Hello, Welcome back to the mini-series on the basic elements of an index! I previously discussed entries and arrays, main headings and subheadings, and locators. Today I am writing about cross-references. Cross-references are a type of locator, but instead of directing readers to the text, cross-references redirect readers to a location within the index. Riffing off the metaphor of an index as a map, I like to think of cross-references as signposts within the index that ensure readers find...
15 days ago • 4 min read
Hello, My original plan for today was to write about indexing Oxford University Press (OUP) titles, of which I recently indexed two. I will still reflect on OUP, but as I was writing this, I realized that my main issue with OUP’s system is its impact on cognitive load. So partway through I’m going to take a little detour to discuss the cognitive impacts of indexing. The OUP System Oxford University Press is unique among publishers, so far as I know, in that it uses a paragraph ID system for...
29 days ago • 7 min read
Hello, Welcome back to this mini-series on the basic elements of an index. I’m currently looking at what makes up an entry, which I described as “what this thing is + where to find it.” In my previous email I discussed main headings and subheadings, which form the first part of that equation. Today, I’m writing about the second part, “where to find it,” also known as locators. Locators are the portion of the entry which tells readers where to find information about the main heading and...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hello, I hope you are all hanging in there after a bruising start to the second Trump administration. Here in Canada the main concern is over tariffs, which have been averted for the time being. I am worried too, both for myself and for Canada. Will my indexing work for US clients be affected? I don’t think so. I don’t think that an index counts as an “imported good,” but then again, I’m no trade expert. I am concerned, though, that my US clients, including potential clients, may not know...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hello, I’m excited to do a bit of deconstruction today and look at the building blocks that form an index. But first, I want to welcome new subscribers and give you an update on this newsletter. Welcome! I’ve noticed several new subscribers over the last month. Welcome and thanks for joining! I write about creating excellent indexes for books, along with being a freelance indexer within the publishing industry. If this interests you too, then you are in the right place and I’m glad to have...
2 months ago • 4 min read
Hello, Happy New Year! How is this first full week of 2025 shaping up for you? I am having a slow start. I enjoyed unplugging from email and work for two weeks. I’m also recovering from a cold. December was crazy busy, wrapping up nine indexes, which included a children’s book, one project which was simply names and biblical references, and two scholarly books that I began in November. So not quite as much work as nine indexes may sound, but still more than I bargained for. That was due to a...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Hello, So the 18th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style dropped in September. I have to admit I have not bought a copy. While I think their recommendations are solid, I find I don’t use it very much, since I only index and not edit. But I do know some editors who are very excited about the new edition, and there has been chatter among indexers as well on the changes to the chapter on indexing. The main change in regards to indexing is 15.66, which states: Chicago now prefers the...
4 months ago • 3 min read
Hello, I am writing today about some decisions that I needed to make on a recent index. In the grand scheme of the index, these decisions only affected a few entries. I am tempted to brush these off as not very important and not worth discussing. Yet much of indexing is about paying attention to the details without getting lost in the details. And I think this is a unique situation that illustrates an important point about term selection. At least, it made me sit up and think carefully as I...
5 months ago • 4 min read
Hello, Fall has definitely arrived here in Edmonton. Leaves are turning a beautiful golden yellow and the temperature at night is starting to dip below freezing. This year this also seems to be the season for an uptick in queries to index academic books, most of them ready for indexing in December. I’m not sure why this is the case. I find queries can ebb and flow throughout the year, though I don’t think publishing seasons are as important for academic publishing as it is for trade. In any...
5 months ago • 4 min read