Indexers Unlimited
When working with an indexer for the first time, this is a checklist of some information that it would be helpful to provide:
Title or topic of book
Name of author
Audience for the book
Delivery date
Due date
Estimated number of pages (These should be final pages.)
Page delivery format: Overnight mailing of page proofs? FTP?
Index delivery format: FTP? Email? Hard copy and disk?
File format: RTF? Word? WordPerfect?
Format of index:
Indented or run-in?
Will there be a length limitation?
How many characters per line?
Letter-by-letter or word-by word alphabetization?
Is there a style manual or in-house style sheet provided?
Is there a sample of an index you like available?
Placement of cross-references
Page ranges—full or elided?
Are any of the following included? Should they be indexed? How do you want them handled?
Footnotes
Illustrations
Maps
Charts
Tables
Appendices
Glossary
Any unusual treatment of name or terms the indexer should know about?
Provided by Becky Hornyak, www.hornyakindex.com
Updated: August 28, 2005