Book Indexing

Book excerpt: How to write an index for any book, collection, or report It’s true. Creating an index for a book is challenging and time-consuming. It’s why authors and publishers hire professional indexers. But that’s not the only way to get a quality index. If you have the desire—and a penchant for detail—you too can write an orderly and comprehensive index. Book Indexing shows you how. With the aid of checklists, “Try This” exercises, and dozens of examples, Book Indexing helps you face the text with confidence. Step by step, you will learn: — The different kinds of indexes, and which to use for your book. — How to use the hierarchy of information to decide what to include in the index, and what to leave out. — How to capture the book’s themes and give the reader a starting point into the index. — How to lay out the index to help readers with their search—including searches for words that aren’t in the book. — Tips for choosing the right words for index entries—the basis of a refined index. — The five-step process for tackling your indexing project. Throughout the book, Stephen takes you through his decision-making on dozens of extracts from his own indexes. Imagine the value of an index for a favorite cookbook, your community's history, your company’s manual, or a book you wrote yourself. With Book Indexing as your guide, you can create an index worthy of the text—an index that your audience will turn to repeatedly. Who else can use this book? If you’re an editor, a publisher, or anyone else who works with indexers, you’ll see first-hand what indexers think about and how they do their work. Or perhaps you’ve wondered about professional indexing as a career or a side business. Book Indexing will give you the chance to try out your abilities and interests with no investment but your time.