How to index a book – Part 2

Posted on December 4th, 2008 at 7:54 am by admin

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This posting follows How to index a book Part 1. We’re now going to look at the structure and style of the index. You need to get that right before you start, because it’s hard to change later on.

1. Get an indexing book from the library.

You’re going to need a resource, especially if you have to index a lot of names.

How do you index European names that start with de, von, etc.? How do you index double Spanish names? How do you index someone who is known by their title or stage name? What punctuation do you use where? An indexing book will provide basic answers.

An indexing book will also describe the types of indexes. Match these types with whatever your publisher told you was the house style:

  • capitalized or lower-case entries?
  • run-in style or indented style?
  • are sub-sub-entries permitted?
  • overall length?
  • alphabetization style: letter-by-letter, word-by-word, or simple?
  • placement of the see and see also lines?
  • style for ranges of numbers: 222-224 or 222-24?
  • bold for key terms?

If you can’t find a book on indexing, ask your publisher to send you a sample index from another book. Then match the sample.

2. Learn to alphabetize.

MS Word will alphabetize for you if you click on the Sort button.

But MS Word uses word-by-word alphabetization. Most book publishers ask for letter-by-letter alphabetization.

What’s the difference?

Word-by-word indexes the first word of the entry, then the second word, then the third. Here is a list in word-by-word order:

water

water restrictions

water wall

waterfall

Letter-by-letter ignores the spaces between words and treats the whole entry as one word:

water

waterfall

water restrictions

water wall

So after you have sorted your index in MS Word, you will have to go back and move some entries so that they fall in letter-by-letter order.

3. Learn to make an en-dash.

In indexes, the dash between numbers in a page range is not the little dash up at the top right of your keyboard. It’s an en-dash, which is a little bit longer.

To create an en-dash, you need to use the numerical keypad on the far right of your keyboard. Hold down the [control] button and click on the minus sign. Do this for every entry.

Okay, you’re ready to get started.

How to index a book – Part 3