Society of Indexers
@indexers.bsky.social
The professional body for indexers in the United Kingdom and Ireland. We can help you find an indexer, learn about indexing and train as an indexer. Learn more at https://www.indexers.org.uk/
Luckily, there are professional indexers out there who can do it for you...
I'd rather eat broken glass than index another book... It's well worth the thousand bucks or so. #academicchatter
November 25, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Luckily, there are professional indexers out there who can do it for you...
Are you a publishing professional who’s new to working with book indexers? Our guide to commissioning an index takes you through the whole process and helps you foster good working relationships and great indexes
buff.ly
November 25, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Are you a publishing professional who’s new to working with book indexers? Our guide to commissioning an index takes you through the whole process and helps you foster good working relationships and great indexes
Indexing is often part of a portfolio career done alongside other salaried or freelance jobs. Our members @carlosindex.bsky.social, Susie Marques-Jones and @susanpennyindexing.bsky.social discuss indexing alongside other work in our blog series: buff.ly/wLJXKmf #WorkInPublishingWeek
Indexing and… librarianship
News | Blog | Events
buff.ly
November 21, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Indexing is often part of a portfolio career done alongside other salaried or freelance jobs. Our members @carlosindex.bsky.social, Susie Marques-Jones and @susanpennyindexing.bsky.social discuss indexing alongside other work in our blog series: buff.ly/wLJXKmf #WorkInPublishingWeek
This morning's SI Coffee Morning discussed indexing feminist texts and feminist indexing. Ruth Martin's brilliant introduction explained what we mean by feminist texts. These are books - about law, science, art, anything really - that involve criticism from a feminist standpoint.
November 20, 2025 at 2:25 PM
This morning's SI Coffee Morning discussed indexing feminist texts and feminist indexing. Ruth Martin's brilliant introduction explained what we mean by feminist texts. These are books - about law, science, art, anything really - that involve criticism from a feminist standpoint.
Membership of the Society of Indexers gives you much more than access to the training course. Once you're accredited, you appear in our Professional Directory, a great source of work. Our regular online and in-person events will support your CPD. Social events help you network with other indexers.
November 20, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Membership of the Society of Indexers gives you much more than access to the training course. Once you're accredited, you appear in our Professional Directory, a great source of work. Our regular online and in-person events will support your CPD. Social events help you network with other indexers.
Our training course ends with the Pre-qualification Indexing Assessment, an index of a book-length work evaluated by an experienced professional indexer. This is a great dry run for professional indexing projects with detailed constructive feedback #WorkInPublishingWeek
Becoming an indexer 4: the pre-qualification indexing assignment (PIA)
[Photo credit: Photo by Ben White on Unsplash] Once you’ve completed the training course modules and tutorials, and passed the necessary assessments, the final
buff.ly
November 19, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Our training course ends with the Pre-qualification Indexing Assessment, an index of a book-length work evaluated by an experienced professional indexer. This is a great dry run for professional indexing projects with detailed constructive feedback #WorkInPublishingWeek
Our online distance-learning training course isn't just the modules and assessments. It offers tutorials, mentoring and feedback from experienced professional indexers, as well as peer support. Our blog post explains how it all fits together: buff.ly/rqiBEZK #WorkInPublishingWeek
Becoming an indexer 3: tutorials, workshops and other support
[photo credit Kristin Hardwick, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons] This post follows on from the overview of the training course modules and explains how the other asp
www.indexers.org.uk
November 19, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Our online distance-learning training course isn't just the modules and assessments. It offers tutorials, mentoring and feedback from experienced professional indexers, as well as peer support. Our blog post explains how it all fits together: buff.ly/rqiBEZK #WorkInPublishingWeek
Thinking about indexing as a career during #WorkInPublishingWeek? Our online distance-learning training course will take you from beginner to accredited professional indexer. Explore the course modules and assessments in more detail through our blog post:
Becoming an indexer 2: the Society of Indexers training course modules
Are you thinking about training as an indexer? This is the first of three blog posts that give an overview of the Society of Indexers training course. It gives
buff.ly
November 19, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Thinking about indexing as a career during #WorkInPublishingWeek? Our online distance-learning training course will take you from beginner to accredited professional indexer. Explore the course modules and assessments in more detail through our blog post:
A happy National Indexing Day to our US friends!
Celebrate National Indexing Day on November 18
The American Society for Indexing (ASI) has designated November 18 as National Indexing Day to celebrate the making and using of indexes. Indexing is a largely hidden and important part of the publishing industry. Indexes are created for print…
The American Society for Indexing (ASI) has designated November 18 as National Indexing Day to celebrate the making and using of indexes. Indexing is a largely hidden and important part of the publishing industry. Indexes are created for print…
Celebrate National Indexing Day on November 18
The American Society for Indexing (ASI) has designated November 18 as National Indexing Day to celebrate the making and using of indexes. Indexing is a largely hidden and important part of the publishing industry. Indexes are created for print publications such as books and periodicals and for media such as websites, ebooks and other digital publications. Indexers provide access to published information.
asindexing.org
November 18, 2025 at 2:33 PM
A happy National Indexing Day to our US friends!
If you're intrigued by indexing during #WorkInPublishingWeek, you can explore our online distance-learning training course and see how you might enter this fascinating line of work. Study at your own pace, with feedback and support from experienced professional indexers:
Course overview/features (5th Edition)
The Society runs its own distance-learning course, ‘Training in Indexing’ which leads to Accreditation and Professional Membership of the Society. Whether you a
buff.ly
November 18, 2025 at 9:30 AM
If you're intrigued by indexing during #WorkInPublishingWeek, you can explore our online distance-learning training course and see how you might enter this fascinating line of work. Study at your own pace, with feedback and support from experienced professional indexers:
Indexing is a niche but immensely satisfying role: read books, get a stimulating intellectual workout, get paid. In our blog post, indexer @tanyaizzard.bsky.social discusses the backgrounds of indexers and the attributes of good ones: buff.ly/Fe6n014 #WorkInPublishingWeek
Becoming an indexer: what makes a good indexer?
This is the first of a series of posts discussing how to become an indexer. In this post, Tanya Izzard discusses the attributes of a good indexer. Background Ma
buff.ly
November 17, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Indexing is a niche but immensely satisfying role: read books, get a stimulating intellectual workout, get paid. In our blog post, indexer @tanyaizzard.bsky.social discusses the backgrounds of indexers and the attributes of good ones: buff.ly/Fe6n014 #WorkInPublishingWeek
It's #WorkInPublishingWeek 2025, so it's a good time to reintroduce ourselves. The Society of Indexers is the professional body for indexers in the UK and Ireland.
November 17, 2025 at 9:15 AM
It's #WorkInPublishingWeek 2025, so it's a good time to reintroduce ourselves. The Society of Indexers is the professional body for indexers in the UK and Ireland.
For today's Talking about the Past session, 19 indexers gathered on Zoom to discuss bias in indexing. We all have our prejudices, ideas and beliefs - but indexers work to make sure we are aware of them when we approach a text.
November 5, 2025 at 1:15 PM
For today's Talking about the Past session, 19 indexers gathered on Zoom to discuss bias in indexing. We all have our prejudices, ideas and beliefs - but indexers work to make sure we are aware of them when we approach a text.
Reposted by Society of Indexers
I have reached the phase of #dissertation writing where a book index (good or not as good) has the ability to move me to tears 🥲
What is happening? Do I need a nap? Or more apple cider?
What is happening? Do I need a nap? Or more apple cider?
a woman wearing a white wig and a blue sweater says i have never felt
ALT: a woman wearing a white wig and a blue sweater says i have never felt
media.tenor.com
November 4, 2025 at 8:45 AM
I have reached the phase of #dissertation writing where a book index (good or not as good) has the ability to move me to tears 🥲
What is happening? Do I need a nap? Or more apple cider?
What is happening? Do I need a nap? Or more apple cider?
You might have been asked to provide an embedded index for your book, or find an indexer who can create one. What is this thing called embedded indexing? Indexer @tanyaizzard.bsky.social explains how it works in our latest blog post:
What is embedded indexing?
While most indexes are still compiled from page proofs, some indexes are embedded, where the index entries are added as tags or codes to a manuscript file. In t
buff.ly
November 4, 2025 at 9:15 AM
You might have been asked to provide an embedded index for your book, or find an indexer who can create one. What is this thing called embedded indexing? Indexer @tanyaizzard.bsky.social explains how it works in our latest blog post:
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/xI8HS6z
October 30, 2025 at 1:31 PM
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/xI8HS6z
Book indexing attracts people from diverse backgrounds. Many of our members also work in proofreading, editing, librarianship or teaching. Explore our training course pages to find out more about adding indexing to your career - you can study online at your own pace: buff.ly/RMZ3Nsz
October 27, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Book indexing attracts people from diverse backgrounds. Many of our members also work in proofreading, editing, librarianship or teaching. Explore our training course pages to find out more about adding indexing to your career - you can study online at your own pace: buff.ly/RMZ3Nsz
Academic authors! Don’t want to index your own book? Find an expert professional indexer using our Directory. Filter on subject area and type of indexing, including embedded indexing. But book us early - our schedules fill up quickly buff.ly/ynGdrJ9
October 24, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Academic authors! Don’t want to index your own book? Find an expert professional indexer using our Directory. Filter on subject area and type of indexing, including embedded indexing. But book us early - our schedules fill up quickly buff.ly/ynGdrJ9
Cookbook indexing is a special skill. You must be selective - you can't index every mention of salt - but try to anticipate readers' likely search terms, which might be ingredients, methods chapter headings (which is perhaps what happened here) or recipe titles. Lots to chew on for the indexer!
Joy of Cooking is a great cookbook and reference book, but I do want to have a little talk with the person who alphabetized the index. You want a bread recipe? Look under Y for Yeast Breads, not under B for Bread or even Bread, Yeast.
October 23, 2025 at 7:55 AM
Cookbook indexing is a special skill. You must be selective - you can't index every mention of salt - but try to anticipate readers' likely search terms, which might be ingredients, methods chapter headings (which is perhaps what happened here) or recipe titles. Lots to chew on for the indexer!
Reposted by Society of Indexers
Recalling what a deeply human process it is to create a truly useful book index — not replicable by any automated or AI system, as it requires a theory of mind, a deep understanding of the audience & their likely needs, preferred search-terms, and points of confusion.
✍️📖💡
#AmEditing #AmIndexing
✍️📖💡
#AmEditing #AmIndexing
October 19, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Recalling what a deeply human process it is to create a truly useful book index — not replicable by any automated or AI system, as it requires a theory of mind, a deep understanding of the audience & their likely needs, preferred search-terms, and points of confusion.
✍️📖💡
#AmEditing #AmIndexing
✍️📖💡
#AmEditing #AmIndexing
Need an indexer for your non-fiction book? Our Professional Directory can be filtered by subject and type of publication to find the right indexer for your project buff.ly/ynGdrJ9
October 17, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Need an indexer for your non-fiction book? Our Professional Directory can be filtered by subject and type of publication to find the right indexer for your project buff.ly/ynGdrJ9
For today's SI Coffee Morning 16 indexers met to debrief after last month's #SIConf25. This gave us a chance to hear about those sessions we didn't get to; some will be developed further into articles for @indexer.bsky.social, our members' newsletter SIdelights, and future Coffee Morning sessions.
October 16, 2025 at 12:14 PM
For today's SI Coffee Morning 16 indexers met to debrief after last month's #SIConf25. This gave us a chance to hear about those sessions we didn't get to; some will be developed further into articles for @indexer.bsky.social, our members' newsletter SIdelights, and future Coffee Morning sessions.
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/788iKOi
October 15, 2025 at 8:30 AM
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/788iKOi
Reposted by Society of Indexers
Gimme a book with an INDEX. 😌
October 14, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Gimme a book with an INDEX. 😌
Are authors the best indexers of their own work? In our latest blog post, indexer and true crime author David Green - who has indexed his own books - explores the problems and issues that can arise:
Authors as Indexers
Should authors index their own books, or is the job best left to professional indexers? In this post, indexer and author David Green explores the pros and cons of self-indexing. Are authors the best people...
buff.ly
October 9, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Are authors the best indexers of their own work? In our latest blog post, indexer and true crime author David Green - who has indexed his own books - explores the problems and issues that can arise: