Wordsmith
Phone (724) 733-7391
FAX (801)991-6302
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Wordsmith |
| Freelance Indexing Services Delmont, PA 15626
Phone (724) 733-7391 FAX (801)991-6302 |
What does an Indexer do?
Simply stated, an indexer writes the index that a reader finds at the back of a book or in the last yearly issue of a magazine. Nonfiction books, manuals, and journals are much more valuable with indexes. A table of contents is important, but if you're looking for a specific piece of information, you need an index. Understanding this, reputable book publishers usually include an index in every nonfiction book they publish. A professional freelance indexer uses specialized knowledge and software to provide these indexes to meet the readers' needs.
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Why can't my computer create the index?
Indexers are vital because good indexes include entries for words that don't appear in the book. For example, a book about Italian culture might discuss food but never use the word cuisine. A reader might look for, and expect to find, the word cuisine in the index.
While a computer can create a list of words and where they occur in the text, it can not create index entries for implicit concepts, determine synonyms for cross references, or phrase concepts in ways the reader is likely to look for them.
A professional indexer can handle hundreds of such concepts for each project.
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My company doesn't publish books. Why would we need an indexer?
If you create nonfiction manuals, policies, catalogs, or product documentation, then you probably need indexes and indexers. That information is only useful if your employees and customers can find it!
A 1992 article in PC Computing magazine reported that survey respondents said a thorough index was the most important feature of software manuals. This is also true for all types of nonfiction, not just computer documentation.
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Beyond
books, what needs to be indexed?
Indexing is also useful when organizing your web site, database, professional journal, newspaper, or newsletter. Wordsmith Services is available for all types of indexing projects, not just back-of-the-book assignments.
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What indexing software is used?
Wordsmith uses specialized indexing software, called SKY Index. The completed index can be exported as an MS Word file, in Rich Text Format, or with HTML tags. Additionally, the index can be imported into other indexing programs (such as Cindex) or page layout software such as Quark. Web sites are indexed using software called HTML Indexer.
Embedded indexes can be created if your document has been prepared as a Word file. This is particularly useful if you are indexing a document that is updated often.
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What other services are
offered?
Wordsmith will advise your company or organization on index design and evaluation, vocabulary development and maintenance, management of team indexing projects, and the design of indexing databases.
Why should we hire
Wordsmith?
Marcy Brown is the owner of Wordsmith Services, and has
more than eight years of information management experience, including indexing and subject
cataloging.
Marcy has a Master of Library Science (M.L.S.) degree, and additional indexing training with the U.S.D.A. Graduate School. She has worked on indexing and data management projects for the Center for Energy Information, Westinghouse Electric, Hoovers Business Press, IDG Books, Mosby, Inc., Chrysalis Books, McGraw-Hill, and Prentice Hall.
Wordsmith Services can create indexes in almost any subject area, although areas of interest and specialization include the social sciences, business management, law, computer documentation, arts and crafts, and general medicine and health.
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| Wordsmith Services is ready to meet all of your indexing needs. For details about our services or pricing, or to discuss your unique requirements, please call or email today.
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Delmont, PA 15626 Phone (724) 733-7391 FAX (801) 991-6302 |