It is that day to poke our heads up from our computers, shake loose the cobwebs of headings and locators which cling to our minds, and realize that hey! we are not alone in this business. (It is great to see you too.)

Indexing can be a lonely endeavour. Most indexers freelance, working from home or co-working spaces. Occasionally we will collaborate on a particularly large project, which will initiate a flurry of phone calls and emails, but even then we are usually doing the actual work by ourselves. Perhaps because of this seclusion, indexers tend to be extremely helpful and welcoming, whether on email groups, or at conferences or regional get-togethers. Even introverts—and most of us are probably introverts—need our social outlets. 

Being self-employed also means that you never really know what project will be offered next. Is that email in your inbox a dream project, perfectly aligning with your interests and expertise, or is it going to be a nightmare? I have to tell you, philosophy and literary criticism are not my strong points, unless it is a book with a title like Philosophy for Dummies (which I am still waiting to receive). There are other indexers with graduate degrees in philosophy and literary criticism. Please hire them instead. 

But still, our incomes depend on receiving a steady stream of projects. It can be tempting to take on those difficult projects, especially if there is a hole in your schedule or pocket. Sometimes you don’t realize that a project is going to be difficult until you start. Sometimes you just want to beat your head against the keyboard, you have no idea what the text is trying to say. Maybe the book would have made sense to that indexer with a graduate degree in whatever the subject is (and maybe that indexer is cursing the project that would have been perfect for you), but there can be a silver lining. I have gotten some of the most effusive praise from clients on the books I had the most difficulty with. Maybe it was all of the extra time I poured into the book, trying to read and re-read it, turning the text upside down looking for the hidden key that would grant me comprehension. 

Then there are the projects, of course, that are far easier than expected, or which are simply a delight to read. The emotional lives of trees, anyone? Simply reading that book was relaxing. A mental forest bath. Or the annotated translation of marriage law from the Yuan dynasty. So the text itself was a bit dry, but wow, some unique circumstances and prescriptions. My wife and I had fun imagining how our wedding and marriage would have been different had we lived in that time and place. Then there is one of my current favourites—business books. Why not learn how to improve my business while I am working?

So happy indexing day, everyone! Like any job, indexing has its ups and downs, its surprises, its moments of uncertainty and frustration, and its moments of relief and glee. It is truly amazing the diversity of books that I have indexed. It is truly amazing that I have survived some of the indexes I have written, not to mention the deadlines. My clients and colleagues have also been truly amazing, especially the ones I have been able to work with over multiple projects, and develop camaraderie with. Indexing may be practiced in solitude, but it by no means exists in isolation.