Editing Indexes Written by Non-indexers

My index editorial services are most useful for helping with indexes written by people who haven't had training in indexing. I've been providing editorial and consultation services since 1998. (New indexers: please read my page about my consultation, review, and mentoring services.)

I help authors, editors, and publishers through a variety of indexing services other than writing indexes. These include (but aren't limited to):

• Editing indexes before they're sent to layout. Having a professional indexer review indexes written by non-professionals is a great way to be sure indexes are as good as they can be. I'm careful to maintain the voice of the index author while making certain that the index is consistent and complete and follows industry standards. Jump to the Editorial Reviews section below.

• On-call troubleshooting and guidance as you write an index. Are you expected to write indexes even though you haven't had training in indexing? You may feel overwhelmed trying to keep in mind technical rules of indexing while also trying to write a solid index. I can be available to you during your project, so you can get guidance, advice, and encouragement from an experienced professional exactly when you need it. Jump to the Ongoing Consultations section below.

• Whatever you need, I'm interested in helping you in the ways you need help, so contact me if you have other ideas about how I might help improve your indexes.

How this usually works... You send me a copy of your index and the table-of-contents from the text. I make editorial comments on hard copy of the index and I return my comments to you. We'll then meet to discuss the index. We can also work through e-mail and/or phone when that is more convenient.

In providing feedback, I focus on providing comments and opening discussions with you by asking questions like the following:

• Have you made good choices with subject analysis? Is anything in the book missing or misrepresented in the index? Are the topics in the index relevant and important? Is the level of specificity and exhaustivity accurate and consistent?
• Is the depth of indexing consistent?
• Is there adequate double-posting and are those access points appropriate for this audience?
• Is the wording appropriate? If not, how could it be improved?
• Are any subheadings awkward or misrepresentative? If so, how could they be improved?
• Does the index need to be condensed or whittled down to fit onto fewer pages? If so, how do you do that without compromising the structure?
• Does the structure of the index appropriately emphasize the author's approach? Are important topics covered in detail in the index?
• Does the structure need to be tightened? Is the depth and style consistent? Are the entries arranged appropriately? Are there adequate cross-references? Are the entries treated as part of whole, as well as being their own entities?
• If you have any other specific concerns, just tell me what you want me to look for.

How this usually works... Contact me at any point in your process when you want guidance or want to bounce ideas off of an experienced indexer. You can send different parts of the index at different times in your process, or call me when you are struggling with a particular aspect of indexing (for example, deciding on wording, appropriate levels of detail, or editing). It's up to you!

I'll provide guidance on issues like:

• Term selection: are these concepts worth indexing, are these main headings useful, are these cross-references and double-posts useful?
• Handling special features: when do you index illustrations, programming code, or tables? What entries are appropriate for the features in this text?
• Maintain a consistent depth of indexing.
• Create adequate and useful double-posts and cross-references for this audience.
• Emphasize the author's approach in your index structure.
• Use clear, efficient phrasing.
• Use clear subheadings to make entries concise, but thorough.
• Follow your style guide, or make sure your style decisions are appropriate for this audience.
• Meet your length limits without compromising index structure.
• If you have any other specific concerns, just tell me what you want me to look for.

Send me e-mail to let me know if you are interested in talking with me about any index consultation and editorial services that I can provide for you.

Send me e-mail if you'd like to get a price quote or to find out if my schedule will work for you.

Contact me as early as possible, so we can work out a schedule that works for both of us.

You can set a maximum number of hours for me, so there are no surprises when I invoice you.

Contact Kari

Copyright ©, Kari Kells.