Book Indexing: Do It Yourself eBook Index
Index Your Own eBook Without Indexing Software
Nov 8, 2009
Nonfiction books aren't quite complete until the index is written. Writers who self-publish their books, especially ebooks that are targeted to very specific topics, are responsible for creating the index for their nonfiction book.
Unless this service is contracted out to an indexer or an indexing service or indexing software is used, the author is the one responsible for the job of creating an index that allows readers to find pertinent information from the book quickly and easily.
Writers can familiarize themselves with good indexes by reviewing the index in any nonfiction book they have used with success in the past. By skimming these lists, authors will better know how general and how detailed to get in choosing words to index for their ebook.
Creating the Main Entries of an Index
The main entries of a book index include words found in headings and main topics throughout the book. Main ideas for a book on dog grooming might include the following: cutting, trimming, clipping, brushing, bathing, tooth care, shaving, clipper work, skin care, dog health.
The idea of identifying the main entries to include in book indexing is to provide the general topics so the reader can easily flip to the chapter on teeth cleaning, for example. More detailed information also needs to be indexed.
Digging Deeper for Key Words
Using the main entries as a launching point, the book author digs deeper in the book to find words related to each main entry. These related words come from the detailed paragraphs on the main entry topics. These words are like the next layer of the main entries.
In the dog grooming book, teeth cleaning is a main entry and under this heading in the book will likely be a detailed discussion about gum care, proper brushing of canine teeth, when to take a dog to the vet if a problem is spotted, and so on.
Making a List and Checking It Twice
A writer begins the book indexing process by making a list of words, main entries and key words, to include in the index. Keeping in mind that a reader will want to find main topics then the detailed information is usually all that is needed to create the list. Determining the level of detail for the book index may be the most difficult task. This job can be as simple as jotting down the entries for the book's index on lined paper or it can be typed on the computer. Either way, a paper copy is needed for the pagination step.
Matching Entries with Page Numbers
When all of the entries for the book index have been selected, the author needs to finish the layout of the ebook. This means all of the pages should appear in the order and with the text information on each page as they will in the completed book. Pagination of a book index cannot be completed until this step is finished.
When the book is 'camera ready,' the author can begin searching the book on the computer one entry at a time. The author can write each page number where each entry appears next to each entry. More than likely, the same entry will appear throughout the ebook so several page numbers will appear next to most entries. For example, the index entry 'teeth cleaning' might appear on pages 2, 6, and 12, and would appear as follows in the index:
teeth cleaning, 2, 6, 12
For a range of page numbers, an en dash is used to show an entry was found in the page range, such as 10-13.
Typing the Book Index
After all of the entries have been searched and the pagination established, the author types in the actual index into the ebook file as the final part of the ebook. The index may only take up one page or it may go to two or more depending on the author's level of detail when creating the book index.
Tying Up Loose Ends
A detailed eye is needed to do book indexing. If uncertain about the accuracy, an author can ask a detail-oriented friend to verify that each word included in the book index indeed appears on each page of the ebook.
Adding the word Index and the page number where this section of the ebook appears completes the Table of Contents.
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