A well-crafted back-of-book index is a navigational tool that adds long-term value to your publication. I create clear, user-friendly indexes tailored to your content, discipline, readers, and publisher’s specifications.
What’s involved in back-of-book indexing:
- Reading the manuscript to identify indexable topics, terms, names, and concepts
- Structuring index entries with a logical hierarchy and intuitive cross-references
- Developing a clear taxonomy that reflects the work’s subject matter and terminology
- Using professional indexing software for accuracy and efficiency
- Reviewing the index to ensure comprehensive coverage of key concepts, names, and themes
- Tailoring the index to the intended audience and the publisher’s specifications
- Following industry standards and press-specific style guidelines
- Flagging errors or typos in the mansucript
- Creating separate lists of figures, tables, and illustrations
- Supplying the index in the format required by the publisher, whether as an electronic file, an embedded index in Word or InDesign, or marked-up page proofs
The following can also be included to support your book’s accessibility and long-term use:
- Supplying a keyword or term list for marketing or metadata purposes
- Providing alternate terminology lists (e.g., layperson vs. technical terms)
- Offering indexing notes for future editions or related publications
- Delivering a tagged version of the index for digital formats (e.g., ebooks, online reference)
- Developing a controlled vocabulary or performing taxonomic mapping to ensure consistent terminology and logical grouping of related concepts
For this service, I typically work on:
- Academic and nonfiction - humanities, law, life sciences, medicine & nursing, natural sciences, psychiatry, psychology, social sciences
- Publication types - reference books, scholarly books, trade books, textbooks
To request my resume or a complete list of projects, please get in touch via email or through the contact page.