by Nancy Humphreys on July 4, 2010
Most of us are too busy working to stop and answer this question. But how can we say whether an index is good without first answering, “What is an index?”
I once heard an indexer speaking to other indexers allege that an index is an alphabetical list of terms. Yet U.S. courts have ruled that at least in regard to telephone books, an alphabetical list of names is not copyrightable. Indexes, however, are always copyrighted works of art.
Indexes are more than lists. They are more than alphabetical arrangements of words. They are even more than subjects in some logical order. Indexes are our maps to strange new lands.
For me, as a reader, a book is uncharted new territory. Even if the book is one I wrote, I likely will not see all the facets it contains in a first reading. Each time I read a book, I learn something new.
If I get lost while reading a book, or if I forget what I’ve read in a book, a good index is one that helps me find my way again. On my journey of discovery I may use the index before I decide to read a book, while I read a book, or after I’ve finished a book.
The index is my guide, my map for that special journey. This is why I call my indexes Wordmaps.
Want to know if an index is a good index? Get my free download, “Ten Tips for Spotting a Bad Index.”
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Wordmaps Tips covers the global publishing industry, book marketing, book building, and book indexing.
by Nancy Humphreys on August 24, 2010
Too many authors and editors worry about production and distribution and forget about the middle step – marketing.
Sure it sounds great when a site like publishgreen.com says this about e-book:
• You upload your book as text or pdf. We do the rest to make it look great on Kindle®, iPad®, Nook® & more.
• You own all files we create for your ebook.
• Distribution packages through Amazon®, Apple iBookstore®, Borders.com®, Indigo Chapters® & 28 resellers!
• Earn up to 100% net royalties.
But please understand there’s a big hole here. Something is missing.
Librarians have done considerable research on how people look for books. They’ve found most library patrons do something called a “known-item search.” That means people usually look for a specific title or author that they’ve heard about.
Sure, people browse shelves, and they look for subjects or keywords sometimes. However, “virtual bookshelves” now contain millions of books. No one can browse more than a tiny fraction of all the titles that are out there. And people are busy. Most of us barely have time to squeeze in reading books we’ve heard about from friends or from reading book reviews.
In marketing, “word-of-mouth” is by far the best tool for selling something. As an author or publisher you need to set up and carry out a system to promote word-of-mouth sales of your book even as you create your book.
We all know gossip spreads quickly. On the other hand, “buzz” about a new product or service takes a concerted campaign to build. Buzz is an excitement that snowballs because someone has worked hard to get the word out that something new is about to happen.
This is exactly what you have to do for your book(s). If you’ve ever built a “snow boulder” to roll down a hill, you know how much work that takes. You also know the fun of watching it grow as it tumbles.
So start building your marketing snowball now!
