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indexing

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… Read More »My Index Editing Process

Reading Like an Indexer

So you are sitting down to write an index. You scroll to the first page in the PDF, or, if you’ve printed out the proofs, you place the first page on the desk in front of you, and then…what? What is your thought process? How do you decide what entries… Read More »Reading Like an Indexer

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… Read More »When Subheadings Are Not So Useful

Indexing as Storytelling

What does the process of indexing consist of? Is it primarily a process of extracting terms from the text? I’ve noticed, when talking to readers and editors, that this seems to be how many people conceptualize writing an index. It is less writing and more data mining.  I want to… Read More »Indexing as Storytelling

Finding Your Indexing Niche

Last month was very busy for me, culminating in the Indexing Society of Canada’s virtual conference, where I co-presented with Enid Zafran on the current state and future of embedded indexing. I may write more later about embedded indexing, but in the meantime, our findings reminded me of how segmented publishing… Read More »Finding Your Indexing Niche

Indexing Yellowstone’s Wolves

It is not too often that I have the privilege of indexing an entire series. It is also not every index in which structure plays such a prominent role. I mean, structure—deciding which entries and arrays to create, where to place them within the index, and how they relate to… Read More »Indexing Yellowstone’s Wolves

The Future of Indexing Software

From my perspective as a relatively younger indexer, it feels like indexing is in the midst of a generational turnover, both in terms of long-time indexers nearing retirement and in regards to software. A lot of programs developed in the 1980s and 1990s are still vital to our work, but… Read More »The Future of Indexing Software

When to Walk Away

A month ago I wrote about my ideal working relationship with publishers, as a valued member of the team. But not every publisher or client is going to be ideal, and sometimes you need to know when to walk away. Walking away from a project or client is scary. Especially… Read More »When to Walk Away