Frequently Asked Questions-Part 2

» Mary_T - three years of study!!

Hi Dawn,

Thanks for the information, the fact that it took you three years of study to feel ready to market is helpful to know.

I finished the USDA course ages ago, and I have the letter head, business card, etc, but there is a part of me that is just not confident. I've done a few practice indexes, one paid index and I've read several indexing books, but I just don't feel confident calling up a publisher and saying I'm ready to do a job for them.

Part of that is I am the mother of three teenagers and I can't seem to get a block of uninterrupted time, but it's also a reflection on my inexperience and that's okay. It just helped to know that the moment I finished the USDA course did not mean that I was READY to pull off a job for a publisher.

I think there is an impression that you should be able to take the course and go to work. I haven't found that to be the case. It was nice to know that you took your time, because I certainly am taking my time. Thanks, Mary T

-- posted by Mary_T

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» Indexlady - Re: three years of study!!

From the correspondence I receive, most new indexers don't feel quite ready to market simply because they've graduated from the course--particularly if they don't have the background otherwise, i.e., publishing or Library Science.

For me, and probably others, it was a case of "the more you know, the more you realize what you don't know." And with the advent of the Internet, there is so much information that is available to learn!

Take your time... the confidence you feel will come across to the publisher. And the more grounded you are, the greater your index problem-solving skills will be.

All the best,
Dawn

-- posted by Indexlady

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» lohqq - editors moving on and the effect on your income.

I have been indexing for 8 years and my clients include most of London's big publishing houses. Lately two of my main editors have left the publishing industry and been replaced by people who have brought their own indexers with them. Due to this i have been left with half the work i used to get. Have you experienced this? How did you deal with it? Also have you noticed a decline in the amount of work available in the last couple of years?

-- posted by lohqq

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