It's still that job and I'm wrestling with text by an author whose first language is not English. While it is a creditable and interesting book, it just hasn't had enough done to make all the phrasing sit nicely. 😱

Nicola King@nicolaking.bsky.social · 2d ago

One of 'those' jobs this week that demand a lot of time outside the text because the author can't spell place names the same twice, can't always get the English version of European personal names right, and just leaves words out of sentences. Indexers are the last pair of fresh eyes.👀

One of 'those' jobs this week that demand a lot of time outside the text because the author can't spell place names the same twice, can't always get the English version of European personal names right, and just leaves words out of sentences. Indexers are the last pair of fresh eyes.👀

OMG @djbduncan.bsky.social @baindex.org - an airport read now!

Gert-Jan Bartelds@gertjanbartelds.nl · 4d ago

@dsfpspacefl1ght.bsky.social Bought this at Bodrum airport, waiting for our flight back home. Should be fun.

Sometimes reviewers do notice the index and make comments.

Elaine Mitchell@elaineamitchell.bsky.social · last wk.

In what were positive reviews the only one I remember for a book I did a few years ago was that the index let it down. Going to professionals if there’s a next time!

This is what professional indexers are here to prevent. Don't bang your head on the keyboard or start on some demon drink, get an indexer! Sorry for you, James, if you need any help or tips, just ask.

James Wright@jpwarchaeology.bsky.social · last wk.

Two days of indexing The Buildings Archaeologist...

Yes, book indexers do have to read the book and sometimes it can be challenging and/or upsetting. @tanyaizzard.bsky.social has some advice on how to work on such material.

Society of Indexers@indexers.bsky.social · 2w ago

How can indexers work best with books that cover challenging or upsetting subjects? Indexer @tanyaizzard.bsky.social discusses ways to support yourself if you're working with material you find difficult: buff.ly/GMf5ZeX

Ordered yesterday at 2pm, at my door this morning 10:10am. Wow!

London Topographical Society@londontopsoc.bsky.social · 3w ago

Our 2026 publication, "The A-Z of Georgian London and Its Environs – John Rocque’s Maps, 1746- 1747", is now available. John Montague’s introduction tells the complex story of the development of the maps, incorporating new information on Rocque’s early life. londontopsoc.org/product/the-...

Spotted a woman wearing a book-print dress the same as worn by an esteemed indexing colleague. Resisted the urge to leap on her an ask if she was an indexer.

Feel sorry for @emiliekmmurphy.bsky.social but what a hot mess this is. AI has no role in working on manuscripts for publishing if this is the best it can do. If this has been done by a human, it was someone who is not qualified/trained to do it and had no understanding of the text, and ditto.

Emilie K. M. Murphy@emiliekmmurphy.bsky.social · 3w ago

LOL just reading through comments from the copy-editor and, well, let's just say I'm not convinced that the copy-editor has really been doing much actual reading of my text here with these queries.. Screenshot of my paragraph for context here... Snort.

Index doing its job showing readers what is and what is not in a book.

a kat@hartknyx.isawesome.net · 3w ago

great news!!!!! they released a new edition of queer shakespeare however.

In today's Ask the Indexers blog post, our panel tell us what they wish people understood about our niche job - mainly, that it really is a job, and that no, a computer/AI can't do it. Read more here: buff.ly/VREMHpE #IndexSky

Ask the Indexers: what’s the thing you wish everyone understood about indexing?

In our latest Ask the Indexers blog post, our panel members offer insight into the sometimes hidden world of indexing. Samantha Clark, Advanced Professional Mem

indexers.org.uk

I love Roskilde and the replica ships and I wish I lived near. I learned about the site and museum in lectures by Sean McGrail. I visited when work sent me to Copenhagen some years ago. The ship in London during the 2012 Olympics was awesome. It is the smells. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

I sail the world in a replica 10th-century Viking longboat

Every year I spend six to eight weeks on board – it has brought new friendships and showed me how generous people can be

theguardian.com

#TinyJoys One Little Owl in a different place to the 3 I saw the other night.

#TinyJoys Three Little Owls.

What makes a good book indexer? Our blog post explains what you need to work in this fascinating and varied job. Indexers come from all sorts of professional backgrounds and many work part-time alongside other jobs buff.ly/vqM1Riw

Reader disappointed by lack of index. I have heard similar observations about other titles in the series. Small books aren't an excuse to skimp and not have an index.

Vincent Morley@vmstarai.bsky.social · 2mo ago

It's a good book but (although it only runs to seventy pages) it would have been even better with an index ...

It's a good book but (although it only runs to seventy pages) it would have been even better with an index ...

Dears, the course didn't run .... Can you get the word out? Starts again June 22, 2026.

Interested in indexing? I'm teaching at TMU this winter: continuing.torontomu.ca/search/publi... "This course provided an excellent introduction to indexing! Additionally, the instructor went above and beyond to provide feedback and support throughout the course." Jolie, student, winter 2025

I understand that trade presses take different approaches in acknowledging the research that goes into history books, but I picked up a new book that contains no footnotes or endnotes, no bibliography or further reading, and no index. The publisher is asking me to engage in an act of faith. No thnx.

Also wondering about the weather tomorrow - how bad does it have to be for an outdoor brass band event to be cancelled? We are planning on putting up a gazebo in the first slot and playing from 12:30 to 2pm.

Waiting for the Royal Mail to deliver a parcel, assumed to be a book from a publisher I worked with earlier this year, but not sure which book of the two it is going to be. I seldom get publication copies and those I don't want to keep get donated to my local library.

How does a book indexing project work? What should I expect as a client? How do I find the right indexer for my project? Our blog series on index commissioning takes you through the process in helpful detail buff.ly/fWpnjja

Some support for book indexes here. @indexers.bsky.social has a directory of indexers should you need to find one.

Jonathan Calder@lordbonkers.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Liberal England: Why non-fiction books need their indexes

A study has shown that the more receptive someone is to corporate jargon, the worse they are at their job - but the more likely they are to be promoted. @questingvole.bsky.social unpacks how, and why, that's the case. substack.com/inbox/post/1...

Bollocks and Belonging

Rhetoric and writing: LinkedIn cobblers, vertical silos, liminal identities

substack.com

London's Cartoon Museum is staging a brand new exhibition of caricatures, including some Spitting Image stuff by yours truly. It runs from May 23-November 1st. Visit The Cartoon Museum for more details ... www.cartoonmuseum.org/whats-on-exh... Please be kind, and repost! x

Today's earworm is Glorious Ventures by Peter Graham, one of the pieces we (Bradwell Silver Band) will be performing on Saturday with Jack Wilson, neither on here, so I can say I think Jack does it better than this version. www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIPl...

Roger Webster w/ Black Dyke: Glorious Ventures | Peter Graham

YouTube video by BravoVarious

youtube.com

No there isn't, and YOU don't have to do it. There are plenty of professional indexers willing and able to do it. Book indexing is something that a human brain does better than any software that's around right now.

Melody Schreiber@melodyschreiber.com · 3mo ago

Is there a good program for indexing a book now or do you still have to do it by hand

Short survey about AI and indexing - anyone can fill it in.

Melanie Dolechek (SSP)@mdolechek.bsky.social · 3mo ago

If you’re involved in book or journal publishing that currently includes indexing, please help me out and participate in this Menti (just 4 questions!) www.menti.com/al241nvvo6ys

If you’re involved in book or journal publishing that currently includes indexing, please help me out and participate in this Menti (just 4 questions!) www.menti.com/al241nvvo6ys

AI and Scholarly Indexing - Mentimeter

Be heard, collaborate, and share ideas—make meetings and classes more engaging with real conversations.

menti.com

This is what professional experienced book indexers do all day. They work out what the book is about and put the concepts in the index. Sometimes the book, or parts of it, isn't quite about what the author thinks it was.

Dr Francis Young@drfrancisyoung.bsky.social · 3mo ago

A key role of the professional indexer is to read the whole book through (more than once if needed) and interpret its conceptual architecture; this is why indexing is editorial and hermeneutical, not mechanical - you hire a professional to create a conceptual map of your book #indexing