In the almost-thirty years I’ve been indexing and editing, many changes have occurred in the publishing industry, but the one that affects me the most on a weekly basis is the floating calendar. In spite of (or perhaps because of) fancy book design software and instant emailing of manuscript copy, the timeline for publishing books […]
Yoga for the Indexer
…or editor, or proofreader, or anyone who does most or all of their work in a sitting position. There was a lot serious continuing education at the American Society for Indexing’s 2018 conference, like software exploration, specialty indexing, controlled vocabulary, and indexing music sessions. There was also a session that still applies today entitled “Kinks […]
I’m Too Busy!
We hear about how people tend to treat the urgent as important, as an emergency. Business coaches preach prioritization and boundaries, saying “no” or “yes, but …” or “yes, later …” But what about when we get really good at ignoring maintenance in favor of deadlines? Freelancers have a different relationship to urgent than office […]
Working (or not) While Sick
It’s winter, and we’re in the midst of a triple threat illness season — COVID-19, RSV, and flu. So you’re sick, and your doctor recommends you rest, or you’re caring for a family member who’s sick. Too bad deadlines don’t take doctor’s notes. If you’re lucky and you frontloaded your current project, and/or you have […]
Using Project Management Systems
As freelancers, we are not just indexers but business owners—which means we have more responsibilities than just creating indexes. We are responsible for marketing, accounting, technical support, even filing. Even though any or all of this can be outsourced—even indexes can be subcontracted—it all still needs to be managed. You can go with an analog […]
It’s the Experience, Really!
Steve Jobs was right. Give the customer an experience, not just a product. And that applies just as well to those of us providing freelance services in the publishing industry. I see the customer experience as being 50% product quality, 50% customer service. In the end, my job is to service the customer experience. Product […]
