Article
October 8, 2024
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by Stephen

My Index Editing Process

Last time I wrote about reading like an indexer and what it is I do and look for when reading a text and writing the rough draft of an index. Today I’d like to reflect on my editing process.

A few months ago I started tracking my time when I index. I had previously done so, but not effectively and I eventually gave up. This time, I’ve created a new system and a new spreadsheet that is much easier to use, and I am a lot happier with the results.

One of my insights so far is that I spend about an equal amount of time drafting and editing. I have to admit that this surprised me. I knew that editing took up a fair amount of time, but I didn’t realize that the time spent is often about 50/50. For some indexes, I actually spend a little more time editing, making the time split closer to 45/55 or even 40/60.

Reflecting further on my process, I tend to spread drafting the index over 3-6 days, depending on the length of the book. Whereas I tend to edit within 2-3 days. When drafting, I am learning what the book is about. When editing, I am fully immersed in the index and I treat it more like a sprint. It probably also helps that by the time I get to editing, the deadline is looming.

I’m realizing that I also tend to draft quickly. I do try to write a fairly clean draft, taking into account context, clarity, and relevance, as I previously discussed. I believe in trying to set myself up for an easier edit. But I also know that this is not my final draft and that some things won’t become clear until I’ve read the whole book, and so I also try to keep moving.

Editing an index, for me, is both seeing the index as a whole and going through the index line by line. I like to give myself space between drafting and editing, which usually means sleeping on the draft and beginning to edit the next day. This helps to give me some distance so I can more clearly see the whole index with fresh eyes.

I usually begin by skimming the index, making note of the larger arrays for the metatopic and supermain discussions. This reminds me of the structure I am aiming for, and is a chance to consider if I want to make any major changes. I then start at the top of the index and work my way down, line by line. I know some indexers edit using multiple passes, each pass looking at a different element. I think I would go utterly cross-eyed and unable to make sense of the index if I tried multiple passes. Instead, my goal is to fully edit the array in front of me before I move on to the next. This may mean jumping around the index to also edit related arrays, and sometimes I will go back to re-edit an array if I change my approach, but generally speaking, I systematically move through the index.

With each array, I am first of all looking for clarity. Does the main heading and any subheadings make sense? If there are subheadings, I look to see if any can be combined or reworded, or if subheadings need to be added for unruly locators. I consider if anything needs to be double posted, and check to make sure that is done properly. I consider and check cross-references. I investigate any notes I may have left for myself. I also spot-check a few locators to make sure I understood the text properly. I may also run a quick search of the PDF to see if I missed any references. I don’t check every locator, which I think would be very time-consuming—to a certain extent, I need to trust that my drafting process was thorough and accurate—but these spot checks do provide peace of mind and I do sometimes find errors.

Reviewing arrays with no subheadings is usually quick, unless I’ve left a note for myself or I decide to spot check. Arrays with subheadings take more time. If an arrays has 20+ subheadings, I may spend as much as twenty or more minutes making sure that the array is in order. I often find the larger the book, the larger the index, the more subheadings there will be, and the longer editing will take.

Considering my process, I do wonder if I can shave off time. I could spot check a little less, especially for simple arrays with no subheadings, trusting that I picked up what was necessary. I can also pay more attention, when drafting, to larger arrays, so that editing them isn’t so onerous. I could also explore using more macros and patterns for batching tasks such as double-posting or removing subheadings. What I like about my process, though, is that it is thorough and I can clearly see what is completed and what is still to come. Editing line by line helps to keep my thoughts in order.

Other Approaches to Editing

My approach to editing is not the only approach, of course. I’ve mentioned making multiple passes. I also know of indexers who do a quick edit at the end of each day, while drafting, so that the draft is cleaner. I’ve also heard indexers who say that they do such a thorough job drafting that the editing process only takes them a couple of hours. I don’t know how that works for them. I seem to need a lengthier editing process for the index to gel and come together. And that’s okay. We are all different. What matters is that you find a process that works for you.

I find it interesting to hear how others index, even if it is not something I would do myself. I hope this glimpse into my process gives you something to think about.

Article
June 25, 2024
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by Stephen

When Subheadings Are Not So Useful

I love subheadings. They add so much to an index, breaking down long strings of locators into smaller chunks, highlighting meaning distinctions, and gathering related entries into lists so readers only need to search in one place. As I discuss in my last reflection, subheadings can also reflect the story that the text is telling. Well-written subheadings are clear, specific, and meaningful.

But…in indexing there is always a but. Occasionally, a project comes along that proves the exception. 

This happened with a recent index I wrote, for To See What He Saw: J.E.H. MacDonald and the O’Hara Years, 1924-1932, by Stanley Munn and Patricia Cucman (Figure 1 Publishing, 2024). J.E.H. MacDonald was a Canadian painter and a member of the Group of Seven. He fell in love with the landscape around Lake O’Hara, in the Rocky Mountains, and spent several summers there painting. This book takes an interesting approach to MacDonald. Over the course of almost twenty years, the authors sought to identify the exact locations where MacDonald painted. The bulk of the book is composed of a brief discussion of each of the O’Hara paintings, alongside a photograph of what the scene looks like today. The rest of the book is composed of an introduction, an overview of each of MacDonald’s eight trips, and excerpts from MacDonald’s diaries and other writings. The result is a beautifully illustrated coffee-table book. 

The instructions from the press were to only index the paintings, people, and places. While narrow in scope, there isn’t too much else discussed, and these are what readers are most likely to want to find, so I thought the instructions reasonable. Figure 1 Publishing is also very good at providing clear specifications for how long the index can be. For this book, the specs were 55-60 characters per line, for 675 lines total. 

I quickly realized that the book mentions a lot of paintings and places. The book discusses 226 paintings, almost all of them by MacDonald. With each painting taking up at least a line, some of them more, the paintings alone fill up about a third of the index. The rest of the index is mostly places—mountains, lakes, creeks, trails, huts—in and around Lake O’Hara that MacDonald either painted or visited. In comparison, only a few people are mentioned.

I also realized that the book contains a lot of repetition. For example, the same mountain may appear in a couple dozen different paintings. That mountain is mentioned again in the overviews of MacDonald’s trips, and then again in MacDonald’s diaries. This kind of repetition makes sense given how the book describes the same events and paintings from different angles, but it does mean that the mentions add up. Arrays with especially long strings of locators include Cathedral Mountain (49 page references), Hungabee Mountain (39 references), Odaray Bench (34 references), Lake McArthur (32 references), and Lake Oesa (27 references).

Normally, I would add subheadings to these arrays. Asking readers to look up each page reference is a big ask. But for this index, I left those strings, for paintings and places, intact. 

Not using subheadings was a conscious decision, and one I didn’t make lightly. My initial instinct was to find subheadings. But as I indexed and considered the entries, I also realized that subheadings would not be so useful in this particular index. Wanting a second opinion and to avoid surprising the press with a departure from my usual approach, I also queried the editor I was working with and got their approval.

I decided to not use subheadings for two reasons. One, I realized that too many subheadings would quickly make the index too long. Unfortunately, space constraints can sometimes mean putting aside the index that you want to write for the index that fits. In these situations, I need to be strategic about picking and choosing the subheadings that will have the biggest impact, while also being okay with other arrays not having subheadings. 

More importantly, though, for this book, I couldn’t think of subheadings that I was satisfied with. For subheadings to be effective, they need to clearly articulate additional information that readers can use to narrow their search. But what if there are no clear distinctions between locators? In that case, I think the long strings of locators should be left alone. It is not helpful to introduce artificial distinctions or to get so granular that context is lost. 

As I mentioned, this book contains a lot of repetition. Places either appear in MacDonald’s paintings, are places that MacDonald visited, or both. This doesn’t provide much to hang a wide range of subheadings. 

I briefly considered listings all of the paintings that each mountain or other feature appears in, along with a subheading for MacDonald’s presence at. For example, 

Cathedral Mountain: MacDonald at; in painting 1; in painting 2; in painting 3; in painting 4; in painting 5; etc…

But this approach presents a few problems. Some arrays would have been enormous, with a dozen or two subheadings for each of the paintings. Besides the space issue, I’m not convinced that listing each painting would have been meaningful to readers. Would readers remember the titles of individual paintings? In many cases, multiple paintings shared the same title. Thankfully, the authors give each painting a unique alphanumeric code, which I included in the index to differentiate. For example, “Lake O’Hara (25-1.3(S))” and “Lake O’Hara (30-3.1).” But I imagine it would still be difficult remembering which is which. Alternatively, I could have created a subheading for “in paintings,” but that would have still resulted in a long string of locators, as would the subheading “MacDonald at.” “MacDonald at” also isn’t very useful since readers can presumably assume that MacDonald was there, as that is the focus of the book. 

Given the space constraint and that either way—with a couple of generic subheadings or without subheadings—the arrays would have long strings of locators, I decided it was best to keep the arrays simple and to forego subheadings. This does mean that readers will need to search through each locator, though readers should also quickly notice the repetition, and it is all there for the dedicated searcher. 

This isn’t to say that I avoided subheadings entirely. I did use them in a few places, mostly for people, though even with people I found it difficult to avoid longer strings of locators. Many of these references are brief mentions and again reflect the repetition throughout the book. For example, here are two arrays for MacDonald’s friend, George Link, and wife, Joan.

Link, George K.K.
     about, 234, 343n83
     Lake O’Hara Trails Club and, 340n25
     MacDonald and, 82, 91, 104, 107, 113, 114, 143, 215, 224, 233, 234, 239, 243, 249, 252, 253, 254, 256, 258, 264, 294, 301, 307, 308, 310
     photographs, 246, 260

MacDonald, Joan
     encouragement from to travel west, 13, 202, 205
     letters to, 93, 96, 115, 120, 121, 122, 131, 167, 175, 200, 203, 204, 205–6, 211–12, 229, 230–31, 236, 240, 256, 265
     Links and, 341n47
     MacDonald’s departure west and, 250
     mentions in MacDonald’s diary, 304, 308
     O’Hara trip with MacDonald, 36, 123, 191, 217, 221, 222, 223–24, 259
     photo album, 224

While I highly encourage you to include subheadings and to make sure that subheadings are clear, specific, and meaningful, I think it is also worthwhile considering the exceptions to the rule. I hope that my approach to the index for To See What He Saw, about J.E.H. MacDonald’s paintings in and around Lake O’Hara, is helpful for considering when subheadings may not be useful. If there is a lot of repetition in the text, if it is difficult to find meaningful distinctions, and if there is a hard space constraint, then it is okay to have long strings of undifferentiated locators. It is not ideal, but it may still be the best solution for that particular text and index.

Article
March 19, 2024
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by Stephen

Making a Plan Before Starting an Index, How to

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.

  1. What is the book about? This question is about determining the focus and scope of the book. I read the book’s description on the publisher’s website, if available. I also read the table of contents, and maybe skim the introduction and a couple of chapters. I want to get a feel for the main topics and headings that I will be picking up. With this broad sense of the book in mind, I may also begin thinking about how to translate that into the index’s structure.
  2. Who is the audience? Beyond what the book is about, each index should be tailored to its audience. Will readers prefer a detailed index or a lighter index? Are readers picking up this book to answer a specific question or for entertainment? What does the audience already know about this topic, and what will they expect to find? Similar to determining what the book is about, considering the audience is also about focus and scope. Which details are relevant, and which irrelevant? Depending on the audience, not all details need to be picked up.
  3. How much space is available for the index? This is a question to confirm with the client. If I can have all the space that I want, then space isn’t a factor in my decision-making. If there is a strict page or line limit, then I may need to make decisions about structure or which entries to include or exclude in order to fit. Planning ahead, I may consider using fewer subheadings, for example, or to outright exclude certain categories of details to ensure that the priority entries make the cut.
  4. Does the book contain any specific indexing challenges? For example, are there a lot of illustrations? Are there legal cases that require special formatting? Are there terms from another language that contain diacritics or other special characters? Are there a host of family members that may need differentiating? It is not always possible to anticipate challenges, but if you can, now is a good time to consider your approach so you don’t get hung up partway through the index.
  5. What is the publisher’s preferred style? If you are not familiar with the publisher’s style guide, now is a good time to review. I find it helpful to get the format right from the start, such as alphabetization and locator abbreviations, so I don’t have to think about it later.
  6. What is my schedule? This is partly a question of the deadline to submit the index to the client, as well as a question of my own plan. Which days am I going to work on the index? How much am I aiming to complete each day? When do I want to finish the rough draft and when do I want to finish the final edit? 

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.

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
May 9, 2023
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by Stephen

Is Over-Indexing Really a Time-Saving Strategy

I’ve been thinking about a piece of common sense advice that I was reminded of a few months ago. You may have heard it too. It goes like this: on your first pass through the book, pick up more than is necessary, because it is quicker to go back and trim than to go back and pick up a second time.

The assumption is that reading the text and picking up entries is time-consuming. Which is true. Carefully reading the book and selecting terms does take time. Also assumed is that you may not know, on the first pass, what is indexable and what can be left. Which is also true. By picking up an abundance of entries, all bases are covered. But is over-indexing and then trimming the extraneous entries really a faster approach?

To some extent, yes. I certainly pick up entries knowing that they may not make the final cut. But I still try to choose entries within certain parameters. This advice can get you into trouble when you have no filters (or very few filters) in place.

Consider this scenario, which I have seen and done myself earlier in my career: You get a book to index and the publisher informs you that the index can be no longer than 700 lines. Which sounds like a lot. Excited to start, and worried about missing relevant discussions, you jump into the project, typing up whatever entry seems like it might mean something to someone. Finishing the full draft, you realize that the index is pushing 1,000 lines. Or 1,500 lines. Or maybe even 2,000 lines. Now what?

Trimming an index that is a little longer than it should be usually isn’t a problem and is part of the indexing process. By definition, rough drafts need to be tidied. There are entries that aren’t as important as they originally appeared, or entries that can be combined into one, or subheadings that can be removed. But an index significantly longer than the target length requires more than a trim. It requires deep cuts. Chances are, whole categories of entries need to be removed and the index structure needs to be simplified. Not only has time been spent creating all of those entries, but time will now have to be spent figuring out how to get rid of all those entries. There is also the emotional pain of having to sweep away all that you created.

It is not efficient or effective.

What I try to do instead, before I start the rough draft, is to think about what needs to be in the index. I think about the subject matter and the arguments or stories that the book is telling. I think about who might be reading the book. I think about what kind of book it is, and how readers will use the index. If there is a length limit, I think about how much space there is relative to the number of pages and to how densely the book is written, and I then try to gauge how detailed the index can be. With all of that in mind, I can more easily identify and filter out passing mentions as I read the book. This approach is not perfect—I often still come across potential entries that I am uncertain about, and I may still go back and pick up entries that I have missed—but having a plan means that my rough drafts are closer to being completed. When editing, I can focus on polishing, rather than cutting and rebuilding.

This approach works both when there is a firm length limit, and when there is no limit to how long the index can be. Just because there is unlimited space does not mean that everything is now relevant to the reader. Think ahead about what the audience needs, and filter the text through that lens.

Besides planning ahead, what else can you do to avoid over-indexing getting out of control?

  • Partway through writing the rough draft, stop and assess the number of entries so far. Is the number proportional to how much space is available in the index and/or to how many pages indexed? Being a little over is okay; some trimming is normal. But if you are only halfway through the book and the rough draft is hitting the line limit, then you probably have an over-indexing problem. Stop, think again about what is important to include and what can be excluded, assess and do a preliminary cut of entries so far, and then finish the rest of the rough draft with some new filters in place.
    ​
  • Try running a quick search to see how often a term or name shows up, especially if you are unsure if it is worth including. If it is only mentioned once, then it may not be important. If mentioned multiple times, then probably worth including. But be careful: number of mentions should not be the only criteria for including in the index. The quality of the discussion is also important.
    ​
  • Try using some sort of label or symbol to mark entries that you are unsure about. In Cindex, I can label entries with different colors, and I use red to indicate entries that I may want to cut. These are entries that I am on the fence about—I’ll still pick up so I don’t have to go back later, but I also want to make them easy to identify and delete. Whatever you use to label, remember to remove so that it doesn’t make its way into the printed index.
    ​
  • Practice. Indexing is a skill that takes time to develop. It may take several indexes to figure out how to effectively plan ahead, and how to recognize and filter out passing mentions. And that’s okay. Keep working on it with each index, and you will gradually get the hang of it.

Writing an index is hard work. We can use all the hacks and shortcuts we can get. And that’s what common sense advice is—a way to make indexing easier and hopefully faster. The problem though, is that common sense advice usually doesn’t come with instructions for how best to implement that advice. Used the wrong way, and the advice may end up creating more work.

So yes, over-index, but within limits. Assume that the index will need to be trimmed and that some entries may not make the final draft, but still think carefully about what to include on the first pass. The cleaner the rough draft, the easier and quicker editing will be. Which is the most efficient way to index.

Article
April 25, 2020
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by Stephen

Updating an Index: Worth It or Not Worth It?

I think every indexer will, at some point, experience a baptism by fire from updating a previously written index. It is tedious. It is time-consuming. It is mental gymnastics trying to get into the mind of the original indexer and trying to figure out what has changed. 

My first freelance project was like this. Thankfully the budget that the client offered was not a pittance, but it was still a hard grind. I should have suggested that the index be re-written from scratch.

Which is the usual advice, when it comes to updating an index. It may take as much time to write a new index as it would take to update, but it will feel a lot easier because it is yours and because you won’t be constantly second-guessing yourself, wondering if a correction was overlooked.

I have come to realize, though, that not all updates are equal. And while they are usually still tedious, in some cases I think updating is the best option. To help me decide whether or not to accept an updating project, I have developed a set of criteria, which I try to rigorously stick to.

  1. The first is, how extensive are the changes? Understanding this is key to estimating how much work will be involved. If chapters have been added, removed, or shuffled around, then definitely re-write the index from scratch. If it is just a handful or couple dozen changes throughout the text, then the main issue will probably be reflow. Which is not a lot of fun to fix, but it does have the virtue of being fairly straightforward and can usually be done within a day or two.
  2. If it turns out there are only a few changes, I then ask if the client is able to mark all of the changes on a PDF. This removes the guesswork for me. Part of what takes so much time, otherwise, is trying to figure out what has changed between the two versions of the book. If the client can show me what has changed, I save time, the client saves money, and the changes are usually pretty easy to make. If the client cannot tell me where the changes are, then I will pass on the project.
  3. I also consider whether or not I have written the original index. It is a lot easier to update if I have, because I understand how the index is written and I may even have some memory of writing it. Deconstructing someone else’s index can be an interesting learning exercise, but trying to update or fix someone else’s index is a lot more stress and mental work. In a way, I prefer it when clients ask me to update rather than finding someone else because even though I don’t really want to do it, I know I can probably do a faster and better job because I am already familiar with the index.
  4. My relationship with the client is also important. This does not have anything to do with the index itself, so perhaps should not be considered, but I think it is important to consider a project in light of the larger relationship. I am more likely to say yes to a long-term client. And, last year, I did update an index for a regular client that I did not originally write but still met my other criteria. Even though I was paid, I also saw it as a favour and good customer service. If I did not write the original index and I don’t know the client, I will probably say no. 
  5. Lastly, I estimate how much time it will take. For it to be worth it, it needs to take me less time then writing from scratch. This usually means that I want to finish within a day or two. Since I also charge per hour for updates, completing the index within two days should also save the client money, as a brand new index would typically cost more. 

Thankfully, I don’t get asked too often to update indexes. I definitely prefer writing fresh. But when I am asked, it helps to have a plan for how to judge and complete the work. The pain and frustration does not need to be all-encompassing. 

Article
May 13, 2019
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by Stephen

Should Freelance Work Come with Trigger Warnings?

Photo by Skitterphoto from Pexels

I laughed when I first came up with the title for this blog post. It was a laugh at how absurd the title sounded, and also a laugh of recognition. Suddenly this issue was starting to crystallize into words.

Work seems so innocuous, being something we do everyday. How can indexing or proofreading hurt me? Yet I have worked on the occasional project that provoked painful memories or fears, and which in hindsight I should have declined.

Taking a step back from the term “trigger warning,” there is also work which is simply emotionally difficult to process. It may not trigger a sharp or personal response, but it can still be emotionally draining. I remember the indexers for the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission report, about residential schools, commenting on the emotional weight of their work.

I am not quite sure what to say about this subject. It is deeply personal; how I react to a text will likely be different from how someone else reacts. I am also no expert on mental health. Still, I think it is a subject that is at least worth mentioning. Freelancers are still people, after all, underneath our professionalism.

I know I am certainly tempted at times to take on projects with difficult content. Sometimes it is for the income, while sometimes I tell myself that as a professional I should be able to handle anything. In reality, though, the professional course of action would be to recognize my own limitations and try to screen projects accordingly. Catching an emotional curveball is not worth the few hundred dollars that may accompany it or the effects that that turmoil might have on the rest of my schedule and life.

At times it may not be the book itself which is so problematic, but rather something else happening in my life which is causing me to be less emotionally resilient at that particular time. And then there are the projects that seem innocuous, and which turn out to be very different, in a bad way, from what I anticipated.

I find that I am getting better at handling these types of difficult projects. The first line of defense, as I mentioned, is to try and screen projects and turn down ones that seems to be too much or not right for me at this time. It is important to recognize here that just because a book may be triggering or emotionally heavy does not mean that it is necessarily a bad book. It may be a very important book about a difficult subject, like the Truth and Reconciliation report. So I try not to blame the project itself, but simply recognize that not every project is a good fit. Also, knowing that what I find difficult may be fine for someone else can provide permission for passing a project along. 

If I do accept a difficult project, either by accident or because I think I can handle it, there are a few ways to make the work easier. I try to cut myself some slack by breaking the work into smaller chunks, while also taking more breaks to rest and process what I am reading. Acknowledging my emotions, instead of burying them under a professional veneer, can help with setting the emotions aside so I can focus. Keeping the ultimate purpose of the book in mind, if I think the book has something valuable to offer, can also help me stay focused, as I do want to contribute to the greater good. It can also help to remember that this is just one project and will soon be over—I will outlive the work. 

Be kind to yourself. Be honest about what is doable and what is too much. Get help or support if you need it. Keep the project in perspective. If you find yourself with an emotionally difficult project, you can get through it.

Article
January 8, 2019
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by Stephen

Making Friends with My Calendar

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Happy New Year! 

I hope your holiday festivities were heart-warming and restorative. My wife and I started ours with our car dying the night before we planned to hit the road, though the holidays did get better from there and we are thankful for a few days with family. 

I don’t usually make New Year resolutions. I think that is largely due to a fear of failure, and of not knowing how to actually implement these goals and aspirations. Change is hard. But I have been thinking recently: if there is one thing I could change this year that would have a significant impact on my life, what would that be? I have decided that that one thing is to make friends with my calendar.

What do I mean by that? Why do I often feel like my calendar is my enemy, or at least a puzzle that is impossible to decipher? There are a number of reasons. Especially as my business has grown in the last few years, I have often felt like my schedule controls me. I feel like I need to work on evenings and weekends in order to meet deadlines, which means making trade-offs with other activities that are also meaningful. I realize this may not be so much a scheduling problem so much as an I’m-accepting-too-much-work kind of problem, but either way it boils down to feeling out of control and overwhelmed.

The problem goes deeper, however, as I have struggled with setting schedules for myself since university. This seems counterintuitive, as I actually thrive on routine. And therein lies the problem, I think. My tendency, when I devise a schedule for myself, is to stick to it as rigidly as possible. Interruptions or other unplanned changes cause me to panic and get disoriented, and eventually I abandon the schedule for a more reactive, and stressful, mode of being. I seem to be in a bind where not having a schedule is not serving me well, yet my typical approach to scheduling and calendars is also not serving me well. I need to find a better way. 

So how do I become friends with my calendar? I mentioned this resolution to my wife, and she astutely pointed out that it is quite an abstract goal. 

I agree with her, and I am okay with that. I am realizing that my relationship to my calendar and schedule is multi-faceted. There is coming to terms with my years of fears, anxieties, and frustrations with schedules. There is learning how to productively handle changes within a schedule. There is finding a scheduling framework that seems to work for me. There is understanding my own biorhythms so that I am working with myself, rather than trying to cram myself into an artificial construct. All of this will take time to figure out and understand.

One book I have read recently is Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day, by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky. What I appreciate so much about their book, compared to some others I have read about calendars and schedules, is their acknowledgement that everyone is different. They offer eighty-seven tactics to try, but fundamentally their approach is to experiment and be reflective about what works and what doesn’t. I found it incredibly freeing to realize that I don’t need to have the perfect schedule right away, but I can take time to develop it, and that setbacks along the way are part of the process. Indeed, as I age and other life events happen, my schedule will probably continue to evolve. 

The book also discusses a scheduling technique from Cal Newport, who wrote the book Deep Work. In this technique, you write a new schedule for yourself every day, and leave room to revise the schedule as needed. This provides a mechanism—which I have been sorely missing—to thoughtfully acknowledge that change can and will happen, and to recognize that the remaining time can still be reallocated and used productively. I’ve been trying this for a week now, and it has been a helpful tool for reflection. I have handled interruptions better, and on the flip side, it has also helped me stick to my schedule when I’ve been tempted to change for no good reason. 

Another new initiative I’ve been using for about six weeks now is to put up white board wall stickers in my work space. This has been a fantastic change for me. I think I am still learning just how tactile and visually-oriented I am, as I am enjoying both seeing my work on the wall and the physical labour of writing, crossing out, and erasing. Borrowing the concept of sprints and burndown charts from a book I indexed, I list all of my current projects for a two-week period so I have the constant visual reminder of what I need to accomplish. I also graph my progress each day, so I can see where I am with each project. The whiteboard is also a great space to brainstorm, to write notes, and to make lists. I use it every day.

I already have some ideas for what else I want to try this year to become more comfortable with my calendar. I am happy with some of the results so far, and I am sure more ideas will come up as I experiment and reflect. I am hopeful that 2019 will be the year I finally get a handle on my schedule. I wish you all the best in your endeavours this year too.

What are some of the ways or resources you use to keep your calendar in order?

Article
July 2, 2018
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by Stephen

Three Indexing Mind Hacks

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It has so far been a busy summer. That means tight deadlines and renewed thoughts about how to be more efficient in my indexing process. I mean, indexing is tough. It is constant analysis, understanding what the text means and discerning how to make the text accessible to readers. If there is a way to simplify or expedite part of the process, it does make a difference on overall indexing time and cognitive load.

Learning how to effectively use indexing software is one approach that is commonly advocated for becoming more efficient. I agree, and I think there is more that I can learn with the software I use, Cindex. 

As I have written about earlier, practice is essential for becoming a more efficient indexer. I find so much about indexing is understanding the different ways a book can be structured, understanding the different ways an index can be structured and written, and understanding when to go with one approach versus another. For me, at least, the only way I can learn this is by doing, over and over again, and being mindful of what I am doing so that I can learn with each index. I think that I am more efficient now than I was even just a year ago. I hope to continue to improve. 

Recently, though, I have been thinking about three techniques I use. These are all ways to externalize and capture my thoughts so I do not have to keep everything in my mind all at once. 

Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is a way to quickly diagram relationships. I find this exercise most helpful for understanding difficult books. There is something about writing down the different components of an argument, and physically drawing lines between them, that boosts clarity. It can also be a way to see if I have captured the full scope of the book in the index, as I compare the mind map, based on the book, to the index. I have been finding it so helpful that I am starting to do a quick mind map for all indexes I write, usually before I start the final edit. It only takes about ten minutes, and it gives me an opportunity to reflect.

There is a website on mind mapping, if you want to learn more. Software is available, both free and for a price. I occasional use Scapple, but honestly, I usually just use a pen and a scrap piece of paper. 

Notes

Another technique I have used for years is keeping notes. I use Notes, a program on my MacBook. I have one note per project, and I simply keep a running list of whatever I want to remember for later. These are often notes about terminology, if I am trying to decide between two or three options. Or these can be questions for the author, or errors that I am finding which I want to share with the client. Sometimes I just free write, in order to understand a concept or a relationship. For some books, I will just have a couple of notes, while for others I’ll end up with a page or two. 

By making a note, I am removing the thought or question from my mind, and I am giving myself permission to move on, knowing that I will be able to come back later and resolve the issue. There is too much thinking going on while indexing to remember every last error I found and question I have, so writing the note down frees up a lot of cognitive space. This is also a recognition that for a lot of issues, I will not know the answer until I have read further in the book and seen how the issue is addressed elsewhere, or perhaps I do need to ask the author. In the meantime, I have to keep working, and making notes that I can refer to later allows me to do that.

Labels and Highlights

Coming back to indexing software, there is a feature in Cindex, the software I use, that I am appreciating more and more as a form of note-taking. This is the ability to label, or highlight, entries. I assume the same can be done in other programs, like Macrex and Sky. 

When I label entries, I am flagging the entry with a colour to remind myself to take action at a later date. I will often use two or three different colours to remind myself of different things. The most common is for an entry I might want to cut. Especially if space is tight for the index, it saves a lot of time at the end to be able to search for the labeled entries and hit delete for all of them. I use a different colour if I think I might want to remove subheadings. Another common reason is for entries I want to revisit, but I am afraid I will forget if it is not labeled. 

As with notes, using labels is about externalizing my thoughts so that I can put that thought away for later.

Working full time as an indexer is often about finding ways to be efficient, so we can maintain a full schedule without burning out. These are three mind hacks that I use to process my thoughts more efficiently, and to focus better without being distracted by a host of other thoughts. If you are an indexer, what techniques do you use? I am curious.

Article
June 4, 2018
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by Stephen

Confessions from a Tight Schedule

I leave Wednesday morning for the Indexing Society of Canada’s annual conference, held this year in Winnipeg. Departure is now less than forty-eight hours away. This last week I have been counting down the projects I need to finish before I leave. My goal is to finish the last index on Tuesday, so I can enjoy the conference without a deadline hanging over my head. So far I seem to be on track, fingers crossed. I have a bad habit of keeping a tight schedule right until it is time to walk out the door. More often than not I end up finishing the index on the airplane. I am trying to avoid that this trip. It is not worth the stress.

Unfortunately, time has still been pretty tight this last week, and I chose not to draft  a longer blog post this weekend in order to index. My apologies. Writing is one of my favourite activities, and I have enjoyed blogging these last couple of months. Weeks like these remind me, though, that I can’t always do everything. I recently read Jon Acuff’s book, Finish. He makes the point that sometimes in order to finish one task or goal, you have to decide that you are going to suck, at least temporarily, at something else. I think there is some wisdom in that, as much as I also chafe at having to prioritize, say no, and not follow through this week on writing for this blog.

So, a short blog post instead. I thought I owed you an explanation. I am sorry that I don’t have anything more substantial for you this week. I look forward to writing for you again next week. 

If you are going to be in Winnipeg–see you there! It looks to be a great line-up, as well as excellent colleagues, as always. This will be my fifth indexing conference. It is definitely a highlight in the indexing calendar.