To many, indexing a book sounds boring. But for Linda Cardella Cournoyer,
indexing is a way to take part in something that she loves to do.
"My favorite part of indexing is the inputting. I get to read the whole
book and I really like most of the topics I'm given," she says. "I learn about
many different topics doing this job, and my publishers usually give me a
free copy of the book once it is finished."
She insists the job involves a lot of variety. "There are as many methods
of indexing as there are indexers," she says. "I read a paragraph of the text
at a time, highlighting what I want to put into the index with a neon-colored
highlighter, and then input the index entries into my dedicated software.
I do the whole book this way."
Cournoyer says that indexing is the perfect career for her. "I chose indexing
because it was something that I could do at home. I taught high school for
many years and liked it very much, but once my kids were born, I hated every
minute I was not home with them. Indexing allows me to stay home, and I happen
to be very good at it, as I have found out over time."
There are parts of the job that she doesn't care for, however. "The hardest
part is indexing a text which, on first being approached by a publisher, I
thought would be a topic I knew enough about. But once the indexing was begun,
I realized it was beyond my experience. I also don't care [for having to]
cut entries I think need to be included, to fit the pages that I have been
allotted," she says.
"It is hard work and it is solitary work," she warns. "And indexing is
a career that most would find dead boring. But one day I bought a book titled
Careers for Bookworms, and when I read the section on indexing, I instantly
knew this career was something I could do and be good at.
"Where indexing is concerned, I have not had to make any tough decisions.
Indexing was the easiest decision I ever had to make regarding jobs I have
had. I wanted to love my work, and I wanted to do it at home. In indexing,
I have found both."
Cournoyer is quick to point out that with the explosion in information
technology, the field of indexing is changing.
"Indexers will be needed in ever-increasing numbers to index not only books,
but also CD-ROMs, websites and the Internet itself. As information increases
and access to information becomes easier, more and more indexers will be needed
to make it easier and faster to find the exact information needed."
Larry Bonura, of Richardson, Texas, became an indexer in a very different
way, but for basically the same reason. "I was working on my master's degree
in history and library science, and I took a course in indexing," he says.
"I found that to locate information, analyze it and then spit it out again
in a new form that is useful to a different audience is a task that is suited
to my demeanor."
He likes the fact that he gets to help the reader. "My favorite part of
indexing is creating a new way to think about the book's content, and to present
the reader with every possible access point into the material indexed. And
I would recommend it for anyone who likes organizing information, solving
word problems, being attentive to details, and who loves to read," he says.
"I structure my work to take advantage of my natural rhythms and to ensure
I am working at my best. I work best in the morning, badly in the afternoon
and better in the evening, so I work around those peak times."
But Bonura also says that the career is not as boring as most might think.
He says one of the most interesting moments of his career was when he got
the opportunity to index a daily legal newspaper.
"It was strange because I had just purchased my first PC and was new to
indexing. I didn't have a clue how I was going to accomplish this task. I
did it, but it was quite a learning experience," he says.
"My career has enabled me to make extra income to support my family, but
it has also afforded me other opportunities."
For example, he notes that since being asked to write a book on how to
create indexes, he has "a lot of people asking me to give seminars on indexing
and to travel to present them. That has been a lot of fun -- and very different."
There are parts of the job that aren't so enjoyable, however. "I really
don't care for editing the index, but it's an integral part of the process.
And the hardest part of indexing is creating the cross-references that really
add value to the index," he says.
"Overall, I think indexing is a wonderful career. It's an excellent way
to learn more and to contribute creatively to the knowledge base that is building
at incredible speeds. You just need to be prepared to work hard and diligently."