by The embedded index
The embedded index is an index where the entries have been inserted into the content of the book. Embedded indexes have been around for decades, but they’ve been quite clunky until just a few years ago. With tags marking the entries, publishing software such as InDesign or word processing programs like Microsoft Word can generate an index to be displayed in the back of the book. Having the entries within the content allows the locators (often page numbers) to shift if the text moves from one location to another in the process of editing or revision. The index can be regenerated at any time so that correct page numbers will be displayed in the back-of-book printed index. It’s an efficient option for books that are often updated.
Embedding methods
There are some disadvantages that limited the use of embedded indexes. Among the disadvantages is the fact that the process of embedding can be time-consuming and tedious (neither InDesign nor Microsoft Word make this process efficient); however, software to help the indexer with the embedding process is now available (we use Index Manager). Embedded indexes are now much easier for the indexer to create.
It might seem that if the index is embedded in the text, then there would be an index for the digital book; however, the reader still often finds, on an attempt to use the index included with the ebook, that the index is not functional because page numbers aren’t meaningful in a reflowable ebook. Rather than being able to take advantage of an index, the reader is advised to use the search function to locate information. The obvious disadvantage is that the search function will find only explicit words, or perhaps phrases, but not implicit concepts, so that much information accessible through the printed index is lost. An embedded index does not automatically give you the “active” links to places in the text that would be useful to ebook readers.
The hyperlinked index
For a functional ebook index, the text locations listed in the index entry and the referenced text in the body of the document must be hyperlinked to locations within the text. Then a click on the locator (be it text or page number) will take the reader to the appropriate place in the text. An embedded index does not automatically provide this—one has to either use appropriate export settings for interactive PDF in InDesign or Word to get the links to go “live.” These options, though, are a far cry from the situation several years ago, when specialized conversion software was needed to create “live” indexes.
Unfortunately, there is no standard e-book format (see a comparison of formats here), but the ePub 3.x format will display on most onboard ebook readers, and when publishing with Amazon, one can upload an ePub book, which they will convert to their proprietary MOBI format for the Kindle. If you are a self-publishing author, be sure to preview your ebook every time, because occasionally things end up in weird places due to how MOBI or ePub interprets headings and other elements in the text.
InDesign will export to ePub easily if you are creating an embedded index in that software, but you will need to make sure the interactive features are turned on when you export. Word does not as far as I can tell at this writing, provide live links in their embedded indexes. Maybe in the next version? You are better off formatting your book in InDesign anyway, which will solve a number of layout problems and give you linked indexes as well. For Amazon’s Kindle books, it looks like hyperlinked indexes will work unless you choose a fixed layout option when preparing to publish.
If your client’s book is in both print and digital, ask about creating an index for both. It’s a professional service to the author and the publisher, and a great boon to the ebook reader.
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