Hello,

Welcome back to another Q&A, on this last Tuesday of the month. Today’s question is from Kimberly, who asks,

That is a fair question. Thank you for asking. I did set myself up for that, didn’t I?

There are some areas, both in terms of indexing craft and process, and also project management, which I wish I was better at. In no particular order:

• Writing indexes which are too granular. I prefer to write indexes which are detailed and comprehensive. Yet a balance still needs to be found to ensure that entries are relevant and that the index is easy to navigate. I try to keep an eye out of this while editing, removing main headings and tightening subheadings which seem, on second consideration, unnecessary. And still, I don’t think I always find that balance. Sometimes entries can still be too granular and sometimes clients comment.
• Too rushed when drafting. I spend a fair bit of time editing indexes, about 55% of the total time I spend on an index. On the one hand, I often feel like I don’t know how I want to index a major topic until I can see how it is discussed throughout the book. I also struggle to switch back and forth between drafting and editing modes, so I prefer to do all of the editing at the end. On the other hand, I wonder if I draft too quickly and do myself a disservice with messy drafts. I think this is also why Fred Leise’s pan-granular approach often doesn’t work for me; I want to zip through and create the top-down skeleton index in two hours, when the process probably requires a day or two. Would learning to slow down and incorporate more editing along the way increase my efficiency? I’m not sure. It might simply redistribute time. Though if it removed some headaches editing thorny arrays, it would still be worth it.
• Macros. I have a few macros which I use all the time. I’ve taken Elizabeth Bartmess’s three-part course, which was helpful and I highly recommend. And still, macros and regular expressions scramble my brain. Thinking in that way does not come naturally to me. I tend to procrastinate creating new macros, even when I can see where they would be useful.
• Meeting deadlines. I have to admit I am not great at creating schedules and meeting deadlines. This is the one thing I am most ashamed about as a freelancer. I know some freelancers say that they are never late delivering a project; I don’t know how they do that. I think this is partly a me problem, in that adhering to a schedule has been a lifelong challenge, long before I started freelancing. Add in multiple, overlapping deadlines, and it seems inevitable that something will eventually go sideways. I find what works best for me is to focus on one project at a time, and to develop good work habits, which I can stack into something resembling a schedule. I also dislike cutting corners and I refuse to submit unfinished work. I know how to work hard, and still, I find myself running late more than I would like.
• Abstract books. I tend to struggle indexing abstract, theory-heavy books. Subjects such as philosophy, literary criticism, or theology. It does depend on how the book is written and who the book is written for. I’m probably okay if the book is written for a general audience, while out of my depth if the book is written for academics. I know that I can index these books because I have done so and have received positive feedback. However, it is always a struggle, it takes a long time, and I wonder why I’ve talked myself into indexing another book like that again.

As much as I may try, I don’t think it is reasonable to expect myself to be a perfect indexer or freelancer. What I can do is to be reflective, I can push myself to be a little better, and I can look for ways to compensate for my weaknesses. I may be running late more than I would like, but I can ensure that what I do submit is top quality and that I am otherwise easy to work with. Somehow clients return and my schedule remains full.

On that note, I have an index I need to get back to…

Yours in indexing,

Stephen

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PS. Please ask me another question for next month. What are you struggling with as an indexer? What aspect of craft or business do you most want to improve? You can ask here and I can attempt an answer.