Freelance Indexing Info

[Lori Lathrop <76620 -dot- 456 -at- COMPUSERVE -dot- COM>]

I received an e-mail message from someone today, requesting information on
how to get started as a freelance indexer.  In case there are others out
there with the same questions, I'm forwarding my reply to TECHWR-L:

                                   *-*-*

(1) What kind of training to you need to be an indexer?

    Some indexers are self-taught, and others have had formal training.
    BTW, I offer two-day Indexing Skills Workshop, and I have presented
    it to several software development companies and technical
    communicators around the country.  Please let me know if you want
    more info on it.

    If you are looking for good books on indexing, I would recommend
    INDEXING A TO Z by Hans Wellisch and INDEXING BOOKS by Nancy Mulvany;
    however, neither of these books focuses specifically on indexing
    technical documentation.

(2) Is it something that can be done in one's spare time?

    Yes, it is possible to do indexing on a part-time basis.  In fact,
    that's how most professional indexers get started.

(3) How does one get started in the business?

    First, learn all you can about indexing and practice your skills.
    One way to practice is by indexing books that do not already have
    indexes.  Or, if they do have indexes, don't look at the published
    index until after you have developed your own; then compare yours
    to the published version.  BTW, just because an index is published
    doesn't necessarily mean that it's good!

    Another recommendation:  Join the American Society of Indexers
    (P.O. Box 386, Aransas, TX  78373 / (512)749-4052).  The fee for
    membership is just $50 per year, and their monthly newsletter,
    KeyWords, is excellent.

(4) What is the sort of pay one gets by indexing?

    You won't get rich as a freelance indexer.  However, indexing
    technical documentation for software development companies pays
    better than indexing non-fiction texts for publishing houses.  A
    recent survey showed that rates ranged from $18 to #26 per hour
    for indexing technical documentation.  In comparison, the average
    rate paid by a publishing house was considerably lower, about $15
    per hour.  However, most freelance indexers do not generally charge
    by the hour when dealing with publishing hosues.  Most indexers
    charge either by the page or by the number of index entries.  It is
    not unusual for a publishing house to set the fee.  For example,
    an editor might say, "It is a 225-page scholarly manuscript on
    comparitive world religions. We can pay you $400 for an index with
    a maximum of 983 entries, which contain no more than 22 characters
    per line."  BTW, that's why I *much* prefer developing indexes for
    technical documentation; there isn't generally a limitation on the
    size of the index, which is one of the factors in the *quality* of
    the index ... and the pay is much better.

    BTW, editors at publishing houses usually want to see samples of
    your work before contracting your services.  If you are just
    starting out as a freelancer, you may create an example that
    demonstrates your abilities.  Take your time to develop an index
    for a book of your choice.  If the book already has a published
    index and the index you create is better, you can show both
    versions to the editor.  If the book does not have an index, you
    may be able to show the editor how much an index would improve the
    books usability.

    Another option is for the publisher to send you sample chapters
    of a new book that already has an index and ask you to create an
    index for those chapters.  A word of caution: be aware that some
    publishers may use this technique to obtain free services.  In my
    experience, I do not know of any publisher who has done this, but
    I have heard about the possibility from other indexers.

I hope this has answered your questions.  If you need more info, please
don't hesitate to ask.

Lori Lathrop --------------> INTERNET:76620 -dot- 456 -at- compuserve -dot- com
Lathrop Media Services
P.O. Box 808
Georgetown, CO  80444