Yes, please, main headings. Pretty please? This is the index user’s plea, although they may not know how to describe it. What users want is a collection of both more general and more specific topics or names that are significantly discussed in the text. And ideally, most, if not all of these will appear as […]
Special Topics: Indexing Cookbooks
While we’re definitely advocates for indexes in nearly all nonfiction books, there’s one genre in which an index is indispensable: cookbooks. Culinary pioneer (and indexer!) Julia Child wrote in The Way to Cook, “A reference or teaching book is only as good as its index.” Imagine trying to find a recipe without even a rudimentary list of titles? As in other subject areas, […]
“Job Prospects” in Book Indexing
Got an interesting question from an indexing student awhile back. Her use of the term job prospects created this response from me that might be useful for lots of beginning indexers, and editors, too. In answer to her query about what the “job prospects” were in indexing, I responded: It depends. Employment Prospects When you say “job […]
Making the Most of the New Year
It’s unavoidable in January. Along with sending kids back to school, tax prep, and for many, snow, the start of a new year brings with it a chance to evaluate ourselves and our businesses. Articles on goal setting and resolutions are everywhere, with advice on topics from losing 20 pounds to gaining 20 new clients. My own goals are still […]
Working with PDFs: Custom Stamps
As our name suggests, most of what we do here at Potomac Indexing is, well, indexing. However, we also do copyediting and proofreading, providing you with a single point of contact for a whole batch of production tasks. This is especially helpful with websites and book series, ensuring consistency of style. One of my favorite tools to use for copyediting […]
The Why of Your Freelance Career
I know most folks in freelance businesses (in publishing or elsewhere) focus on what they have to offer, presenting their services like products on a shelf in the store and advertising the availability and quality of those same services through social media and/or advertising. But before you put those services on the shelf, make sure […]
