How Indexing Works
Page rate varies given the density of the text, or how many main entries I make from each page. For this reason, I prefer to see at least a chapter, at best the entire manuscript, in order to give an accurate estimate. I can do this in Word, although to begin with indexing, a PDF of the complete, laid-out book is necessary.
Step One: Browsing.
I browse through the text, reading the table of contents, chapter headings, and sections within chapters. Doing this gives me a sense of where the author is going and the vocabulary she uses to get there, as well as what the major themes are and how those themes are presented.
Step Two: Building the skeleton.
Using the PDF, I create entries for section headings in another program, Cindex. I work in fully formatted, sorted view the entire time in order to see each new entry in the context of its alphabetical neighbors. I rarely stop to solve problems or focus on wording during this step.
Step Three: Marking text and fleshing out the index.
I do a detailed reading of the entire text. Sometimes I mark the text and note in margins other possible entries, double-posts, and cross-references. If necessary, I consult reference materials. Doing so provides me with guidance in establishing a logical index structure and also reassures me that I’m including adequate access points and using correct terminology.
Step Four: Entry input.
I create entries in my indexing software for topics that I identified in my Step Three. I overindex during this step because I find it easier to whittle down a long index than to inflate a short one. I also add notes to myself in these entries.
At this point, I have a first draft of my index. It is rare that my first draft looks much like my finished product. With individual authors (contrasted to traditional publishers) I usually now send the draft to the author for input. This is so they have a chance to comment, or to ask me to include something, or re-word something.
Step Five: Editing.
After the detailed entries are in my software and I have the author comments, I edit the index. This is my favorite part of the indexing process. It’s the cleaning up, the deleting, the tightening. Editing usually takes 20-40% of my total indexing time.
Step Six: Spot checks.
I sort the index by page and spot check entries and page references. This also gives me another chance to make sure that my index isn’t missing any unstated or subtle concept. I often send this off to a third party to do as well. I also sometimes submit the entire index to a group for peer review. In fact, just what I said today that an author should do—step back, get another opinion.
Throughout:
I sometimes catch errors, which I pass on to the publisher/author/designer. I don’t guarantee anything, since the reading I do is from a different part of the brain than is proofreading, but I sometimes do catch some good stuff! Another pair of eyes never hurts.
The fee for an index is based on a per indexable page rate (not including blank pages, acknowledgments, nor the bibliography, but including all substantive endnotes, tables, and images), on average about $4.00 per page. So a 175-page book might have 15 pages of bibliography and 10 pages of acknowledgments, front matter, etc. These 25 pages will not be counted as indexable. There might be 22 pages of notes, but as they are substantive, and I must read through each to see if there is indexable material, all 22 pages are included as indexable pages. The final page count would then be 150 x 4.00 for a total of $600. Page rate varies given the density of the text, or how many main entries I make from each page. For this reason, I prefer to see at least a chapter, at best the entire manuscript, in order to give an accurate estimate.
