So you want to be an freelance indexer. The idea of being paid to read is alluring, or you need a more flexible job that will fit around the rest of your life, or you just want to work from home. Whatever your reasons, welcome! But how, you ask, do… Read More »Freelance Career Launch Series: Building a Bridge
Christ is Risen! Yesterday, April 8, was Pascha, or Easter, for Orthodox Christians. Yes, celebrating according to a different calendar means that we are a week behind everyone else this year. Pascha also meant that my wife and I arrived at church late Saturday night, for the paschal service that… Read More »Three Songs for Third Culture Kids
Who wants a snazzy invoice? I do. I like the idea of reflecting a small part of myself in a document that is otherwise so impersonal. I also like the idea of making business, including invoices, fun. There is a part of me that has always chafed at formality. I… Read More »Readable Invoice Templates
It is that day to poke our heads up from our computers, shake loose the cobwebs of headings and locators which cling to our minds, and realize that hey! we are not alone in this business. (It is great to see you too.) Indexing can be a lonely endeavour.… Read More »Happy Indexing Day! A Tribute to the Joys (and Tribulations) Faced by Indexers
Indexing Specialties: Medicine, ed. by Pilar Wyman (Information Today, Inc., 1999) I have been curious about medical indexing since I heard Mary Russell from Australia speak on the subject at the Indexing Society of Canada’s conference in 2014. Though I don’t have a science or medical background, the way that Mary… Read More »Book Review: Indexing Specialities: Medicine
The words I dread the most from a client are, “You only have x number of pages for the index.” Those words put me on notice that I will probably have to censor myself as I write the index. Instead of thinking, “How can I make this information most accessible?”… Read More »Cutting the Index: Tips for Trimming to Meet Space Limitations
If you have indexed for long, you have probably been asked what areas you index in. You have probably also asked yourself this question when trying to market yourself more effectively. Is there a niche topic in which you can stand out? Personally, I’ve had mixed results trying to market… Read More »Decolonizing the Index: Indexing in Indigenous Studies
My review of Indexing Tactics & Tidbits, by Janet Perlman (Information Today, Inc., 2016). The review first appeared in the ISC/SCI Bulletin, vol. 38, no. 2, Summer 2016. This issue of the Bulletin is currently only available to ISC/SCI members, in the Members Area, but will soon be freely available, along with all… Read More »Book Review: Indexing Tactics & Tidbits, by Janet Perlman
If you read my previous post on genre, I’d understand if you think that this is another post inspired by the When Words Collide writing festival that I attended mid-August. This post, however, was actually inspired by Larry Sweazy’s keynote address at the joint ASI/ISC indexing conference I attended in June.… Read More »Plotter vs. Pantser? The Indexer Edition
I am currently recovering from a wonderfully exhausting four days at the When Words Collide writing festival in Calgary. If my notes are correct, I attended eighteen different panels and workshops, made new contacts and got to know previous acquaintances better, and had the world of genre publishing in Canada… Read More »The Uses of Genre