southern Tutchone). The publisher is likely using a special font. Make sure that you are using the correct characters, either through copying-and-pasting from the proofs or style guide, or otherwise coordinating with the press. For Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim terms, I was also asked to factor in pops/glottal stops (‘ and 7) when alphabetizing, which took a little bit of work to figure out how to properly force-sort.
  • I’ve also learned that it is often important to include “Chief” in the main heading, for the appropriate individuals. This is something I now regularly query, to make sure I am on the same page with what the author and nation expects. For example, in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim, siyám means highly respected person, and siyám is often incorporated into the name, as in X̱ats’alánexw Siy̓ám̓.  “Chief” is used in English, and should be included in the name and main heading, as in “Khatsahlano, Chief August Jack.”

I do wonder if I am the best person to index these books. As a white settler, I don’t have a grounding in an Indigenous culture or community. Would an Indigenous person have a different approach to writing these indexes? I am curious to know and hope to have that conversation one day. The Indexing Society of Canada/Société canadienne d’indexation is working to support prospective Indigenous indexers, among other underrepresented and marginalized groups, through its Diversity in Canadian Publishing Bursary. I look forward to seeing what comes from that initiative.

In the meantime, I am honored to index these books. I hope that the indexes add value, both for the Indigenous communities discussed and for non-Indigenous readers, and that the indexes help to make these languages more visible.

Do you ever index books with a lot of names and terms from Indigenous languages? Or other non-English languages? What are some tips you have for incorporating and shaping the index? Feel free to leave a comment and let me know.

Article
February 6, 2024
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by Stephen

A Member of the Team? Freelance Indexers Within Publishing

Freelancers are ubiquitous within publishing. Most publishers maintain a relatively small number of in-house staff, with much of the actual production work contracted out. What does this mean for the relationship between freelancer and publisher?

Before I dig into this topic, I want to acknowledge that I write from a place of having previously been on the inside, and from also now having been a freelancer for about eleven years. When I first began working in publishing, I worked in-house for two different publishers. I developed a strong sense of publishing as a team effort, with each person, whether in-house or freelance, contributing to the finished book. As a freelancer, I have retained this sense of being part of a team, and in my ideal working relationship with a publisher, we respect each other as team members. That said, I am also aware that many freelance indexers do not have in-house experience, and that publishers can come across as opaque and unapproachable. 

This reflection draws upon my own experience and what I would like to see. Your experiences and ideal working relationship may be different. I am curious to hear what you think, in the comments. If you are a new freelance indexer, I hope this gives you some ideas for what a positive working relationship can be like.

To start, let’s look at a couple of recent experiences I’ve had.

The Editor Who Couldn’t Care Less

Some publishers, or at least certain editors within those publishers, couldn’t seem to care less about the freelancers supporting their work. I encountered this a few months ago when I was hired by an author to index their book, which was being published by an independent academic press. (For the sake of this reflection, I’m keeping authors, editors, and publishers anonymous.)

Indexing guidelines were scant, though it seemed that both run-in and indented formats would be accepted. Working with the author, I submitted the index in run-in format. To our surprise, the editor unilaterally changed the format to indented, on the grounds that indented is easier to read. I actually agree with the editor on the format, but that’s not the point. If the editor felt so strongly about the format, they should have made that clear upfront.

We asked the editor about the change, and the editor confirmed that the press does indeed accept both run-in and indented formats, except, I guess, when the editor decides they know what is best. Reverting to run-in format was not an option. I followed up with some additional concerns, since the structure, as I originally envisioned it in run-in format, no longer worked quite as well. I also asked that in the future the editor provide clearer instructions, to avoid this extra and unnecessary work caused by this unilateral change. In reply, the editor made very clear that they had no interest in communicating with me nor in providing clearer instructions. The editor stated that they primarily work with scholarly authors who apparently get confused by too many instructions, and so the editor is used to taking whatever the author provides and formatting it as they see fit.

The irony is that I had already been hired by a different author to index a second book for the same press (which I submitted in indented format). The editor seemed unaware and uninterested in the fact that at least some of their authors were hiring professional indexers. Even if I am not in direct contact with the editor, I would suggest that we are still on the same team, and that better communication, whether directly or in the form of clearer indexing instructions, would make for a better book and a smoother production process for both of us.

The Editor Who Gets It

That same author who hired me to write the first index later passed my name on to a friend, who turned out to be the manager editor for two small university presses. That editor got in touch and, after a few emails back and forth sorting out the details for how we might work together, wrote, “Welcome to the team!”

Guess which editor I want to work with.

Being Part of a Team

Every publisher and project is going to be different. Some publishers prefer to be hands-off, making the index the author’s responsibility and not wanting to be in direct contact with the freelancer. I understand that the in-house editors are often very busy juggling multiple books. I respect the desire to be hands-off and I let the author take the lead on how communication flows between me, the author, and the press. In other cases, I am hired directly by the press, and so I am in regular contact with the in-house managing or production editor. For complicated projects, I may also be put in contact with the copyeditor, proofreader, or designer—whoever is best placed to answer my questions—which really does feel like I am part of the team. 

As a freelance member of the team, I recognize that I am being hired to perform a service. I realize that I don’t always get the final say, and if the author or publisher insist, I will revise the index as asked, even if I disagree. That said, part of being a team also means having my role and expertise respected. I appreciate at least being consulted on potential changes and to have my opinion taken seriously, even if the author or press ultimately decides otherwise. Respect also involves clear communication, whether direct, through the author, or through the indexing guidelines, so that I can properly do my job and have a way to ask questions. 

Being a freelancer also means recognizing when I am not part of the team. This took me a while to learn, as I was initially used to being part of the in-house team. But as a freelancer, I work with multiple authors and publishers. What is best for my business is not necessarily in line with what the publisher wants. While working together with authors and publishers on specific books, I also need to have boundaries with clients, to be able to say no when a project or publisher is not a good fit or if my schedule is already full.

For me, at least, it doesn’t take much to feel included. I don’t need a small gift or card at Christmas (though it is a lovely surprise when it occasionally happens), nor do I need to be included in company-wide meetings (though again, a nice gesture, especially if the meeting pertains to freelancers and my time is compensated, as did once happen). What matters is feeling appreciated. A word of thanks for the index. A willingness to answer questions. A desire to work together again in the future. Basically, an openness to a positive professional relationship that makes it easy to get the work done. 

What are your thoughts on the freelancer-publisher relationship? Do you feel part of a team? Or do you feel shut out or disrespected? What do you look for in a positive working relationship? Please feel free to reply in the comments and let me know.

Article
January 24, 2024
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by Stephen

Indexing Local History: Stories I’ve Been Told Series

Front cover for the book Stories I've Been Told, Vol. 3, by Elaine Thomas.Local history can be both a joy and a challenge to index. It can be deeply personal, both for those telling and writing the stories, and for those reading, as it reaffirms our bonds with each other and with the places we belong. The index is often the first point of contact with the text, as readers search for the people, places, and memories that they hold dear—or even search for themselves.

Over the last few years, I’ve had the honour and pleasure of working with Elaine Thomas, an author and storyteller. Elaine is an Albertan transplanted to Fayette County, Texas. She regularly writes for a local newspaper, The Fayette County Record, including, for several years, a column profiling a wide array of locals, especially senior citizens who reminisce about their lives. Elaine is now collecting and self-publishing these columns in the Stories I’ve Been Told series. I have indexed all three volumes published so far, as well as three other books of local and family history that Elaine has written. Today, I want to discuss how I approach indexing the Stories I’ve Been Told series, drawing examples from the third volume that was launched last November.

I love Elaine’s work for a couple of reasons.

Elaine has a knack for finding and telling incredible stories of everyday life. These are ordinary, everyday people, and yet dig beneath the surface, as Elaine does, and extraordinary accomplishments and joy shine forth. It is an excellent reminder of the wealth of knowledge and experience that surrounds all of us, if we only pay attention and listen. Elaine’s books epitomize the value and importance of preserving our local history. 

I also love reading these profiles of people in Fayette County, Texas, because it is a completely different world than what I am familiar with. Add in the fact that many of the people profiled are reminiscing about life during the Depression, World War II, and postwar, and it is a whole other world yet again. Rural farm life among Czech and German immigrants is about as far away as you can get from the concrete Taiwanese city of a million people that I grew up in, except, maybe, for the shared summer heat. I get to explore a different perspective and way of life as I index these books, a way of life that is slowly becoming more familiar with each book.

From an indexing standpoint, there are a couple of challenges which I find are common to indexing local history. The first is, what in indexable?

Details

Local history books often contain a lot of detail. Because there is so much that could potentially be picked up, it is a good idea to decide ahead of time, as much as possible, what is indexable and what can be left aside. I find my approach often evolves as I work and better understand the text. The plan does not need to be rigid. But starting with a plan does help to avoid being overwhelmed by the sheer number of potential entries, and to avoid adding, and then later deleting, irrelevant entries.

For the Stories I’ve Been Told series, I make a distinction between Fayette County and the rest of the country and world. The people profiled are all from and live within Fayette County. I assume that readers of the book also have a connection to the area. So information about Fayette County forms the bulk of what I pick up. I index somewhat less detail about the rest of Texas, with most such entries being about neighbouring counties and cities that readers are likely to be familiar with, and where the people profiled may have studied and worked. I index the least amount of detail about the rest of the country and world. If someone spent part of their career in Virginia, for example, I will likely include that as a subheading, but I probably will not create main headings for places and businesses within Virginia, as I don’t think that readers will be searching for Virginia-related details.

I index all of the local people. This can lead to long lists of family members, if a person profiled mentions all of their grandparents, parents, siblings, spouse, children, and other relatives. But since this is intended for a local readership who may be searching for their families and friends, I think it is important to pick up all of the names, even minor mentions. This can also mean double-checking surnames with Elaine, to make sure I am properly identifying people.

I also pick up places. This includes all of the cities and towns within Fayette County. I also pick up churches, schools, local businesses, significant geographic features, and any other place that seems important. These are often minor mentions, but again, this is a book for local readers. There are memories attached to these places, and local histories can be an aid for people to access their own memories.

I also pick up details for various activities. These can be memories about Christmas or attending dances, childhood memories of working on the farm, or about people’s careers, such as delivering mail or running a flooring business. I also create arrays for local events, like the Fayette County Fair.

Several of the people profiled are veterans who reminisce about their wartime experiences. I’ve learned that honouring vets is important, in a way that seems more strongly emphasized than in Canada. I include several arrays for the different branches of military; the military bases where these veterans served, especially those nearby within Texas; and the wars, which is mostly WWII, along with a few mentions for the Korean and Vietnam wars. 

Basically, if someone or something happened or existed within Fayette County, I index it. Elaine and I want local readers to be able to find their family and friends, and places and events, that are significant to them.

Structure

With so many details, structuring the index is also important, to ensure that the index is easy to search.

I build the index structure around the book’s structure. Stories I’ve Been Told, Vol. 3 contains 30 profiles, with each profile about 8 pages, give or take. This includes 1-3 pages of photographs. Because it is these people who form the core of the book, I use subheadings for each person, focusing on what that person chooses to discuss. I also include a range, at the top of the array, for the whole profile. Photographs are indicated in italics. 

Kea, Arleas Upton, 1–9

career with FDIC, 1, 7

childhood, 2–3

education and desegregation, 3–4, 9

family, 3, 7, 8, 9

photographs, 7–9

prayer and worship, 3

reflections on life and success, 6

at University of Texas, 5–6

I also do a lot of double-posting. All of the churches, for example, are both indexed as standalone entries and are gathered together in a single array. Gathering together does mean that the index will be longer, but I think it is helpful to provide a place for readers to scan if they can’t remember the name of a specific church or if they want to see which churches are mentioned. It is also generally a good practice to provide multiple access points, if there is space, to accommodate how different readers choose to search. If the community that the church is in is not obvious from the church’s name, I also include that detail in parentheses. (I also include the community in parentheses for main headings if the community is not obvious from the name of the church, school, or business.)

churches

Bethlehem Lutheran Church (Round Top), 189

Big Spring Hill Baptist Church, 79

Elm Creek Baptist Church (Seguin), 179

Holy Cross Lutheran Church (Warda), 143, 147, 149

Prairie Valley Lutheran Church, 181

prayer and worship, 3

Queen of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church (Hostyn), 89, 92, 217

Sacred Heart Catholic Church (La Grange), 36, 91

St. James Missionary Baptist Church (Plum), 79

St. James Missionary Baptist Church (Schulenburg), 3

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church (Ammannsville), 83

St. Mary Catholic Church (High Hill), 40

St. Mary’s Catholic Church (Ellinger), 125

St. Paul Lutheran Church (La Grange), 27, 220

St. Paul Lutheran Church (Serbin), 97–98, 99

St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church (Schulenburg), 54, 56–57, 101

Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church (Plum), 32

Swiss Alp Lutheran Church, 112

Trinity Lutheran Church (Black Jack Springs), 12, 154

I also double-post for significant events and memories that have enough entries to warrant subheadings, such as Christmas:

Christmas

Alvin J. Anders’ memories, 101–2

Christmas trees, 54, 57, 138, 143, 153

Frances Pietsch Schumann’s memories, 143–44

gifts for WWII soldiers, 51

Gracie Loessin Taylor’s memories, 153

Kahlich family traditions, 54–57

mail delivery and, 134

Santa Claus, 54–55

St. Nicholas (St. Nicholas Day), 53–54, 58

For military arrays, such as the wars and branches of the military, I suspect that some readers would like to see who else served, and so I double-post names in these arrays as well, in addition to double-posting military bases. For example,

U.S. Air Force

Bien Hoa Air Force Base (Vietnam), 225, 227–28

Eugene J. “Gene” Wessels, 177, 178–79, 183

Fort Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, 178

Harry Richard “Dick” Peck, 223–28, 231, 232

Lackland Air Force Base, 61

Laredo Air Force Base, 223–24

For Stories I’ve Been Told, Vol. 3, thanks to a suggestion from Elaine, I’ve also included cross-references from the various towns to the people profiled who are from those towns, so that readers can more easily see the connections between people and places. I should have thought of this for the earlier volumes, and I’m glad Elaine noticed this possibility. For example,

Rutersville (TX), 69, 89–90. See also Dixon, Richard; Fietsam, Lydia Eberenz

Working with the Author

Especially if you are not familiar with the area or history, take advantage of the author’s knowledge. When I first started indexing this series, Elaine’s insights were invaluable as I made my plan for how to index, as well as helpful feedback on the draft index. This can be a fruitful collaboration to serve the readers.

Indexing local history can often be more work than it initially appears. All of those details and entries can add up, and then you need to decide how best to organize. Indexing local history can also be satisfying, helping readers remain engaged with their history and community, as well as the reminder that each of us live extraordinary lives, if only we can see ourselves, and each other, from the right angle. 

If you would like to see the full index for Stories I’ve Been Told, Vol. 3, you can find it on Amazon, using the “Read Sample” feature. The indexes for the first two volumes are also available for viewing.If you would like to buy a copy, proceeds are being donated to assist struggling students at Blinn College, Schulenburg campus. Elaine also writes a lovely blog, Stories From the Slow Lane, where you can enjoy more stories about the past.

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September 27, 2023
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by Stephen

Marketing and Building a Client Base, My Two Golden Rules

Marketing is tough. It may be the most fear-inducing part of being a freelancer. Especially if you are an introvert, like most indexers are. How do you find publishers and authors with books that need indexing? How do authors and publishers find you?

Publishing is a vast, global industry.

Where do you start?

It can feel overwhelming and paralyzing.

I also want to acknowledge that you may not have previously worked in publishing, so the inner workings of the publishing world may be even more opaque.

So, let’s start with demystifying publishing. Once you understand the industry a little better, the way forward with marketing may be clearer.

I’m going to share with you my top two rules, or insights, which have made the biggest difference for me when marketing and building my client base, and end with some additional tips.

Rule #1: You Don’t Need to Serve Everyone

It is impossible for you to serve everyone.

According to these statistics published last year by Wordsrated, approximately 3.52 million nonfiction books are published annually, worldwide. The proportion of English-language titles will be smaller, but still at least in the hundreds of thousands. How many of those books do you think you can index?

Personally, I index about 65 books per year. Your mileage may vary. I also turn down maybe another 20-30 books, mainly because I don’t have room in my schedule.

Another angle to consider is that the publishing industry is not monolithic. Yes, there are the Big Five trade publishers in New York and a few massive companies that dominate scholarly publishing. But many smaller companies also exist which publish excellent books. Publishing is also broken up by subject matter, with almost all presses and imprints focusing on different areas.

From a marketing standpoint, I found this realization to be incredibly freeing. Instead of being overwhelmed by the sheer number of publishers I could potentially contact, there are instead whole swaths of the industry that I can safely ignore. Don’t index science and engineering books? Great! I can cross all those publishers off of my list. Can’t find contact information for the editors at Penguin Random House? I’ll cross them off my list too. That still leaves many possibilities.

As you think about marketing, think about who you want to work with (or what kind of books you want to index) and also who you do not want to work with (or what kind of books you want to avoid). It can be scary to declare a niche, for fear of missing out on work. But having a few markets or topics that you focus on can have at least three benefits. One, it makes marketing less overwhelming because you now have a more manageable number of potential clients to contact. Two, it helps to clearly define who you are in the eyes of potential clients. Clients want to know that you are a good fit for their book, and one way to build that confidence is to give clients something specific about your experience and expertise. And three, it is nice to avoid having to repeatedly say no to projects which are clearly not a good fit. Be clear up front, and the people who do contact you are more likely to be of interest.

Rule #2: Build a Diverse Client Base

My second rule may seem to contradict my first rule. After telling you that you can ignore whole sectors of publishing, now I want you to go wide?

It is going wide enough to provide steady work. I don’t want you to be reliant on one or two clients for all of your work. I have worked with publishers who have been shut down or downsized. I have also lost work when editors I worked with left the company and my name wasn’t passed on to their successors (or maybe their successors already had their own preferred indexers). As wonderful as that first steady client may be, keep looking.

However, there is probably also a limit to how many clients you can reasonably handle. For myself, most of my work comes from the same dozen or so publishers, either being hired directly or from referrals from the in-house editors. Some publishers only send me one or two books per year. Others send me four or five, or even upwards of ten. All together, it adds up to a full schedule. If I lose a client, I find there are usually enough offers from other clients to compensate. New publishers also occasionally find me – or I find them – and get added to this mix.

Even if I worked for a truly large publisher who was willing and able to fill my schedule, I’d feel more secure with a diverse client base. Keeping my first rule in mind, I don’t need or want to work with everyone. I don’t even work with all of the publishers within my niches. But I still want that happy medium of work coming in from multiple sources.

Additional Marketing Tips

Building upon these two rules, here are some additional tips for marketing and finding indexing work.

  • Look beyond New York and the Big Five. I’m sure someone indexes for the likes of HarperCollins and Macmillan, but those publishers can also be hard to reach. There are many smaller publishers outside of New York, which in my experience, can be easier to contact. Some editors also prefer to hire local. So, see if there are any publishers nearby, whether that means within your town or city, state or province, or region. Market yourself as a local indexer. If feasible, ask if you can stop by the publisher’s office to meet the managing editor. Attend local publishing or editing events to meet editors.
  • Don’t be afraid to contact smaller publishers. Even if they only send you one or two projects a year, projects from several such clients can add up.
  • Keep an eye out for new publishers. They may not yet have their stable of freelancers and may welcome you getting in touch.
  • Identify the gatekeepers. Indexing is a niche task, and even within a publishing company, it is usually only one or two people (or more, depending on the size of the press) who actually hire or refer indexers. Those are the people that you want to contact. They usually have job titles like managing or production editors, though in some cases, acquisition editors may also refer indexers to authors.
  • Identify and work your network. If you formerly worked in academia, tell all of those professors that you know, who are potential authors, that you are now an indexer. If you know someone in publishing, let them know as well. Attend local author, editing, and publishing events, and introduce yourself to people (which is scary, I know. But I’ve done it, and it can be a good way to meet people). Even if you feel disconnected from the publishing industry, tell everyone you know about your new career. Something will turn up.
  • Be specific. As I mentioned earlier, clients want to know that you are a good fit. Be specific when discussing your interests and experience. It is okay to mention books that you have indexed for practice.  Or, if you have been hired by one publisher, mention that when contacting a new publisher. Show why you are a good fit.
  • Be persistent and patient. Marketing is both a numbers game and a waiting game. Out of ten queries, you might get two or three responses. Or an editor might wait an entire year to get back to you (as happened once to me). Keep putting your name out there.

Most of this reflection has been aimed at marketing to publishers. That has been my primary marketing focus and it has worked for me. I kind of prefer working with publishers because, now that I have a good relationship with several, I don’t need to actively market anymore.

When I first started indexing, marketing directly to authors also felt completely overwhelming and unfathomable, and so I didn’t. However, I know some indexers, especially those with an academic background, who are able to successfully market to academic authors. Some indexers are also very good at asking for testimonials and referrals. So, it is also possible to market to authors and to primarily work with authors. As I discussed above, identify who you want to work with, what kind of books you want to index, and who you can access, and go from there.

Lastly, I want to acknowledge that marketing can be a slow process. It can take several months to find that first project. There may then be another gap until that second project, and then another year or two until your schedule is consistently full. That was my experience and the experience of many indexers I know. But it is absolutely possible to make those connections with authors and publishers and to find enough work to fill your schedule. Keep putting yourself out there. I believe that you can do it.

Article
August 2, 2023
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by Stephen

Index Profile: Placing (Hiding?) Sensitive Entries

Where do you put potentially embarrassing or upsetting information in an index? The information is true. It is discussed. It qualifies as indexable. But where and how should it appear?

I faced this question when I received feedback last year from Adele Weder, the author of the biography Ron Thom, Architect: The Life of a Creative Modernist (Greystone Books, 2022), about the Canadian modernist architect, Ron Thom. My original array for Thom, for which I used the em-dash-modified format (which I like to use for biographies), looked like this (for space and the sake of this example, I am only including the first three subheadings for each section):

Thom, Ron (Ronald James): Adelaide Street apartment, 255–56; alcoholism, 34, 212–13, 214, 239–40, 255, 257, 259–60, 272–73, 275; art and, 17, 288n20;…

—ARCHITECTURE CAREER: apprenticeship, 46–47; on architects, 208–9; on art and architecture, 38, 133, 200, 211–12, 243–44;…

—ARCHITECTURE PROJECTS: Atria North, 246–47; Banff Centre’s Thom Studio, 254, 254; B.C. Electric Building, 87–88, 90–92;…

—ARTWORK: At the Fair Grounds, 37, 38; Seated Figure, 41–42, 42, 290n2

—FAMILY AND RELATIONSHIPS: children, 54, 57, 101, 102, 172, 234, 237–38; courting Chris, 26; divorce from Chris, 113–14, 295n6;…

Do you see the problem?

Alcoholism is the second subheading. While acknowledging that alcoholism was a significant problem in Thom’s life, the author was concerned that having the subheading so early in the array overshadowed Thom’s architectural accomplishments.

Which I think is a fair point.

When I use the em-dash-modified format, I usually treat the first section as a catch-all for the subheadings that don’t fit anywhere else. These are often subheadings for childhood, death, miscellaneous jobs, hobbies, personal quirks, and, in this case, alcoholism. I think I did notice that alcoholism fell at the front, which struck me as unfortunate while also part of the vagaries of the alphabetical sort. So, I didn’t put too much more thought into it. 

The author was not so quick to let the index—and me—off the hook. I am glad she pushed back. After some back-and-forth discussion, I revised the array:

Thom, Ron (Ronald James)

—ARCHITECTURE CAREER: apprenticeship, 46–47; on architects, 208–9; on art and architecture, 38, 133, 200, 211–12, 243–44;…

—ARCHITECTURE PROJECTS: Atria North, 246–47; Banff Centre’s Thom Studio, 254, 254; B.C. Electric Building, 87–88, 90–92;…

—ARTWORK: At the Fair Grounds, 37, 38; Seated Figure, 41–42, 42, 290n2

—FAMILY AND RELATIONSHIPS: children, 54, 57, 101, 102, 172, 234, 237–38; courting Chris, 26; divorce from Chris, 113–14, 295n6;…

—PERSONAL LIFE AND VIEWS: Adelaide Street apartment, 255–56; alcoholism, 34, 212–13, 214, 239–40, 255, 257, 259–60, 272–73, 275; art and, 17, 288n20;…

That catch-all section is now labelled “personal life and views,” which sorts it to the very end of the array. The alcoholism subheading is still present, but it is no longer the first thing that readers see. Instead, Thom’s architecture career and projects play the starring role.

I took away three lessons from this experience.

One, it is a good reminder that alphabetical sorting isn’t everything and it is possible to manipulate where entries appear. The goal should be to make entries visible, of course, rather than burying entries. But depending on the material and the needs of the audience, it is possible to move entries around and to highlight or deflect attention as needed.

Two, sensitive information should be handled sensitively. I am not a fan of using the index to ignore or whitewash uncomfortable or difficult information. If there is a significant discussion in the text, then it should also be in the index. But I am open to considering how and where it appears in the index. In Thom’s case, what is the focus of the book? What are the elements of his life which should be celebrated? What are readers looking for, and what should readers be presented with first? The array can be structured accordingly. 

The last lesson is that feedback from authors can be invaluable. I don’t always agree with the feedback, and I may explain my approach if I think the index is misunderstood. But there are also times when I have made a mistake, or I didn’t consider other options, or fully think through the implications. I want to be someone who takes feedback seriously. Even if I disagree with the author’s solution, there may still be something there that I need to reconsider. For this Thom array, I am thankful that Adele Weder, the author, explained her concern and pushed me to look further for a better solution. I think the array and the index are better for it.

Article
November 27, 2019
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by Stephen

Dealing with Authors and Their Lists of Terms

I recently received the longest list of terms from an author that I have ever received. The list was so long that I immediately contacted the publisher and explained that even with the extra space I had already asked for and received for the index, there was no way that I could include everything that the author suggested. Thankfully the publisher agreed with me and the author later accepted my index, but the list that I was presented with still required a response.

Setting Expectations

The first step, for me, after thanking the author for the list, is to set the expectation upfront that my work will not be bound by that list. I will read the list and use it for reference, but I will not duplicate the list and I will use, or not use, the suggested terms at my discretion. While I welcome the author as the subject expert, I want to emphasize that I am the index expert.

Finding Value in the Lists

The amount of value depends from list to list. I sometimes get the sense that the author believes that I will simply fill in the page numbers for them, using keyword search, which is a common misconception of how indexes are written. That said, I find that these lists can often tell me what the author thinks is important, which I will try to fit into the index. These lists can also highlight aspects of the book that I might not recognize as important—since I am not always the subject expert. So while I rarely follow the lists term by term, they can influence how I work. 

Responding to the Author

If the author has taken the time to put together a list, I assume they have expectations for how the index will look. Since I do not promise to faithfully follow their list, I will often submit a note with the index explaining how I used their list and how I wrote the index, with the goal of forestalling objections. This could include explaining why some terms were perhaps unsuitable or how I used some terms as subheadings instead of main headings, for example. For the index I mention above, I explained that the list was too long and detailed for the space available, and then explained what I did do instead to make the book’s content searchable. Since the author did not request any changes, I assume my explanation was accepted.

What is Actually Helpful

If I am being honest, I don’t really want these lists from authors. It does take time to respond to, and I assume that it also takes up the author’s time, especially for the lists that are long and detailed. It seems like a lot of work for something of limited value. But what can be actually helpful is a short list focused on the top ten or twenty terms that the author thinks is important. The author could even write a short paragraph, in a couple of sentences, explaining what the book is about. Help me see the book from the author’s perspective. That will help me understand the core focus of the index, and then I can figure out the rest.

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March 24, 2019
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by Stephen

Why Hire an Indexer?

Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

A couple of months ago I wrote a free email course on indexing. It provides an overview for how to write an index, from start to finish, as well as pointers for what makes an excellent index. 

When I first announced this project, I got a few puzzled reactions. One friend commented, “That is either a great idea or you are completely undercutting yourself.” I understand what he is getting at. My work as a professional indexer depends on authors and publishers hiring me. Why give people the tools they need to avoid hiring me or another professional indexer?

This also raises the question of why pay? While I recognize that there will be a subset of authors and publishers who will not want to hire an indexer no matter what (these are some of the people I hope to reach with my course), I also believe that there are at least three good reasons for hiring a professional. These are not specific to indexing, as I also consider these factors if I need to hire an accountant, mechanic, or plumber, for example. But I think these are still worth being reminded of all the same. 

Expertise

The reason I most hear from other indexers and indexing societies is that the professional has the expertise. Most indexers have received specialized training, usually through a course, and have years of experience. This is certainly an important reason. I have been indexing books since 2011, for example, and have written over two hundred indexes. I believe that someone indexing for the first time can certainly learn, but they will not have this body of experience. Unless one plans on indexing several books, it might just be easier to hire someone than to struggle through the learning curve.

Interest

Another reason for hiring a professional, which I also think is important, is that of interest. There are many tasks that I could do, but I am just not that interested in them. Doing my own car repairs would fall in this category. Lack of interest can make a task seem tedious, and will probably make procrastination much more likely. If indexing feels like a chore, maybe delegate it instead and spend your time more productively on something else. 

Time

This leads us to what I think is the most compelling reason for hiring a professional, which is to buy time. I spend about twenty hours, on average, writing an index (length and complexity of the book are the main variables). If you hire me, you are not just buying my time, but you are also buying yourself time to do something else. Ideally, you will spend that time doing what you are an expert in, which will maximize the value that you present to the world. 

What Does Hiring an Indexer Enable?

Ultimately, the question is, what does hiring an indexer, or any other professional, enable? Yes, hiring an indexer can be expensive. You may have fears that the job will be poorly done. You may feel like you don’t have time to find an indexer. But if you did hire an indexer, what could you be doing instead? Answer this question, decide which of the two—writing the index yourself or doing that other thing—adds more value to your work, and you might have your answer for whether or not to hire a professional.

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March 17, 2019
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by Stephen

Mindful Communication with Clients

Photo by Anete Lūsiņa on Unsplash

I do not check email in the morning.

Depending on the day, I either first check around 12:30 pm or 1:30 pm and respond to what I can within half an hour, though I often don’t need that much time. I then check again around 5 or 5:30 pm, though I have to admit that as the afternoon wears on, it can get harder and harder not to check in the interim. Especially if I am expecting a reply from someone. 

This is a new practice I have been cultivating over the last couple of months. The purpose is to spend the hours reserved for work actually focused on my work, instead of being distracted by emails that may or may not (mostly not, in my experience) need an immediate reply. So far this has been a positive experience. If clients have noticed, they have yet to comment or complain. The biggest change has been in myself.

I had previously noticed, when I would check email first thing in the morning and then continue to check every hour or couple of hours, that my motivation for checking email was often a mixture of boredom and anxiety. I would feel bored with my task and the prospect of a shiny new email was enticing. I would feel anxious about my task or about something coming up in the future and checking email was a way to avoid the anxiety. More often than not, my inbox would be empty or only contain junk mail or other messages that could be easily left for later, and so I would have to return to my task, only this time with my attention fractured. It would then take additional time to get back into the task, which meant I would often accomplish less in the day than I wanted, which often led to more anxiety. The more I checked, the more fractured my attention seemed to get and the harder it would be to return to my work. While email is still my preferred form of communication (my phone is usually on vibrate and out of sight in my bag), I came to realize that the way I was using email was not actually helping me, either with my work or with my mental health.

Nowadays, I can still get bored or anxious with a specific task. I am still tempted to check email as a temporary balm. These are separate issues not directly tied to email. I also find that I am often much happier in the mornings because I have the time to myself and I can focus without fear of being interrupted. Afternoons can be more difficult, in part from simply getting tired as the day wears on, but if I can stick to my email schedule and temporarily forget again that email exists, the afternoon can also be quite focused and productive. While I still need to find ways to manage anxiety and boredom, at least I am not escalating those issues through mindless email checking. 

But what about responding to clients in a timely manner? What about missing out on possibly work opportunities? In talking to other freelancers, this seems a common concern. I have heard some say that they try to reply to emails within five minutes of receipt. If that was me, I do not think I would get any work done, as for me focus seems to be all or nothing. And so I want to push back a bit on this expectation of instant communication.

Most of my work comes from repeat clients and I have found that they are usually willing to wait a few hours for a response. I still try to reply within the same day. I do get some queries from new clients, some of whom I know are contacting multiple freelancers at once. I probably have lost some work from these people due to a slower response, and I am okay with that. These account for a small percentage of my work, and for me the improved focus, productivity, and sense of well being outweighs the lost projects.

I have also realized that I don’t actually get very many emails in a day that require an immediate, or any, response. Most emails I receive are newsletters, notifications, or from listservs, all of which may have some value but are hardly critical. I am not adding value to my day by frequently checking these types of emails. 

It has also been important for me to realize that my work is valuable and deserves to be protected. This is both for my own sake, so that I can complete projects on time with less stress, and also for my clients, because I think that my work is better if I am less distracted. This is understanding that communication is a tool in service of the work rather than the work itself. 

I realize, of course, that my email schedule will not work for everyone. New freelancers, especially, who are trying to book every project they can, may want to check more frequently. But even with more frequent checking, I think it is possible to be more mindful about how we communicate and how communication impacts and intersects with the rest of our work. Perhaps less and higher quality communication will actually help us serve our clients better, as well as keep ourselves more focused and engaged in what we do.