Wondering if your book really needs an indexing service?
The index is important for three reasons. One, your readers expect and use it. Two, it’s likely that a good index increases the sales of your books. Even though there’s no hard data on the subject, we know (anecdotally, at least) that some people read an index before buying a book, especially on Amazon where you can see it for free. We also know that librarians use the index to figure out what books to buy. But there’s more to an index besides your obligation to readers and sales. A missing or bad index can hurt your reputation.
Why do you need professional indexing service?
Book indexing is a specialized skill. It takes a long time to learn and requires you to master expensive software programs. Most indexers like us have Masters degrees or PhD’s or some other kind of certification. A lot of them also were former librarians, or have experience with information architecture — meaning that they’re professionals skilled in the art of organizing information. But even more than their fancy degrees and certifications, good book indexers have the right mindset.
How much does book index cost?
To be clear: this sample is free, and there will be no obligations.
If you decide to move forward you can discuss pricing with us. We usually charge between USD $2.50-$6.00 per ‘indexable page’ (which is any page with text on it that needs to be indexed). If a 250 page book, for example, has 210 indexable pages, then the cost will probably be $500-$800.
You can read more about the prices here
Can machines index your work for you?
You might hear someone telling you that computers or software applications can finish the job better than a human. The truth is that they’re lying. It won’t! Indexing software can produce lists, but they aren’t able to create organized and comprehensive structures. Unlike computers, a professional indexer is able to decide what is relevant and what is not.
Book indexing is a very analytical process. But at the same time, it involves a lot of human judgment, especially since the index is really a tool of communication (more on that in a moment).