Happy readers = happy client
Who’s looking over my shoulder?
As I sit at my computer and compile an index, I hold my client constantly in my mind. In fact I like to imagine the author as if they were sitting at my shoulder, considering and approving the index entries I make. But sitting on my other shoulder, with an equally important imagined gaze, is the reader, or rather all the readers (fortunately my shoulders are rather broad): there are several different groups of readers clamouring for my attention. These reader groups have different information needs, and here’s how I design indexes to satisfy them all.
Potential purchasers: browsers in a bookshop
Short of lurking in bookshops and asking browsers what they’re looking at (and yes, I do know of one indexer who has done this), we don’t know for sure exactly what makes an individual buy a book that hasn’t been specifically recommended to them. But based on anecdotal evidence, browsers in bookshops will admire the book’s cover, read the blurb on the back, take a look at the table of contents, flick through the pages, pause at any pretty pictures, and, yes, look at the index, to get a good idea of whether it’s something they want to buy and read. (I tend to look at the index as soon as I’ve finished admiring the cover, but then I would, wouldn’t I?)
So how do I make a book accessible and enticing to these ‘maybe’ readers, through its index?
ACCESSIBE - I include a clear navigational structure so the ‘maybe’ reader can quickly identify which are the most important topics and themes the book is about. This is not always apparent from a book’s chapter titles (assuming it even has chapter titles at all). These will likely be larger index headings with well-organised subheadings. Additionally, helpful cross-references will take the potential reader by the hand through the landscape of the book, so that they can understand and navigate between related index terms.
ENTICING - if the book contains some interesting anecdotes and topics you wouldn’t necessarily expect to appear in this sort of book, I will include references to them in the index if space allows. But don’t worry, I won’t provide all the detail in the index heading. I aim to create intriguing headings that will catch the reader’s eye and draw them in: the index as a gateway to richer delights.
New readers: wanting information fast
Many non-fiction books are read from cover to cover, and that’s that. But many aren’t read in that way at all; many aren’t even designed to be read that way. Rather, they are consulted, whether from the reader’s bookshelf or the shelves of a library, real or virtual. This is where indexes come in! But, if someone hasn’t read the book before, they might not know exactly which words to look up in the index to unlock that piece of information they are seeking. Especially if they are not an expert in the subject the book is about (more on this later).
So how do I make sure new readers will find the information that’s in the book, even if they don’t know exactly the ‘right’ words to look up? My indexes include these key features:
SYNONYMS - these are alternative ways of expressing the same concept, so that whichever word or phrase the reader things to look up, they will find the information they need (if it’s in the book at all of course).
BROADER TERMS - I group together similar things under the category they belong to. Research has shown that if a reader doesn’t know exactly the right word for the concept they are looking for, they will start with something broader and then drill down through the index to find what they need.
CROSS-REFERENCES - these point readers to where they will find exactly what they are looking for, regardless of the place they happen to pitch up in the index first.
Returning readers: wanting to revisit information they’ve seen before
With luck, the returning reader wanting to consult a book will remember the book’s language and terminology, so they will likely think of the ‘right’ words to search for in the index. (But if they don’t, that’s ok - we’ve provided for this, as I’ve already described.) They might also remember that a key piece of information happened to land on the page to the right of the one where there was an interesting anecdote about….. cheese, say.
How do I help the returning reader quickly revisit the parts of the book they remember so fondly?
PRIVILEGE THE LANGUAGE AND TERMINOLOGY OF THE BOOK - yes, I include synonyms (as I’ve described above), but the index entries against which the readers will find all the content relevant to a particular topic will be those that match the words used to describe that topic in the book. Synonymous terms will be present in the index too of course, but they will point to these entries using cross-references.
INDEX INTERESTING ANECDOTES - and other snippets that are likely to snag in the mind. Remember what I said about catching the attention of the casual browser? Exactly these things are likely to stick in the returning reader’s memory too. (They certainly stick in mine, as an indexer.) Where appropriate, I like to include little ‘Easter eggs’ in indexes (without overstepping the mark). It’s fun to do, but also serves a practical purpose.
Expert and not-so-expert readers
This is a slightly different take on the ‘new readers’ versus ‘returning readers’ dichotomy. Remember, not all readers will be as expert on the subject of the book as the author. Certainly not before they’ve read the book, anyway! But some readers will be experts.
How do I cater for both expert and not-so-expert readers?
The good news is, by covering all the bases described above, I have in fact already ensured that expert readers (who can navigate the terminology and structure of the index without difficulty) and not-so-expert readers (who need alternative routes into the index, and a bit more of a helping hand once they’re in) will be looked after.
I’ve not forgotten the author and the publisher!
No, I haven’t forgotten my client! Let’s be honest, they are the people paying me to do the work so I would be a fool not to deliver what they want. As I said at the outset, I also imagine the book’s author(s) at my shoulder. However, assuming that their main objective is to sell lots of books, and to receive favourable reviews (so as to sell lots more books), I will be serving them best by carefully considering all the reader groups and their needs. Additionally of course, to satisfy the publisher I will always ensure that my indexes are technically accurate, adhering to established indexing conventions, fit in with the publisher’s house style, are the correct length for the space available, and are delivered on time with minimal fuss. With the right tools at my disposal and experience under my belt, all this technical and procedural stuff has become second nature. But consideration of the different reader groups always causes pause for thought.
It is fantastic when I get feedback about an index directly from an author, especially when they comment that I had made connections that they hadn’t really thought about before. But I never get feedback from the readers. Short of lurking in a bookshop or library and spying on them, I don’t think I ever will. But, in common with all good indexers, I will keep on imagining what they might need, and doing my best to deliver it.