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Book Indexing for Authors: How to create a professional nonfiction index in Word
IS YOUR NONFICTION BOOK MISSING SOMETHING?
An index could be the thing that sets your book apart. Take a look in a library or bookstore and you will find very few nonfiction books that don't have indexes. That's because publishers know how important the presence of an index is to readers - and how vital it is for sales. Often, indies aren't aware of this & they miss out on potential sales and reviews because of this.
An index is like a guidepost or map for your readers. It tells them what to expect from your book, where to find topics that interest them, and - importantly - what isn't in the book. This means that it reduces the chances of poor reviews and increases the chances of positive reviews. An index helps usability, which makes it more useful (and review-worthy) to readers.
If you are an author thinking of creating your own index, you're in good company. There is quite a precedent for author-indexes (especially in the world of academia, where subjects are so specialist that it can be hard to find a professional indexer with relevant experience). This book will guide you through the process and show you how to do it yourself in Microsoft Word. (Sorry, no Mac instructions.)
This book is for you if...
You need easy-to-understand instructions on how to create your own index for a non-fiction book using Microsoft Word. It doesn't include instructions/screenshots for working in Word for Macs or Adobe InDesign;
You don't have a big budget;
You aren't a computer or publishing expert;
You don't want to spend weeks (or months) learning how to index.
An index could be the thing that sets your book apart. Take a look in a library or bookstore and you will find very few nonfiction books that don't have indexes. That's because publishers know how important the presence of an index is to readers - and how vital it is for sales. Often, indies aren't aware of this & they miss out on potential sales and reviews because of this.
An index is like a guidepost or map for your readers. It tells them what to expect from your book, where to find topics that interest them, and - importantly - what isn't in the book. This means that it reduces the chances of poor reviews and increases the chances of positive reviews. An index helps usability, which makes it more useful (and review-worthy) to readers.
If you are an author thinking of creating your own index, you're in good company. There is quite a precedent for author-indexes (especially in the world of academia, where subjects are so specialist that it can be hard to find a professional indexer with relevant experience). This book will guide you through the process and show you how to do it yourself in Microsoft Word. (Sorry, no Mac instructions.)
This book is for you if...
You need easy-to-understand instructions on how to create your own index for a non-fiction book using Microsoft Word. It doesn't include instructions/screenshots for working in Word for Macs or Adobe InDesign;
You don't have a big budget;
You aren't a computer or publishing expert;
You don't want to spend weeks (or months) learning how to index.
224 pages, Paperback
Published August 30, 2018
5 people are currently reading
1 person want to read
About the author
Michelle Campbell-Scott
7 books116 followersBack from Mexico after an amazing 2-year roadtrip in an RV with my daughter.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 3, 2024
Tremendous help with laying out the index of my self-published book. The book is easy to reference and refer to as needed while working on my index. This book empowered me to do my own index.
Displaying 1 of 1 review