Don't forget to check out the FAQ on the American Society of Indexers (ASI) Web site. They have done an excellent job of pulling together lots of interesting information (http://www.asindexing.org/indfaq.htm). There is also a FAQ associatated with Index-L (http://www.indexpup.com/index-list/faq.html).

The Indexstudents FAQ was written with the generous help of many people. I won't name them here, but their names appear throughout it. I'd especially like to thank Kari Kells of Index West. Also, I have referenced discussions that have occurred on Indexstudents in the past. I have tried to credit those whose words may appear here, wholly or in part, but if you recognize your own comments, please let me know.

Thanks, Dan

The Questions

How can I contact the USDA Correspondence Course Administrators?
Who are the instructors for the USDA Basic Indexing Course?
How long until the course material arrives?
How long does it take to complete the USDA Basic Indexing Course?
Is the USDA course worth it?
What about the grades in the USDA course? Mine are lower than usual.
Why don't they offer the course online?
What can I do in-between lessons to maintain my interest (and learn more)?
Should I use indexing software while completing the course?
What other courses are there where I can learn indexing?
Should I take the second course? Applied Indexing?
Tell me about mentoring? How do you get involved with an experienced indexer?
I've just finished the Final Exam of the course. Am I ready to hang out my shingle?
How do editors view the indexing course and my having completed it?
What are the "must have" books for a beginning indexer's library?
Can anyone tell me exactly what web indexing entails?
Where is a good site to get more information on web indexing?
What is database indexing?
What basic equipment and software should I have to get started?
How important is having a web site when starting out?
What are these "Term Selection Exercises" and how can I participate?
Do you need to have a specialty in order to index?

How can I contact the USDA Correspondence Course Administrators?

Who are the instructors for the USDA Basic Indexing Course?

How long until the course material arrives?

How long does it take to complete the USDA Basic Indexing Course?

If you don't aggressively push to complete the course, then a safe bet is 9 months to 1 year. It can be done in 6 months to 9 months with some planning on your part, cooperation from your instructor and

There is a value in the interim period while waiting for feedback [see What can I do in-between lessons to maintain my interest (and learn more)?]

Here's one strategy: You should wait until you receive your "index" lessons back (3, 5, and 7) before submitting your next "index" lessons. This doesn't mean you can't have them done and waiting to go, though. You should look carefully at the feedback you receive to avoid making the same mistakes twice. Sometimes, it will depend on your instructor's work load and other factors, out of your control.

Is the USDA course worth it?

Regarding the recognition of the USDA course by editors, I've actually read on this list that publishers don't necessarily care where you got your experience. 

I started the USDA course in early 1998, thrilled that there was such a course and that I could do it at my own pace. Hah! The instructor's life was just about to become very complicated, and the lesson turn-around was so slow that it finally took me 2 years to complete the course, and then it was without much satisfaction. I have a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and have taught a fair amount myself, and I had questions to ask here and there. The reply was that I was obviously looking for a mentor, not a teacher (?!). The fill-in-the-blank parts of the lessons seemed a bit silly, and I never did get much in the way of useful feedback on any of my indexes. I finished the course just to have done it, but I don't think the grade I received is at all representative of my ability. In sum, what I gained from the course was little more than a basic knowledge of where to look for information on indexing, and that I could have found in much less time and for much less money.

So perhaps I was just unlucky, perhaps I have an inflated sense of my abilities, perhaps I'd forgotten how to take a course, whatever. In any event, I cannot recommend the USDA course to anyone, and it sounds as if most people interested in becoming indexers have the motivation and ability to learn the art by themselves with the help of such lists as this and the local library.

I'm mostly finished with Lesson 5 and think the course has been worth my money. Yes, I could havelearned it all on my own, but I'm not a good researcher and I don't work well without time limits. Having the course information collected and presented to me in manageable lumps is a good thing. Getting a lesson back and knowing I'm expected to deliver another one are also good things. Any time I've questioned the instructor I've gotten a polite and useful answer within 24 hours. My only complaint is the turnaround time for lessons - my longest wait has been just over five weeks, and the average wait is about three weeks.

When I finish the course I'll have a lot of confidence to start marketing with - confidence I know I would not have had without the course. Some people are just happier with formal instruction, I guess, and I'm one of them.

I suspect most of us who are drawn to indexing have been used to doing well (i.e., making good grades) at intellectual things and that we have the expectation of doing well at indexing.  I further suspect that our desire to do well is intensified in the distant education setting (where we consciously or unconsciously realize that our instructor doesn't know about any of our other talents: we make the best pie crust in town or our roses don't have the first blemish on them or we're funnier than Dave Barry and so we feel that much more pressure to prove that we've got what it takes to be an indexer).  

I think it's especially hard for us to get lower marks than we're used to and hard to give up trying to get it absolutely perfect before we send it in.  BUT you learn more from your mistakes than from the things that you got "right" (especially if it was just a lucky guess or an accidental fluke that you did it the way you did)---plus "right" is so relative in indexing.  Granted a few things are just plain wrong in indexing, but the "right" things are on a continuum from "good" to "better" and on to "best"--and there's always CONTEXT to factor in!  Try to limit the time you spend obsessing over an assignment--do it as well as you can but don't forget you WANT feedback (that's what you're paying for!).  And in the real indexing world, the time you'll have for obsessing and absolute perfection is going to be limited.   It's a great feeling to look back over your work and see improvement.  I would hate to think that I'm as good as I'm going to get right now.  The only way to get better is to let your instructor show you what you have done well and where you could do better. 

Why don't they offer the course online?

What can I do in-between lessons to maintain my interest (and learn more)?

• Subscribe to Index-L. This is a major source of information and inspiration for indexers. You can just listen in or participate. Either way, you're bound to learn a few things.
• Read other books on indexing. See http://www.asindexing.org/bibliog.shtml for a complete listing of these.
• If you are going to be a freelance indexer, investigate operating a small business, negotiating, marketing, taxes, time management, office ergonomics, indexing software, billing and invoicing, contracts and agreements. That should keep you busy for awhile.
• Use the index to Keywords to find and read articles that answer your burning indexing question.
• Join ASI. Look through ASI's publications list and select a few pamphlets to purchase or to put on your "to buy soon" list. If your state or region has an ASI chapter, contact the Chairperson. Ask what committees need volunteers or what committees need to be formed. Getting involved in your local chapter will speed up the most important factor in getting clients: networking. If no ASI chapter is nearby, use ASI's membership directory or query INDEX-L to find indexers in your area whom you could meet for coffee.Attend meetings of local book publishers or editors associations.
• Consider asking a local indexer to be your mentor. Discuss what that means to you both. (see Tell me about mentoring? later in this FAQ).
• Practice indexing. Buy a book without an index and create one, or find a short book on a subject that interests you (don't look at the index); index it, then check against the original index. Remember that just because an index is published does not mean that it is a good index.  There are many, many poor indexes published (not done by a professional indexer at all, not enough time given to do a good index, a well-done index is brutally edited for space reasons, etc.). You could check the ASI Web site to find out the Wilson Award-winning indexes.  You know that those indexes have been judged to be quality indexes.
• Volunteer your indexing services. Ask the local library or historical society if they have a book or collection that needs a professionally prepared index. Not only will this give you practice, you never know what kind of future business contacts you might meet!
• Brush up on freelance business practices by taking a small business course or reading books on freelancing and owning small businesses. The ASI web site has some great starting points.
• Get a business license if you'll need one. Remember that all business-related expenses are deductible starting in the same calendar year as your first business license. You could deduct the cost of this course if you wrote that check in the same year as you got your license!
• Consult a tax preparer or accountant to find out what tax issues you need to know about (federal, state, and local)?
• Look into getting disability and health insurance.
• Write a business plan.
• Plan or set up your office. What kind of furniture, equipment, and supplies do you already have? What more will you need to get started? What are some items that are in your dream office that you won't need right away?
• Investigate your computer needs. What do you have and what more do you need? What kind of backup system will you want?
• Get demos of dedicated indexing software and begin evaluating each program. The programs I recommend you check out are Cindex, Macrex and Sky Index Professional. Remember, they all do essentially the same tasks, they just do them differently. Find the one that works best for you.
• Brush up on computer literacy. Become savvy with your word processing program. Get on the Internet. Learn how to e-mail files as attachments.
• Check out project delivery service options in your area. Are there FedEx and UPS services nearby? What about Saturdays drop off and delivery?
• Go to the library and look through their periodicals for home-office type magazines.
• Check out books about working at home and being a freelancer. Paul and Sarah Edwards have a lot of very useful books and an excellent web site for freelancers and small business owners. Ergonomics and time management issues might be worth reading about.
• Read other books on indexing. Mulvany's is a fabulous resource, but it isn't the only one. Check out Norman Knight's and Hans Wellisch's work as well. ASI has a published bibliography to get you started. You can also find a thorough bibliography on the ASI web site.
• Read indexes. Find books on your shelves and read their indexes. Are the expected topics there? How is the index constructed? Is it helpful? What makes it most usable? Read a chapter and then check the index to see if the terms you think should be there actually are. Evaluate it from a reader's standpoint. That will help you as an indexer know what works and what doesn't. Often it is easier to evaluate poor indexes than good ones. Also, recognizing poor indexes will build your confidence in your own work.
• Plan your marketing campaign. Check Literary Marketplace at your local library for publishers in your area(s) of specialty or interest. Watch publications for ads, too. If Publisher X just published a book in your specialty, that's an opportunity to write to them and let them know you have some expertise in that area and are an indexer.
• Write a script for and practice your cold query phone calls or work on your cold query letter.
• Practice answering calls from clients and people asking for quotes.
• Finally, don't just lurk on Index-L and IndexStudents, ask questions!

Should I use indexing software while completing the course?

Indexing software is made by several different companies, with different interfaces. You would do well to start the process of selecting one as soon as you are certain you will continue the pursuit of an indexing career. Costs vary from one to another, and can go as high as $500+. Check here to see what's available.

For those of you looking for info on which software to get, check out this comparison of Sky Index Professional 5.1 and Cindex for Windows 1.0 on the Australian Society of Indexers' web site: http://www.zeta.org.au/~aussi/software/review.htm.

Here's someone's experience from the list:

"Here's what I did....... When I decided to open my business, the first purchases I made were the demo versions of the software that was available at that time: Macrex & Cindex. I played with both & made my decision based on which one felt most natural (well, least awkward) to me. I then used the demo version to do practice indexes between the time I sent out cold query letters & the time I landed my first client. As soon as I got off the phone with my first client and sent off my first contract, I placed a phone order for the full version of software I wanted & had it sent overnight. That way, I was able to get used to the software before I started my first project, but I didn't spend the money on the full version until I _knew_ I had income to cover it. Since it was tax deductible, I wanted to have income from which it was deductible. '-) My $.02. -Kari"

If you're using software, don't expect your USDA instructor to instruct you in using the software.  That's what software tech support is for.  Besides, your instructor may not use the software you select.  And don't expect the instructor to be lenient in grading certain aspects of your index, just because you haven't figured out various features of your software.

What other courses are there where I can learn indexing?

Should I take the second course? Applied Indexing?

In Applied Indexing you'll discover how to analyze a book index, edit a first-draft index and apply indexing and business principles to project-related situations that working indexers encounter: proposing and justifying bids, submitting invoices, estimating length of time for specific projects, producing indexes to size requirements, handling misrepresented projects, treating special problems in indexes, and designing indexes that satisfy readers and publishers. The subjects represented in the excerpts include ecology, history, health and well-being, educational research and psychology.

Here's a comment from L. Pilar Wyman:

"Five of the eight lessons are pure "index" work. The Applied Indexing course gives students more practice at indexing and includes feedback and critique."

Here are Nancy Mulvany's thoughts:

"The prequisite for Applied Indexing is Basic Indexing (CEDIT 360) or its equivalent (only three other comparable courses exist in the US). Additionally, students should not consider Applied Indexing unless they received a grade of 86/B+ or higher in Basic Indexing."

Tell me about mentoring? How do you get involved with an experienced indexer?

NI: Are there a lot of indexers who do this?

DE: I suspect a fair number do.

NI: I'd have to assume that this would be most feasible if you are in close proximity.

DE: It depends on the arrangement. If the apprentice is expected to work on production projects, proximity is pretty much a necessity. If the apprenticeship is for tutorial purposes and not tied to production schedules, then something could be done remotely.

NI: What types of things does your apprentice do?

DE: He started by proofing my indexes. I gave him a page-order sort of the index and he checked the page numbers against the proofs. I got him started using Cindex and then had him check the proofs against the Cindex file, which is a bit easier than checking paper against paper. I also had him do a complete index on a book that I had done several years ago. We are currently comparing his index to mine, but overall he has done very well.

NI: I've heard quite a bit of discussion on mentoring and it sounds like an interesting option if you can get it.

DE: There's a difference between mentoring and apprenticeship. Mentoring is what's going on right on this list. Mentoring is simply giving advice and can be done without regard to proximity. Apprenticeship implies an actual working relationship between the indexer and the apprentice. That's where the physical proximity comes in.

NI: Do you have any general thoughts on how a new indexer would go about approaching an experienced indexer for a relationship such as this? What can a new indexer offer an experienced indexer in a deal like this?

DE: Network. Join ASI, attend the annual conference. If you are into indexing technical stuff, join Society for Technical Communication (STC). If you are into medical indexing, join American Medical Writers, etc. Join the INDEX-L listserv, hang out there and ask questions. Don't just lurk, engage in the conversation. Find any indexers close to you. Talk to them about their business. (Don't pry about money or client lists.) Don't approach them as if you are asking *them* to do something for *you*. Instead, offer to do something for them, like proofreading, for instance. Then be available. I had one person who wanted to work for me but refused to work evenings or weekends. Most of this job is done evenings and weekends. And on short notice. Under tight deadlines. Do you have any skills with PageMaker, FrameMaker, or MS-Word? Some clients want their indexes embedded in one of these products. Because the indexing features are so cumbersome, virtually no professional indexers work directly in those products. Rather we create the index in one of the dedicated software packages (Cindex, Macrex, or SkyIndex) then embed the tags into the document itself. I would dearly love to have someone do that tagging for me. I have a list of ten things that I look for in an apprentice.

Apprentice Qualities

• Resolve: Your mind is made up, you want to be an indexer. You are not trying it out just because you read that it is an easy way to make money from home.
• Training: You already know indexing basics and indexing tools. You must have already invested some effort.
• Geographic proximity: Willingness to pick up and deliver and work on site when necessary.
• Flexibility: Work on short notice. I often get jobs on short notice. These are the ones that I am most likely to need help with. Your notice will perforce be shorter than mine.
• Dedication: Meet tight deadlines. If the deadline calls for working nights and weekends, do so willingly.
• Tolerance for uncertainty: Like snow, you never know when the work will arrive or how deep it will bury you.
• Patience: Start at the bottom and work up. Begin by proofing my finished indexes, work up to creating your own.
• Realistic expectations: It takes time to build a practice. You can't just look over my shoulder for a few days and become an indexer.
• Loyalty: Respect my client list. Don't poach.
• Accessibility: You are readily available via e-mail and phone, especially at odd hours.

I've just finished the Final Exam of the course. Am I ready to hang out my shingle?

Are you an indexer? Read paragraphs 3 and 4 of the Preface to Indexing Books.

Some experienced indexers recommend that beginners practice indexing several full-length books against a self-imposed deadline, just to get more of a feel for "real" work. They also suggest getting someone to critique the practice indexes, perhaps for a fee. Many indexers offer this service for varying rates (something comparable to their indexing rates, perhaps $25/hr. or more). Maybe someone in your local ASI chapter would be willing to do so.

Do you have marketing materials and a marketing plan? Are you able to present yourself in a competent and professional manner to prospective clients? Do you know the process involved and will you be able to provide appropriate services to a professional publisher?

How do editors view the indexing course and my having completed it?

 During the past two years I have heard quasi-complaints from editors about receiving scores of work inquiries from people who have just completed Basic Indexing. They are overwhelmed and not certain about how to evaluate these inquiries. Here is what I tell the editors:

  "A passing grade in the USDA course does not gaurantee that a person can write an acceptable index. Anyone who has read the Preface in my book knows how I feel about teaching indexing. I as a teacher cannot turn someone into an indexer unless that person has a natural knack for indexing. It is my experience that only 10% of my students demonstrate the ability to index really well. Of that 10% many do not become indexers because they do not want to deal with self-employment.

  "Students are told that they should receive a grade of 86 or higher if they plan to enter the professional indexing market. The grading in this course is weighted. There are four Index Preparation assignments; they account for 70% of the grade. The remaining six lessons and final exam account for 30% of the grade.

 "If you want to follow up on inquiry from a USDA student, ask them what was their final grade in the course. What were the grades for Lessons 3, 5, 7, and 10 (the Index Preparation assignments). Keep in mind that Lesson 3 is strictly a formatting exercise. Ideally, with the exception of Lesson 3, the grades for these lessons will be progressively higher.

  "Lastly, most people who enroll in Basic Indexing do not complete the course. I do not have the current figures, but a high percentage of people do not finish. So, be aware of the difference between "I took the USDA course" and "I completed the USDA course."

What are the "must have" books for a beginning indexer's library?

For freelance, this is my list for a beginner. I don't view it as just indexing--I look at it as an entire business.

REFERENCE BOOKS:
(1) Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary (most common names, words, shades
of meaning, geographical names, etc)

INDEXING BOOKS:
(1) The Art of Indexing --Larry Bonura
(2) Indexing From A to Z--Hans Wellisch
(3) Indexing Books--Nancy Mulvany

(4) Handbook of Indexing Techniques--Linda K. Fetters

WRITING (in marketing packages):
(1) Chicago Manual of Style, current edition, whole thing--not just indexing
chapter
(2) Technical Writing: A Practical Approach--William Pfeiffer
(3) How to Write Attention-Grabbing Query and Cover Letters--John Wood

GRAPHIC DESIGN (for designing marketing packages):
(1) Looking Good in Print--Roger Parker

MARKETING:
(1) Powerful Telephone Skills--Career Press
(2) Selling Your Services--Robert Bly
(3) 101 Big Ideas for Promoting a Business on a Small Budget--Barbara Lamesis
(4) Marketing Your Indexing Services--ASI
(5) Literary MarketPlace OR Writer's Market

GENERAL BUSINESS:
(1) Secrets of Self-Employment--Sarah and Paul Edwards
(2) Time Management for the Creative Person--Lee Silber
(3) Running Your Indexing Business--ASI
(4) Starting an Indexing Business--ASI

Can anyone tell me exactly what web indexing entails?

Where is a good site to get more information on web indexing?

However there are several potential levels in web indexing. You can index a web page, a web site or many web sites. Web page: Your pointers would jump to location on the page where info is found. Web site: Your pointers would jump to the page, or to the page and the location where info is found. Many web sites: You would gather pointers to info located on many different web sites, such as Irish Folk Music. There are many issues around the formatting and coding of entries and room for lots of "helper" software development.

There are several sites with good information on web indexing:

The Web Indexing Special Interest Group of the American Society of Indexers.

The page Indexing the Web on the site of the American Society of Indexers.

The page Web Indexing on the site of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Indexers.

The page Indexing the WWW on the site of the University of British Columbia School of Library, Archival and Information Studies.

There is also the Web Indexing online discussion list. It is affiliated with the Web Indexing SIG, but subscribers do not have to be members of the SIG.

What is database indexing?

I index periodical/journal/newspaper articles, and my indexing appears in print journals or databases much like what Anne Day describes. I use a controlled vocabulary (a thesaurus) provided by the database producer, and create a list of descriptors (index entries) for an article. I could call myself either a periodical indexer or a database indexer. In BOB (my acronym for back-of-the-book) indexing, you have entries followed by locators (page numbers). In database indexing, the entries call up articles linked to a descriptor, and I think of the descriptors as locators as well. The bibliographic information (author, journal title, page numbers) is more information about the article either as a second level of locator or as index entry points for the article. {The article that ASI links you to from its database indexing page is really more about how database software has an "index" function, and how to utilize it, but you still have to provide the locator (the index term or keyword or whatever) that points to the information in the database.} I also do some Web indexing. I cruise the Web at low speed, looking for sites that contain scientific or medical content, capture the URL (and some other information) and then apply my controlled vocabulary terms to the site content, All of this information goes into a searchable database. So, I'm still a database indexer at heart, but my indexable material is contained on the Web.

What basic equipment and software should I have to get started?

• a computer (Mac or PC): speed and memory as needed by user with word-processing software, invoicing/record-keeping software, indexing software, internet and e-mail access
• printer
• reference books (see above)
• office space (can be simply a desk in the corner of a room, but you need to be able to walk away from your work without having to put it "away."
• hole punch
• marking pens/highlighters

The items above are basic and necessary. The items below are not necessary, but may prove useful.

• fax machine
• second phone line
• time clock software
• voice-recognition software
• scanner

How important is having a web site when starting out?

It's not necessarily important; it's just another tool in the kit. Just like a brochure, a good cover letter, a business card, a listing with various professional organizations.

Here's one woman's opinion (Dawn Spencer):

"In the beginning, I think a lot of people spend time/money where they don't need to, and not enough where they DO need to. My take is that many people like the PASSIVEness of the web site and directory. No cold calling. Sure, it WILL yield something, sometime, someway, some year.

But neither approach is ACTIVE marketing. I think they are great as auxiliary methods, provided you already don't need to spend time/money on OTHER stuff. It's more important for new indexers to have training, proper software, ACTIVE marketing materials (phone calls, stationery, etc). Just my opinion."

What are these "Term Selection Exercises" and how can I participate?

Do you need to have a specialty in order to index?

I would not suggest indexing a complicated field about which you know little, unless you were able to put significant time and energy (beyond the norm) into it.

Theresa Moylan writes:

Knowing a particular field, meaning the terminology, allows you to index well and at a faster rate.  I think if you enjoy a field but aren't familiar with the terms you can research indexes in that field and build a thesaurus.  You don't necessarily have to be a professional in the field.  I believe publishers used to find indexers by seeking professionals.  Indexing as a profession probably wasn't defined then.

Cynthia Landeen writes:

I believe that you need to either know the subject or be willing to learn enough about it that you can index on behalf of your reader.  Quite often the true test of knowing a subject is to be able to teach it to a beginner.  I believe that writing an index is quite a bit like this, you must be able to understand the language of the subject in such a way that you can provide access to the information for others.  If you are willing to take the time to learn the subject, (go to the library, read other indexes, talk to people who understand the language) good for you, you can list that as a field in which you index.  If you are not able to understand the language of the field, you are doing a disservice to the reader, and in some cases (first aid manuals, hazardous materials manuals and medical texts come to mind here) you might actually be doing harm. 

Willa McAllen writes:

However, I think this question is handled differetly by different people.  If someone has been indexing for a long time, they might have more confidence in tackling a difficult topic.  If they are just starting out, they are learning how to index as well as the terminology for a specific subject as well as (possibly) their indexing tools.

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