Authors: how I will create a great index for your book
Please get in touch as early as you can if you would like to discuss your project with me: it doesn’t matter if it’s not ready for indexing yet. I am happy to pencil in work several weeks or months into the future and understand that publication schedules are tentative. Due to shifting schedules I sometimes have availability for urgent work too. I do my best to accommodate interesting projects wherever I can.
How will I work with you?
Excellence in indexing
My indexing credentials mean you can trust that I will produce a high-quality index that ticks all the right technical boxes. But I am not satisfied with ‘good enough’, and nor should you be: I aim for excellent indexes that truly delight my authors.
I am not a robot
I hope it goes without saying that I do not use AI or any other tools to generate my indexes automatically. My indexes are the result of a careful reading and analysis of your book, by my own eyes and brain.
Confidentiality
I never share book manuscripts with anyone else and never upload them anywhere they may be used to train large language models.
Timing and process
For most print books, I receive the PDF proofs of the book once it has been edited and typeset: the page numbers are pretty much locked down enabling me to associate index topics with pages in the book. I create an index in .docx or .RTF format and it is then typeset and added to the book.
Some publishers prefer indexing to take place before the book has been typeset. In this situation, and/or for e-books, I need to create an embedded index.
Our working relationship
I appreciate that it will have taken blood, sweat and tears to get your manuscript ready for indexing. I strive to create an easy and constructive working relationship with all my authors, and provide whatever level of explanation and support they need to make this vital stage as stress-free as possible.
When you contact me, the first thing I will do is review a sample couple of chapters to check I am the right person for the job. (It does not have to be typset at this point.) If all looks good, we will agree my rate/fee for the work, and a schedule (or approximate schedule). I always try to build in some contingency time: I often deliver early, but have never delivered late. At this stage I will send you more information about how I work, and some guidance on reviewing my completed index. When your manuscript is ready and it is time to start work, we will finalise details about index presentation and coverage.
I will take on board any indexing preferences or requirements you have (e.g. indexing coverage and length, and how to handle certain types of content, or sensitive subject-matter), and should any challenges present themselves, make my own recommendations for pragmatic solutions based on what I have found to work well.
If you’re working with a publisher, chances are I’ve worked with them before so know how the indexing slots into their production process. Or if you’re self-publishing, I can work with you and your team to ensure everything runs smoothly.
What about embedded indexes and e-books?
Embedded indexes
Some publishers require embedded indexes. Instead of working from the PDF proofs, I receive the book manuscript either as a Word document (before typesetting) or an InDesign file. I use specialised software to insert (embed) index tags into the body of the manuscript at the locations where the indexed concepts occur. The indexing module in Word or InDesign uses these tags to generate the complete index, and when the book is typeset the page numbers in the index are updated automatically to reflect the final pagination of the book.
When I send you an embedded index to review, I will provide additional information explaining how the tags ‘work’ to create the index.
E-books
For e-books, embedded indexes may be ‘activated’ and hyperlinked. This is not something I do myself: I provide the embedded index and leave it to the experts to take it from there.
More information
I am a member of the American Society for Indexing’s Digital Publication Indexing Special Interest Group, and you can find a wealth of information about embedded indexing and e-book indexing on their website.
“Thank you very much for your index, and for managing everything in a perfectly organised way. I was really wondering how to cope with the interweaving of themes in this book, and your index precisely underlines its interdisciplinarity, and as such is a valuable addition to its content!”
“I’m not sure why entirely, but this brought tears to my eyes [....] it makes it clear what a comprehensive body of work Untangled is and how much it draws on. I’m so grateful to you for doing such a thorough job. Thanks too for picking up the typesetting issues - some of which we’d caught, but not all!”
How much will it cost?
Society of Indexers rates (updated Jan 2024)
£31.60 per hour / £3.55 per page / £9.55 per thousand words of indexable text
I usually ask to see a sample chapter or two before confirming my rate for the job and we will agree the total fee before I start work.
For most projects, I will quote based on indexable word count, and use the Society of Indexers recommended minimum rates above as a starting point for setting my fees. I may charge more for particularly long or complex texts which take proportionately longer to do. I typically charge 15-20% extra for embedded indexes, as they are also more time-consuming to create.
If you are working with a publisher who is covering the indexing fee, they may choose to set a fixed fee. I will check before accepting a job whether the fee offered will enable me to spend the time I need to create a high quality index.
“Many thanks again for the fantastic index. CUP [Cambridge University Press] were very happy with it.”
“Melanie created a comprehensive and excellent embedded index for a complex physics textbook, suitable for digital formats and paperback in a very short time. Her attention to detail was brilliant and I can’t recommend her highly enough. A pleasure to work with.”