What does an indexer do?

Think back to writing that senior year term paper: It’s 1am, you’re 2 espresso shots deep, and you still need 3 more sources at minimum to make a viable argument as to why maybe Captain Ahab was the white whale all along. You’re surrounded by tomes on literary analysis and don’t know where to start. What do you do? You turn to the index and run your finger down the list until you hit the M section, find an essay on Moby Dick, and say a prayer to the library overlords.

Moral of the story: An index helps guide the reader to the information they need most. It’s a timesaver and a map, stopping you from flipping through a 500-page book to see if it has the one factoid you need.

Can’t a computer just do this for me?

Yes, and no. Indexers use software to help organize terms, but a machine alone cannot create a good index (even ChapGPT!). To make a good index, you need a human brain to create a hierarchy of terms, meaningful interaction between said terms, and anticipate the reader’s needs.

Okay, so why you?

A good indexer lives in the center of the Venn diagram between analysis and creativity. This happens to perfectly describe me. I studied neuroscience in college, went to culinary school, wrote a cookbook, and led content strategy for a tech company. My years of experience as a site strategist and product manager taught me how to prioritize, and my time as editorial director at a digital food magazine taught me how the beauty of creating stories. Additionally, I’m a life-long book lover, eager to help bring your vision to life and to work with publishing industry professionals to make everyone’s life easier.