Nonfiction writers know how much research is involved in writing a book. Hours, days, weeks, months, years… all the substantive data you have discovered and finessed into a written treasure trove of information for your readers took significant research to uncover. Offering access to that wealth of information shows respect for your hard work and respect to the readers who value your contributions. An index is the key tool for access.
An index is a written map of your book. It is a concise synopsis of your research. The index will give the readers a tool to find what they seek. Have you written about antique model trains? About George Washington’s mother? About breakthroughs in diabetes treatments? About the origins of a ghost story? About travel through Nepal? Whatever the topic you have shared with the readers, the index provides the needed access. Be sure to include one in your book.
After spending hours, days, weeks, months, or years working on your book, it is sometimes hard as an author to step back from the topic enough to view the text as a reader might. You might know that myocardial infarction is the medical term, but the reader may look up heart attack. It may be clear to you that an amphora is a type of Greek vase, but the reader may not know that word and look for vases. Stepping back to view the book from a reader’s perspective can be challenging. Often a professional indexer – an outsider with general knowledge of your topic – can bridge the gap between what the author has written and what the reader wants to know.
Professional indexers use the author’s language in the index so that the tone, the nuance, the substantive research is all captured as the author would wish. The indexer also considers how else a reader might think of that same information and provides multiple access points. In a cookbook, brownies might be under B for brownies, under D for desserts, under C for chocolate. In a history book, a ship might be under the ship’s name, under its port of origin, under T for transportation or S for shipping. The indexer uses the author’s information as the foundation and opens the door for the reader to find the treasures awaiting in the book.
The American Society for Indexing (and other international indexing societies) offers information on indexing, contact information for professional indexers working in your field, and a free job posting tool to solicit indexing bids. You can find information at asindexing.org.
Your research was exhilarating, exhausting, illuminating, informative, and deserving of readership. Creating a key to access that research is the mark of a quality book. An index is the tool for that access. Be sure to include one in your book.
No comments yet.