Comments on: Every non-fiction book needs an index: Here’s why

By: April Michelle Davis

April Michelle Davis — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:05:00 +0000

The number one question I receive when I tell people that I am an indexer is, “You are a what?” This is a great resource to give out in response to that question. Many people I speak to think that indexes are created by computers. They don’t even realize that indexes existed before computers.

By: non-fiction book

non-fiction book — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 01:18:51 +0000

Very Good Article… It helps a lot.. Nice Job…

By: Diana Daffner

Diana Daffner — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 05:14:22 +0000

I came across your article just after trying to explain to an aspiring author why her book would benefit from an index. I actually did recently write my own for my own book (Tantric Sex for Busy Couples: How to Deepen Your Passion in Just Ten Minutes a Day) and not only enjoyed the process but found I have a talent for it. I had originally tried to convince the publisher that the book didn’t need one. In the process of creating it, I realized how beneficial it will be both for those who want to locate something they read and prospective readers who want to see what the book really covers. Still, I would recommend a professional indexer unless the author has the kind of research and mining persepctive that lends itself to the task. A well done index has an elegance that can enhance a book. I enjoyed creating that.

By: Le Huu Phuoc

Le Huu Phuoc — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:16:21 +0000

I have to disagree with you that an author has to hire a professional to prepare an index. Why isn’t an author capable of generating an index after completing a scholarly manuscript? An scholarly nonfiction index consists of several elements:
(a) Names (places, people, monuments, dynasties…)
(b) Concepts, technical words, definitions, styles, types, technologies…
(c) Understand/combine/spell out the relationships between (a) and (b)
These are basics to start with but certainly enough to cover the contents; take a look at scholarly books to see how their indexes are composed. An author intimately knows his book more than anyone else and there is no reason why he can’t produce an index.
Good Luck

By: Denise Carlson

Denise Carlson — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:43:29 +0000

I have been a professional indexer for six years and have worked directly with many scholarly authors. Some have tried to do an index themselves, and then thrown up their hands and come to me. Others have recognized right away that they know their own book very well but they haven’t a clue how to do an index. In addition to the enjoyment I have helping authors finalize their books is the fun I have working with editors. I have learned a lot from them about the publishing business and established good ongoing working relationships. So it is great to have an editor trumpeting the work of indexers! Thank you!

By: Xavi Callahan

Xavi Callahan — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 23:25:37 +0000

Thank you! In the publishing companies where I’ve worked, we used to say that authors creating their own indexes were rewriting their books in alphabetical order. Here’s a sample entry from one such index: “time immemorial, from.”

By: NAIWE NewsWire » Every Non-Fiction Book Needs a Good Index

NAIWE NewsWire » Every Non-Fiction Book Needs a Good Index — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:14:26 +0000

[…] and makes additional points quite eloquently in his post on the subject. You may read “Every non-fiction book needs an index: Here’s why” at his website, which happens to be an example of a very nicely done professional website. […]

By: Janice Campbell

Janice Campbell — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:17:32 +0000

Excellent article. A good index is worth its cost many times over. I offer free e-mail support for a how-to book that I wrote, and by the third edition, I’d figured out that I’d save at least a dozen e-mails a month if I got the book professionally indexed. I believe that index has saved me a lot more than it cost over the subsequent years, and potential book buyers are always reassured to see it. I know that many writers are short of cash, but still– it is worth it.

Janice Campbell
National Association of Independent Writers and Editors
http://www.NAIWE.com

By: Sally Lawther

Sally Lawther — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:07:02 +0000

Great article! It says it all in concise, understandable form. I intend to use parts of this when explaining myself to prospective clients…hope that is okay.

Thanks again…I feel validated!!!

By: Sue Nedrow

Sue Nedrow — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:02:15 +0000

Great article! However, I would question the statement that most indexers charge $3.75 per page. In my experience, rates can vary depending on the discipline, subject matter, and parameters of a given project.

By: Shoshana Hurwitz

Shoshana Hurwitz — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 06:31:47 +0000

YES!!! Great article. I’m sending this to everyone who has ever asked me “But do you actually have to read the WHOLE BOOK in order to index it??”

By: Elliot Linzer

Elliot Linzer — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:15:32 +0000

Thank you. This was excellent. I do have one minor correction to make: In the case of scholarly books, especially those published by university presses and other non-profit publishers, the cost of the index is not taken out of royalties. It comes directly out of the author’s pocket. Only the IRS knows exactly why UPs have to treat this differently than commercial publishers.

By: Larry Sweazy

Larry Sweazy — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:59:30 +0000

Bravo! As a professional indexer of over 500 titles, I still run up against these basic questions about indexes, and the need for them. The more people that beat this drum, the better. A book is not complete, and does not service the reader to its fullest if it does not have an index that is coherent, and expertly thought out. As an indexer, it is the audience of the book that is my main concern, which is why I often refer to myself as a reader advocate.