I HATE compiling an index

[Bede the Vulnerable]

I have a book under contract with Potemkin University Press.  Or something.  And part of the contract is--of course--that the index is my responsibility.  I've done this before, and it is BY FAR--for me--the worst part of the whole book-publishing process.  But I feel the need to do it myself, as opposed to paying a grad student:  I know what's in the MS better than anyone else at this point.  And if I were to come up with the headings for the indexer to populate, then I might as well just do it all myself.

Any suggestions on how to make the process less painful?  (Perhaps I should just stop publishing?)  How do YOU do it?

Side note:  My grad students need $$$.  Am I being a jerk?

[polly_mer]

Is it less painful to have the grad students do the first pass and you finish the process for the glaring gaps?  I don't know. 

I have found that some things are less painful when I don't have to do the whole process.  On the other hand, some things are far more painful by cleaning up what the novices have tried than just doing it all myself from a clean page.

[Ruralguy]

They are a pain, but the editors are right: this is a task best left to yourself or certainly under your close supervision. You probably will be looking at some  MS Word you tube videos about indexing and maybe asking your editors about some tricky thing (or ask here---someone's bound to have encountered the issue).

[mamselle]

There are professional academic indexers who are very good.

They can definitely do the basic work; if you wanted to add references after they're done, that's up to you as well.

See the editorial networks like these (which need not be anywhere near you, although if you're in an area where there are universities, you probably have some individuals who free-lance at this and are very good nearby.

For example:

1. Cambridge Academic Editors' Network:

   http://www.cambridge-editors.org/

2. Editorial Freelance Association:

   https://www.the-efa.org/

3.  American Indexer Locator:

   https://www.asindexing.org/find-an-indexer/asi-indexer-locator/getlist/ts6Scholarly+Publishing/

There are many others.

These are not folks who just apply the built-in indexing function in MSW or other software packages.

They know what they're doing.

M.

[Morden]

Seconding Mamselle. Professional indexers are well worth the money! And you can request additional terms if you want.

[Bede the Vulnerable]

Many thanks!  This is all very helpful.

[artalot]

I paid a professional indexer and ended up having to re-do a big portion. In a book about, let us say, apples, the indexer wrote 'Pears - see, apples.' Not the same thing at all, and would have been very embarrassing for me. That said, the index for my book had to be produced in 6 weeks during the middle of the semester and there is no way I could have produced anything that quickly. It was much easier to fix the mistakes that this person made.
That said, next time I will keep track of key terms as I go and produce the index myself.

[mamselle]

I paid a professional indexer and ended up having to re-do a big portion. In a book about, let us say, apples, the indexer wrote 'Pears - see, apples.' Not the same thing at all, and would have been very embarrassing for me. That said, the index for my book had to be produced in 6 weeks during the middle of the semester and there is no way I could have produced anything that quickly. It was much easier to fix the mistakes that this person made.
That said, next time I will keep track of key terms as I go and produce the index myself.

Or, keep the key terms list and give them to the indexer.

It shouldn't be necessary, a good indexer reads and understands the whole book, it sounds like yours just used the software.

I'm sorry that happened.

M.

[aside]

Having been frustrated with many a poor index while doing my research, I resolved to do my own and have had no regrets.  It really does not take all that long, and no one knows your book better than you.

[Parasaurolophus]

I've only done it once (for my dissertation), but didn't find it too bad. For a lot of the terms, ctrl+f was my friend. For the rest, well, I used the old paper and pen method.

I like tedious and repetitive tasks, though.

[Bede the Vulnerable]

I've only done it once (for my dissertation), but didn't find it too bad. For a lot of the terms, ctrl+f was my friend. For the rest, well, I used the old paper and pen method.

I like tedious and repetitive tasks, though.

A big part of it is my serious ADHD:  I find tedious and repetitive tasks to be psychically excruciating.  This is a great profession for people like me; especially at an R1, where I can set my research agenda, and then get paid(!) for pursuing it.  But the routine stuff gives me the jibbers.

[nescafe]

Seconding Mamselle. Professional indexers are well worth the money! And you can request additional terms if you want.

+1. I hired someone and it was worth every penny.

[Parasaurolophus]

I've only done it once (for my dissertation), but didn't find it too bad. For a lot of the terms, ctrl+f was my friend. For the rest, well, I used the old paper and pen method.

I like tedious and repetitive tasks, though.

A big part of it is my serious ADHD:  I find tedious and repetitive tasks to be psychically excruciating.  This is a great profession for people like me; especially at an R1, where I can set my research agenda, and then get paid(!) for pursuing it.  But the routine stuff gives me the jibbers.

Yeah... For me, this sort of task feeds (and feeds on) my OCD. That kind of compulsion isn't exactly pleasant, but it's a constructive way to channel the impulse.

[Hegemony]

I relish doing the index.  For one thing, I keep thinking, "I am doing the index, and this means this book is nearly done!  AT LAST!"  And I think of people actually reading the book and looking stuff up in the index — !  My book!  Reading! My! Book!  Sadly, actual evidence suggests that hardly anyone ever does read my books, but the index is a work of heady optimism.  I also like seeing all the stuff that's in my book.  "Look how many subjects I cover!" I say to myself.  "Look how learned I seem!  Isn't that amazing!" 

You might also enjoy the poem "From the Index of First Lines," available here:

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1994/12/26/from-the-index-of-first-lines

[aside]

I must admit I also enjoy doing the index.  I have been known to do one even for a course pack.