Benefits of Including an Index

A book without an index or with an inadequate index can be utterly useless to many readers.

The index provides the reading audience with a tool in which to find any needed information quickly and efficiently. Some of the benefits of including an index in a publication are:

• Libraries and universities often look at the index before a publication is placed on their acquisitions list.
• The index enables readers to locate information in publications by main terms, concepts or cross-references.
• Book reviewers often look at the table of contents and the index when writing their review.
• Often times a consumer will peruse the index prior to purchasing a publication. The index can help sell more books!

Now that I have explained the benefits of including an index, you may be thinking that anyone or the computer software can simply add indexes to your publication. Let me share with you the many benefits of hiring a professional indexer, such as myself, over having the software or the bookkeeper, editor, or even the author create the index.

• A professional indexer is trained to review material objectively and exhaustively while anticipating a reader’s needs.
• A professional indexer does more than pull out key terms or create a concordance as a computer would. S/he also compiles references to concepts and cross-references them in a manner that will provide the reader with a map to the desired information.
• A professional indexer is knowledgeable in the printing process and the various formats for indexing material.

Why hire me?

• I posses the experience and training required to produce quality indexes which adhere to any publishing standard.
• I have the skill, experience, and the training to meet even the tightest of publishing deadlines.
• I can create and deliver  indexes in a variety of formats
• I have an eclectic array of education and experience, which provides me with a certain expertise in a variety of areas that can prove beneficial in indexing several genres of books.
• I write indexes keeping in mind both the author and all of the intended audiences.
• If I am not the right indexer for the job, I am happy to refer you to an indexer who may be!

Check out this ASI page for more information!