Article
May 20, 2019
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by Stephen

Index Live-Tweet Debrief

As you may have noticed, two weeks ago, on May 6, I started live-tweeting my indexing process, as I indexed the trade book Almost Human: The Story of Julius, the Chimpanzee Caught between Two Worlds. Those tweets are now compiled, with some additional commentary, which you can find here. I also want to take a moment to reflect on the experience.

First of all, I am glad that I did it. I have had the idea for at least a few months, wondering what live-tweeting an index would be like. Now I know, and it feels good to put the idea in action and see it to its conclusion. 

I am also very thankful for everyone who took the time to follow along, and to comment, ask questions, retweet, and like specific tweets. It was encouraging to know that I was not tweeting into a void. The indexing community on Twitter is supportive and positive, so I am glad to have you all with me. I hope the experience was interesting for you as well. 

As for my goal of raising the profile of indexing, even if just in a small way, and of reaching authors, editors, and publishers—I don’t really know how that went. As I learned, Twitter provides limited data. I was able to see how many impressions each tweet received, and of total impressions over the course of a day, but an impression simply means, if I understand it correctly, that someone saw the tweet. It could have been someone scrolling through their Twitter feed without really reading the tweet, or it could have been someone who was actually interested and following along. So while the live-tweets apparently got several thousand impressions over the course of the week, I don’t know how engaged those impressions where. Also, unless someone took the time to comment, retweet, or like, I don’t know who those impressions are from. So, maybe I met my goal? I don’t really know. All I can really go on is the feedback I receive from people who noticed and took the time to say something.

As for the indexing itself, I would make a couple of changes if I did this again. I found that I had less to tweet about as the index progressed, so I would put more effort into pre-planning some topics and making sure tweets were spaced out. I would leave room for spontaneous tweets as well, of course, but I think having a rough plan or outline ahead of time would have been helpful. I would also try to ensure that I was only working on that one project, so that I could finish the index in 3-4 days. I think having the indexing spread over seven days, due to a second project I also needed to finished, resulted in some live-tweeting fatigue. It is too bad how the scheduling worked, though that is also an insight into how I work, with overlapping projects when deadlines demand. 

I am not sure if I will do this again. As I mentioned above, I think it is a fun idea, but it is hard to tell how effective it is for reaching people. To switch things up, I wonder how it would be to live-tweet with someone else, so that there is more of a conversation throughout. That might be interesting to try. At the very least, I am glad that I tried something new and pushed myself out of my comfort zone. And thank you again to everyone who followed along.

If you are interested in reading the book, Almost Human, by Alfred Fidjestøl, it is forthcoming later this year by Greystone Books. You can learn more about it here. Many thanks again to Greystone for giving their permission for this live-tweet. They are a fantastic publisher and a pleasure to work with. 

Article
May 15, 2019
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by Stephen

External Consistency in Indexes

Last week I wrote about internal consistency in an index, and how internal consistency can help make for a smoother user experience. But external consistency is also important, for the same reasons. The index should align with the text. 

Most obvious, of course, is alignment of content. The index should strive to neither misrepresent nor misinterpret the text, or in more extreme cases, neither ignore indexable content nor make up content. But that is not my main focus today. I am more concerned about formatting, term selection, and structure.

Spelling

One area for consistency is spelling. It is simple, yet for me, at least, easy to overlook, given how much I take certain spelling conventions for granted. As a Canadian, I usually run into this issue with American spelling in indexes for books published by American publishers and for Canadian books intended for an American audience. If I do not have a style sheet for the book and am not sure which is used, I will run a quick search for certain words which are commonly spelled differently. Spelling can be subtle, but I think alignment is still important to give the book a unified feel. At the very least, this saves the proofreader some work, if they are alert to this issue.

Locator Ranges

Locator ranges are another area for consistency. Some publishers have a preferred way to abbreviate (or not), while for other publishers it seems to vary from book to book. If you are not sure, check the bibliography or keep an eye out for ranges as you index.

Term Selection

Try to follow the text’s lead for names and terms. This can be tricky if the text itself is not consistent, but try to determine what is used most often and what the audience will be most familiar with. Cross references and double posts can also be used to add alternative entry points. We cannot assume that the reader has already read the book, but mirroring the terminology can make the index a bit easier to use for someone who has.

Structure

Following the book’s structure is not always good advice as the book may not have a clear structure or it may not be easy to mirror. So use your judgment and choose a structure that works best for the index. If the book’s structure is amenable, however, then be consistent in importing that structure. This will help the reader who has already read the book, and might help orient the reader who hasn’t. 

When considering external consistency, we are recognizing that the index is part of a larger whole. While the index has its own conventions, it also needs to take cues from the text that the index is pointing towards. The reader should be able to recognize that the index and the text belong together.

What are your thoughts on external consistency? Are there any areas that I missed?

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
May 1, 2019
2 comments
by Stephen

Using Triage to Shorten an Index

Cutting an index to fit a tight space limitation is never fun. At least, I do not enjoy it.

By cutting, I mean shortening the index beyond what I think the index should be. Editing may lengthen or shorten the index, depending on what needs to be done to make the index its best self, while cutting is simply about removing to fit an external standard. 

Yet, I think cutting an index can still be done well. The final index may not be ideal, but it can still be elegant and appear as a coherent whole. To do this, I have developed a form of triage to guide how I cut. 

The word triage comes from the medical world, and refers to making treatment decisions in situations of insufficient time or resources. In a way, triage is heartbreaking because it means that not everyone will receive treatment or treatment in a timely manner, yet it is effective because it forces the medical personnel to start with the patients for whom they can make the biggest impact.

For an index, my goal is to deliver the best index I can by using the most judicious cuts. Which cuts shorten the most while impacting the quality of the index the least? To do this, here are five strategies and considerations I keep in mind.

1) Identify What Needs to be Kept

This step seems counterintuitive because the goal of cutting, after all, is to remove. Yet I still think it is important that the core entries remain largely intact. I want the reader to still get a broad overview of the book from the index. This means identifying the metatopic entries and supermain headings, which cover the main points of the book. Once I have identified these, I may combine or shorten a few subheadings here and there, but mostly I cut around them.

2) Remove Subheadings

I do not like long strings of undifferentiated locators or mixing subheadings with unruly locators, but I will make exceptions to cut an index as subheadings do take up space. My usual bar for when to add subheadings is six or more locators, but if I need to cut I will raise the bar to say ten locators. I will also remove subheadings for less important entries, as a tradeoff for keeping subheadings for my core entries.

3) Eliminate Multiple Entry Points

One of the hallmarks of a good index is that a reader can find the same information in two or more ways. When I cut, I see multiple entry points as a luxury. My goal is to still have at least one entry point for each piece of information, but I will look for ways to cut out repetition. The main way I do this is to remove double-posts. If information is presented as both a main heading and a subheading, I may choose one or the other. I may also use more cross-references to compensate, if it seems like the cross-reference will take up less space.

4) Raise the Bar for Passing Mentions

Another strategy I use is to raise the bar for what I consider to be passing mentions. I actually start thinking about this before I edit the index. If I create an entry that I think I might be willing to cut, I label it so that it is easy to later find. You may ask, why not just cut if the entry is borderline? I would say that there are degrees of passing mentions, and what may be irrelevant to one person is valuable to another. So I tend to err on being inclusive, while recognizing that I may need to change my standard in order to cut.

5) Be Consistent

Regardless of which strategies I employ, I try to be consistent across the index. If I am cutting an entry from a certain type or level of entry, for example, I try to do the same for all entries of that type or level. I do not want the cuts to appear random or for a reader to say, Why is this entry included but not that? I know that a cut index is full of holes, but at least by being consistent I hope to mask the damage and make it appear that the index was still deliberately and thoughtfully made.

Ultimately, cutting an index is about tradeoffs. What gets to stay and what needs to go? These are not always easy decisions, especially if the cuts occur after careful editing. Still, with some planning, I think a decent index can still emerge. The index may not be great, but it can at least still be okay and still serve the reader as best it can.

Article
April 24, 2019
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by Stephen

The Power to Reveal and Conceal in an Index

Indexers hold great power, more than I think we often realize. Since the index we write will serve as a major entry point into the text for readers, we have a lot of influence over what readers find and how.

I first came to this realization a few years ago through my work indexing books on Indigenous topics. In Canada, where I live, these topics can be quite emotionally and politically charged, since as a nation we are still coming to terms with the legacy of colonialism. When working on such material, I am conscious that these are not my stories to tell. I do not fully understand these issues from the point of view of the Indigenous communities and individuals. Yet as the indexer, I have to somehow decide how best to present the information. 

One common claim by indexers is that the index needs to reflect the text, which is another way to say that the index needs to be objective. I agree that the index should be as objective as possible. Yet indexers also acknowledge that no two indexers will ever create the same index. The index is a subjective document, filtered through the indexer’s understanding of the text and preferred indexing practices. To be an ethical indexer, I think we need to consider and be aware of the different ways in which we can shape the index, particularly in how we can reveal or conceal information.

So, what are some ways in which this can happen?

The simplest way this happens is from me reading the text and making a decision about what I read. Is this detail or discussion important enough to be included in the index? Do I think there might be a reader who will want to find this information? To be objective, I have to be careful not to let personal bias or ignorance colour my decisions.

Next, let’s consider when I have chosen to index a certain discussion in the text. I can choose to highlight that discussion in a number of ways. I could use subheadings, for example, to both provide more information to the reader about the discussion, as well as to make the entry physically larger than surrounding entries, making the entry stand out. If there are a number of possible terms for the discussion, I can choose one that readers are likely to know and use and provide cross-references from the other terms. If the discussion is found in a subheading, I have try to have that subheading sort to the top of the entry to be more visible.

Conversely, I can choose not to use subheadings, even if there are enough locators to warrant them. I could also use a less common term as the main heading, and not use cross-references or double-posts to provide multiple entry points. I could also bury a subheading in the middle or at the bottom of an entry, or use vague wording to obscure the meaning. In all these cases, a reader can still find the discussion in the index, but the discussion is much less noticeable. Of course, I could also choose to not create an entry, thereby omitting the discussion.

In a best case scenario, when there is no line or page limit for the index, we can make sure that most, if not all, of the information in the text is clearly present in the index. But I think it is important to recognize that if there is not enough space, then the indexer may be forced to cut or obscure information out of necessity to make the index fit. This is not ideal, and while more can be said, I do have a triage process in order to identify what is most important to keep in the index and what can be cut or reduced. 

To give an example of how our decisions can affect the index, a few years ago I indexed the memoir of an Indigenous politician who described, alongside his many accomplishments, his struggles with alcoholism, depression, infidelities, and being sexually assaulted in residential school. It was quite a candid account, and I created headings and subheadings for these difficult topics, where I thought appropriate, in order to reflect the text. The publisher disagreed, and either removed the subheadings or folded these into a single subheading called “personal problems.”

The first reason the publisher gave was space, which, while I did not like it, I could at least accept. The second reason, though, was that the publisher did not want to make the author look bad. I disagreed, thinking that these changes whitewashed the issues and if the author was so candid, why not the index? It seemed that the priorities of the publisher were obscuring entry points into the text, which drove home for me this idea of revelation and concealment in an index. 

In the end, the index was published as the publisher wanted. In hindsight, maybe they were right, though I am thinking more about other victims who might have found the entries to be triggering than I am thinking about the author’s reputation. My point here is not to say that I was right and the publisher wrong, because I think handling sensitive information in an index is complicated and I am willing to accept that I was not entirely right. I am sharing this story instead to show how easily indexing decisions can affect how information is transmitted in an index. Our choices as indexers (and editors of indexes) do have consequences. While we cannot always write the index we want, due to external factors, we can still be mindful about the choices we make, and choose to reveal instead of hide.

Article
April 14, 2019
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by Stephen

Mastery Before Speed

Photo by CHU TAI on Unsplash

I have been reminding myself recently to not get frustrated over my slow progress writing fiction. 

It has been a dream of mine since I was a kid to be a writer. In grade four I managed to turn a two-page story assignment into an epic that was at least ten pages long. I am not sure now if it was ever finished, as I remember hiding on the top floor of our house the morning it was due in a frantic last-minute attempt to finish.

Yet I have to remind myself that I still have a lot to learn about how to tell a good story, and that I do have a day job, after all. I am not going to publish a book overnight. 

And yet, I get frustrated.

If I can lean into the frustration, though, it is a good opportunity to focus on mastery. 

The need for mastery was first drilled into me my first summer tree planting. Tree planters are paid by the tree, and since prices averaged ten or eleven cents, it was in our best interest to plant fast. Yet speed without proper technique (by which my foreman meant planting a tree in a single fluid motion before striding three steps to plant the next tree) and the ability to read the ground (to find the best spot to plant the tree in) isn’t really speed. Sure, you’d be faster than someone who was slow and had poor technique, but the best combination was technique first and then speed. 

I see this too with indexing, both in my own career and in some of the new indexers I talk to. Since freelancing is (usually) for employment and income—and for some people, they do not have a backup source of income—speed is often seen as key to success. But attempting to go fast without mastering the basics is usually going to lead to greater stress and more time wasted trying to fix errors made in haste. I do believe that newer indexers are capable to writing great indexes—it is just going to take a little longer, most likely, and that is okay. Taking the time is part of making a new skill second nature. 

Bringing this back to writing, part of my frustration is that I can see that I have a much higher mastery of indexing relative to writing fiction. This makes sense, because I have spent most of the last nine years focused on indexing. I realize that I need to put the same time and focus into writing as well. And yet I wish I could just transfer mastery from one domain to another and bypass the work. Especially as making time for writing is, well, another issue. 

Still, mastery before speed.

I have to keep reminding myself of this order. I can see how it got me through tree planting and then indexing. Now, I need to put in my time with writing, to accept this time of learning the craft and becoming grounded in the basics. Speed will come soon enough. 

Article
April 7, 2019
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by Stephen

Cross-Training for Freelancers

Photo by Thomas Schweighofer on Unsplash

In her book Ten Characteristics of Quality Indexes, Margie Towery recommends taking a nap as a way to boost concentration and attention. Other suggestions include going for a walk, meditation, or yoga. As she puts it, “the trick is to be aware of when your productivity is suffering and then be proactive in finding a remedy.”

This is excellent advice, and one I have been thinking more about recently. While indexing forms the bulk of my work, it is not practical for me to be working all of the time. How I choose to spend my time outside of work can also have an impact on my work hours. 

I am starting to think as some of these other activities as cross-training. This is a concept from sports, in which the athlete trains in two different sports in order to improve overall fitness. The role of the second sport is to support the first. As an indexer I am using my mind and I also do a lot of sitting. So when I think about cross-training, I am looking for ways to both either rest or use my mind in a different way, and to also get out of my chair.

Since the New Year, I have been taking part in a noon-hour circuit training class at the YMCA three days a week. It is 45 minutes of rotating through a series of exercises, which usually results in a full body workout. I have been finding these classes helpful for my indexing in a number of ways:

  • Being at noon, and combined with lunch, they provide a good midday break. I find afternoons more enjoyable and, I think, more productive.
  • I think I do feel more alert when I am physically fit. 
  • Going to the gym provides a bit of social interaction in a day when I am otherwise working alone. There are some other regulars at these classes too. 
  • If I am having a bad morning, working out removes me from the situation and gives me a chance to reset and start over in the afternoon. 
  • Psychologically, pushing my physical limits in the gym helps me to push past mental blocks I face indexing. Working out provides a boost of confidence that I can transfer to my working life. This is the reason that provides the most incentive when I don’t really want to go.

I also read a lot outside of work for my own enjoyment. This surprises some people, but I do enjoy fiction and have other interests I want to keep on top of. I am also a periodic knitter, which I do partly to engage my brain in a different way. In my ideal world, I would also have access to a sauna, where I could relax and let my mind drift. 

I think there are plenty of options for cross-training as a freelancer. The trick is to find something that is enjoyable and rejuvenating, to keep us focused during the hours when we are working. Because who wants to work all the time? More to the point, who is capable of working all of the time without burning out? Not me, certainly. And so I look to see how else I can use my time. 

Article
March 28, 2019
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by Stephen

Five Steps to Writing an Excellent Index

Photo by Jo Szczepanska on Unsplash

Happy National Indexing Day! 

This is a celebration started in the UK by the Society of Indexers and is starting to spread around the world. From across the pond in Canada, I thought I would join in the fun too. 

The question I get the most from non-indexers is, how is the index written? Though people are often enthusiastic about using indexes, the actual writing process remains mysterious. You don’t have to read the whole book, do you? That sounds like work. 

Well, yes, the whole book needs to be read, and today, in honour of indexes everywhere, I would like to share the five steps to writing an excellent index.

Step 1: Lay the Ground Rules

Indexes are governed by conventions. You might be able to tell that from the alphabetical ordering of entries and by how neatly indexes are arranged in columns. The twist is that there are different conventions to choose from. Since changing conventions mid-process can cause all sorts of pain and anguish—chiefly from the tedium of having to go back and change what was previously done—it is best to decide from the start which conventions you want to use. So,

  • Run-in format or indented format?
  • Letter-by-letter alphabetical sorting or word-by-word sorting?
  • Should page ranges be abbreviated, and if so, how?
  • Should figures, tables, and other illustrations be indicated in some way, and if so, how?
  • How will cross-references be formatted?

These are the main conventions that you should establish from the start. It often does not matter which you choose so long as you are consistent. 

Step 2: Read the Book

This step may seem obvious, but then again, many people seem to assume that indexing can be automated by a computer. Yes, you do need to read the book, every single word, from cover to cover. So far humans are better than computers at pulling out implicit arguments and references, at discerning relevance, and at understanding how the index should be written to meet the needs of different audiences. An index should be more than a list of keywords.

Step 3: Create the Index Entries

The next step, once the text is read, is to create the actual entries that will be in the index. There is no right or wrong way to do this, so long as terms are selected and written down with page numbers (or other locators) to direct readers to the information. 

I usually create entries as I read the text, so I will read a paragraph or a page, write down the entries that I see, and then move on. This approach does take practice, however, and it helps to already have a sense for what the final index should look like. If you are new to indexing, I suggest a second approach, which is what I used in the first few years of my career.

In this second approach, mark up the text as you read but don’t worry about making the entries, yet. You can do this on hard copy or on a PDF. The goal is to highlight, underline, circle, scribble in the margins, and otherwise identify potential entries. Once you have marked up a significant chunk of text, which could be a chapter or the whole book, then go back, review the entries you have identified, and write down the entries in the index that you still agree with. This method works because by marking up the text first, you can more easily see the context that your entries exist in, which can provide clues for what is important and for how to structure the index, such as determining which terms should have subheadings.

Step 4: Edit the Index

Once you have completed the hard work of reading the book and creating the index entries, the index needs to be edited. You may realize in hindsight that some entries are missing or should be fleshed out. Conversely, you may realize that some entries are not relevant after all and should be removed. Some entries with long strings of page numbers may need subheadings to provide clarity. Or maybe cross-references need to be added to help guide the reader. At the very least, proofreading for spelling, punctuation, and grammar is always a good idea. An index is most useful if it is easy to read and navigate, and if it points to relevant information. A thorough edit should ensure that this is true.

Step 5: Solicit and Incorporate Feedback

So far writing the index has been a solitary endeavour. But you are, after all, writing the index for your readers, so you want to make sure that your index can be used and understand by others. If you are an author writing the index yourself, send the index to beta readers and get their feedback. If you are an indexer, send the index to the author or to the editor or publisher. Thoughtful feedback will likely improve the index, so don’t be afraid to ask for a second opinion. Based on the feedback you receive, revise the index as needed.

So there you go, the five steps to writing an index. This is what every indexer does, in one form or another, often behind the scenes. It is a process that requires time and, yes, work. 

So happy indexing, everyone! Here’s to excellent indexes in every nonfiction book.

This five step process is adapted from my free mini course, Indexing Decoded. If you would like to learn more about how to index, you can learn more and register by clicking on this link.

Article
February 16, 2019
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by Stephen

The Lazy Person’s Guide to Business Development

Photo by Samuel Zeller on Unsplash

The title for this post is, admittedly, tongue in cheek. I am not suggesting that those of us with our own businesses are lazy. It does point towards the reality, though, that it can be so hard to make time, or even know where to start looking, when it comes to business development. 

I think we know that we should be doing something beyond the day-to-day busyness of keeping our business moving along. We know that professional development keeps us sharp, that the market we are currently working in may change in the coming years, or that there are aspects of our business which could become more efficient. But none of these are, at least right now, immediate concerns. We will get to them someday, right?

I struggle with finding time too. My recent sabbatical, which I am almost finished with, is a more extreme attempt to make time for business development and growth. It is not the only way, though. 

Another approach, which I have been doing for a few years now (and which is where I first got the idea for a sabbatical) is a more passive approach. I have made it a habit to regularly listen to podcasts related to business and writing, and to read books on business and personal development. I try to read one book a month in this area. Occasionally I also attend webinars that come to my attention.

I describe this approach as passive because while I do make choices about what I read or listen to—and I do sometimes seek resources on specific topics—for the most part I am just going by whatever seems interesting and by whatever happens to come to my attention. I don’t yet know if there will be something of value that I can apply to my business. Not everything has gems that I can use, but the main point is that I keep reading and I keep listening. 

I think it is important that this has become a habit. I am regularly exposing myself to new ideas, increasing the chances that something useful to turn up. It helps that this also does not usually feel like work. I do enjoy learning, nor is there a deadline I need to meet, though there are times when I need to learn something that I don’t enjoy as much. 

Of course, if I do come across information that I think I can and should apply to my business, then I have to put in the work to do so. I am not saying that change and growth is always easy, but at least identifying the path towards growth is fairly easy. 

To illustrate what I mean, I would like to mention five examples—three books and two podcasts—that I have either read recently or I regularly listen to, which I have found helpful and would recommend. Your list will probably vary based on your interests and needs, but maybe this will give you some ideas for what you can look for.

Lead to Win podcast

Michael Hyatt bills himself as a virtual mentor for leaders. He spent most of his career in publishing, becoming CEO of Thomas Nelson, and now runs his own eponymous company offering various products, mostly focused on leadership and achieving goals. His podcast Lead to Win, co-hosted with his daughter and COO Megan Hyatt Miller, is free. He also has a previous podcast, This is Your Life, which is similar and also quite good.

I don’t find everything discussed in these podcasts to be relevant. Hyatt’s main audience is leaders in companies with actual employees, much bigger and more complex than my freelancing outfit. That said, because Hyatt is working at a higher level of business than I am, the podcast does introduce me to topics I wouldn’t normally have considered before and it does inspire me to think big and push beyond my comfort level, which I think is good for me. 

The Prolific Writer podcast

The Prolific Writer is a podcast that challenges my writing goals. It is hosted by Ryan J. Pelton, often features interviews with other indie authors, and is dedicated to prolific writing. Pretty much all of the authors involved publish multiple books a year. I am still trying to write my first book, so I am not in that league yet, and I am still a bit incredulous at what some of these authors are able to accomplish. The value for me, though, is that it does challenge my beliefs about what is possible, and besides being inspirational I do pick up nuggets here and there about writing, self-publishing, and the writing market. 

Deep Work, by Cal Newport

I mentioned this book in my blog post last week. Deep work is deliberately spending long periods of time concentrating, without distractions, on high value and cognitively demanding tasks. I’ve been aware of deep work for a couple of years, and finally read the book last month. I am convinced that indexing requires deep work in order to be done effectively, and reading this book has helped me to reconfigure my workday to minimize distractions and maximize the amount of focused time I spend indexing. I highly recommend it.

Make Time, by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky

Make Time is another book I have read recently and referenced in a blog post. It is also about how to remove distractions and to make time for what is most important. This is more of a how-to book, as it contains over eighty techniques that you can try. What I found most helpful was their experimental approach. The authors acknowledge that different techniques are going to work for different people, and that everyone is unique in their work demands, their goals, and their biorhythms. So they encourage readers to try different techniques, keep a journal of what works and what does not, and to gradually figure out a personalized schedule. I also recommend their book Sprint, which is not easily applicable to someone working solo, but I still enjoyed learning about their approach to problem solving and product development.

Perennial Seller, by Ryan Holiday

I read this book last year, and the ideas it contains continue to stick with me. Holiday discusses how to create and market items that will continue to sell year in and year out. These may not hit the bestseller lists, but that’s okay because their value will continue to grow over time. This really resonates with my own beliefs about producing quality work. The book read like a road map for the direction I knew I wanted to go in but was not sure how. 

What resources do you find helpful for growing your business?

Article
February 8, 2019
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by Stephen

Indexing as Deep Work

Photo by Nathan Ziemanski on Unsplash

Deep work, as defined by Cal Newport in his book of the same title, is “professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate.”

As I was reading Newport’s book on this topic, it struck me that indexing is ideally suited for deep work. Especially as I work as a full-time indexer, with often a handful of deadlines in a month, I need to spend several hours every day, sitting at my computer, indexing. I need to be able to see, understand, and hold in my mind both the overarching argument or structure of the book (as well as the overarching structure of the index) as well as the smaller details that flesh out that argument and structure. I am creating a document from scratch that to some extent is unique to me, in that other indexers would write their own variations. And the index will, I hope, add value to the book and for readers. It is not something that is easy to replicate. 

Newport identifies shallow work as being the opposite of deep work. This is work that is low value, non-cognitively demanding, and easily done by someone else. The trick, to reach professional goals or to simply stay on top of deadlines, is to focus on performing deep work—what does drive value—and to minimize or eliminate shallow work. 

I think this distinction between deep and shallow work also applies to indexing, and is highlighted by the contract nature of freelancing. Being a freelancer gives me a lot of freedom in how I use my time—which can be used poorly to read the news or watch Youtube videos. It also means that I need to be aware of and responsive to my email inbox, both for new project offers and to be responsive to existing clients. I would say this is all shallow work, because while I do need to communicate with clients and have a method for accepting new projects, I don’t get paid for checking email. While I do need some breaks throughout the day when I index, news and Youtube can serve as distractions and prove to be less effective as breaks if they are taking me away from indexing. While shallow work is not necessary bad, if we do not prioritize deep work and find ways to keep shallow work at bay during those times, then deep work is unlikely to happen.

So how to prioritize deep work?

Newport’s book has challenged me to rethink how I work. In particular, what are my distractions and how do I handle them? Distractions, even ones that seem fairly innocuous, pull you out of a state of concentration and it can take several minutes to return to the task at hand. This happening once isn’t too bad, but if it is repeated throughout the day those minutes can add up. In my experience, distractions also build upon each other. If I follow that sudden urge to check a fact on Wikipedia, I am likely to have subsequent sudden urges that will be harder to resist. I find distractions can also cause a lot of stress and anxiety, because while a part of me is enjoying the distraction, another part is aware that I am falling behind on the task I should be focused on, which creates a vicious cycle. The more anxious I become the more I seek distractions to sooth the anxiety.

As I have come to realize, the costs to the quality of the indexes I write, how quickly I can index, and the stress I inflict on myself through distractions are too high. At least, I do not want to pay them anymore. I know I can’t eliminate every single distraction, but I can do a lot to eliminate most of them, at least the ones that are self-inflicted. 

So far, I’ve come up with a few strategies to better facilitate deep work. Here are three of them:

  • I use the Freedom app to block myself from most news sites and blogs that I typically frequent. The only day I allow myself to browse these sites are Sundays. I have a different block for social media. This does not work perfectly as there are, of course, other news sites and blogs that I have not yet discovered (and which I subsequently have to block), but overall I do feel much more focused and less anxious. And to be honest, I find I don’t really miss the news. I still get a general sense of what is happening in the world from talking to other people and hearing snippets on the radio, and I have enough interesting things to focus on among my own work.
  • I have stopped checking email in the mornings, and I try to only check email twice in the afternoon. I have been surprised at the results. I have come to value my distraction-free mornings, which is when I can create my best and most important work. So far clients have not noticed or commented on slower replies.
  • I take a long break in the middle of the day. I go to the local YMCA, and depending on the day I either join a circuit training class or I swim. I also eat lunch. All of this takes about an hour and a half. What makes this work is that if I get out of bed on time, I have three hours of deep work in the morning, and then another three and a half hours of deep work in the afternoon. The exercise gives me a chance to rest my brain and recharge for the afternoon session.

These new habits do, I realize, introduce some inconveniences for myself and others. I am not likely to reply immediately to an email. There have been times my wife has forwarded me an interesting news article which I cannot read because of the internet blocks I have in place. Last Sunday, I was surprised to learn that the Super Bowl was happening, and realized I had completely missed the buildup. 

I think the trade-offs are worth it, though. If my clients are hiring me to index, and if indexing requires long periods of concentration, and if I want to produce quality indexes while also preserving time for rest in the evenings and on weekends, then I need to structure my workday and put safeguards in place to make sure that indexing happens in the scheduled hours. I wish I could say that I did not need these safeguards, but I have come to realize that I do. 

The questions are fairly simple: What are my priorities? How do I create lasting value for myself and for others? What do I need to do to make sure these happen?