Rates:
My rate will vary with the nature of the project, but here’s a general range:
Back-of-the-book (non-embedded) index for trade books for children or for a general audience: $4 – $7 USD per 250 indexed words ($1,600 – $2,800 for a 100,000-word manuscript.)
Back-of-the-book (non-embedded) index for scholarly/academic books for a specialized audience: $7 – $12 USD per 250 indexed words ($2,800 – $4,800 for a 100,000-word manuscript.)
Works with indexable figures or illustrations, charts, and/or appendices will have a higher rate, as will embedded indexes. Tight timelines and rush jobs may also have a higher rate.
Request a quote:
To quote an accurate estimate for your project, I’ll need:
- project description (category and audience — is this a gardening book for kids? a medical textbook?)
- project length (word count, page count, number of illustrations to be indexed, number of tables/appendices to be indexed)
- project timeline (when would I receive the manuscript? when would you require the final index?)
- index details (is this a back-of-the-book index? an embedded index? a controlled vocabulary?)
- sample chapter or selection of pages
Please email me at kj at curiosityjones dot net with this information to request a quote.
Index review and feedback:
Already have an index, or considering creating your own? Contact me to request an index review with feedback (typically $200 – $800 USD per project, depending on length, subject matter, and audience.)
Please note: for this review, I will examine the structure and components of your index for usability and consistency and provide you with a list of suggested changes plus one round of follow-up questions. I will not read the full manuscript or compare the index entries and page numbers to the text, nor will I make the changes to your index.
Education:
I have an MLIS (master’s degree in library and information science) from the University of Washington’s Information School, plus specialized coursework in indexing and abstracting, and am a member of the American Society for Indexing. I’ve also published five books, so I understand the traditional publishing process and the challenges that writers and publishers face.
Request a donated index:
Indexing is a valuable and time-consuming process that’s fundamentally about providing access. If you or your organization need access to your work but do not have the budget to hire an indexer, you may email me at kj at curiosityjones dot net to request a donation of my indexing time. Tell me 1) what the work to be indexed is, 2) why it’s valuable to your community, and 3) how my index might help.
Questions?
Email me at kj at curiosityjones dot net