Can’t I, as the author, make my own index?

It is possible, yes. You are certainly the expert on the material. At the stage of publishing when it’s time for indexing to be done, you might be tired of it and ready not to look at it for a while, though! There are other tasks that will require your attention now, such as proofreading and marketing (which should be ongoing.)

If you are one of a team of authors, indexing will become more complicated as you juggle decisions.

Indexing is most efficiently done with dedicated indexing software, an investment in cost and time to learn. Again, not the best use of your time. That’s just the mechanical aspects – – the practice of indexing, the decisions to be made in term choice and arrangement, and the conventions, is a whole other field of study.

But let’s go back to the first point — that you are undeniably the expert on your topic. The indexer is the stand-in for your future reader, and our mission is to stand in the reader’s stead, thinking, “Where would I look for this subject,” and “under what term?”  “Are there any alternate terms to be considered?” All the while adhering to the conventions of indexing and the particular publisher for your book.

You should have the opportunity pre- and post-indexing for input as well, so you won’t be sending your book off with one chance to get it right. You can send notes ahead of time, and if the schedule is not overly tight, there should be a day or two for review at the end. As well, I’ve queried authors during an index as to their preferences for certain entries.

Isn’t there a way to create indexes automatically? I’ve seen a button in Word.

Computer programs will collect like entries and their page numbers.  This generates a concordance, which won’t be useful to your reader.  Publishers and good indexing practice alone dictate the number of undifferentiated locators at around 7. Here’s what that would look like:

cakes, 6, 18, 34, 107, 232-4, 267, 301

But imagine if you gave Word free rein on “cake” as a search term (Let’s assume a cookbook.)

cakes, 1,4,5, 6, 11, 12, 18, 21, 22, 24, 30, 31, 34, 107, 130, 140, 145, 146, 232-4, 267, 270, 301 . . .

You get the idea.

What is needed is the human skill of sorting and analyzing, intellectual analysis and decision-making. Which are needed skills of the indexer that a machine just doesn’t have:

  • Selecting significant material
  • Recognizing contextual differences
  • Composing entries
  • Creating synonyms
  • Identifying implied concepts

Searching on “cake” would have captured instances of  pancakes, cupcakes, cake batter,  and caked-on crust, among others. And it would have missed torte, sponge, bundt, chiffon, angel food, and all the special names like Black Forest, Red Velvet, and Mississippi Mud that may exist alone or in caption.

How much does an index cost?

My go-to analogy for this is “How much does it cost to have a room painted?” The painter couldn’t get you an estimate without knowing your specifications: the room’s size, the quality and type of paint(s), existing wall covering, number of windows and doors, and so forth.  Even knowing all this, they still might want to see it. And can they meet your desired schedule?

Indexers may charge for their work on a per-page or per-index-entry basis, or they may charge by the hour. The fee may vary with the type of material to be indexed and the type of index required. Indexers knowledgeable in specific subject specialties and those with some years of indexing experience will request and should receive higher fees.

Fee considerations include the level of detail needed in the index; the difficulty and complexity of the material; length and space requirements; and the time allowed for completion of the index. A complex academic text requires more work than a basic trade book or textbook. More per page may be charged for very dense or extra-large pages, or for technical subjects. In other words, every text is different. Just like every room.

As an estimate, sometimes things happen that require revisions. Pages shift, errors might be found, additions are requested, timelines shift. If you know your specifications and would like a quote, see the Book Specifications form in Contact [link]

How long does it take to write an index?

Indexing can begin when the layout is in final form and the PDF is available. By “final,” the text has been typeset and will not be rewritten so as to change the flow of the text over the pages (minor changes and typo corrections are not an issue). Indexing can be done concurrently with proofreading though—which is when those minor changes can be found of course.

The same considerations that apply to cost can apply to time: book length, subject matter, complexity, and depth of indexing required. Often, if previous schedules have slipped and there’s a firm printing date, the indexer is asked to make up time.  What can be lost then is the author review time as well as the “breathe” or “rising” time that I like to give a work in progress, meaning to step away and let it sit for a day or two.

Some publishers will send unnumbered page proofs ahead of time for a pre-read. This is a great way to get familiar with the topic and strategize, ask questions, research names and facts, query authors.  And complete a nice, unhurried read. Which is truly a frequently asked question: “Do you read the whole book?”

Do you read the whole book?

Yes, several times!