Exiting 2020: Now is the Winter for Indexing Content

This special event will be held virtually via Zoom.

Exiting 2020: Now is the Winter for Indexing Content

Saturday, December 5, 2020

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Pacific Time: 9 AM to 1:30 PM | Mountain Time: 10 AM to 2:30 PM
Central Time: 11 AM to 3:30 PM | Eastern Time: 12 PM to 4:30 PM

The American Society for Indexing is excited to bring together four top speakers who will share indexing content you need for your business. During this unexpected time, honing your career is smart practice. Conveniently, you will join this virtual event from the comfort of your home or office computer via Zoom. Take this opportunity to enhance your skills and stay competitive in 2021.

How to Approach the Text . . . Well, It Depends

9:00 AM, Pacific / 12:00 PM, Eastern

How we approach a text depends upon the type of text we are working on and its potential users. We certainly approach scholarly texts differently from cookbooks and books for a general readership differently from those aimed at students. Our knowledge base is an important asset in our profession, but do we have to know much about a particular subject to index a book in that discipline? Well, (as one of the masters in our field is wont to say) it depends. We will look at these issues as we discuss approaching the text.

Ina Gravitz began indexing in part-time in 1996. In 1999 she retired as a public librarian and became a full-time indexer.

Over the years she has indexed books for children, for teens, for general readers, and for scholars. She has indexed textbooks, cookbooks, science books, gardening and DIY books, in short, most kinds of books. Archaeology, gender studies, and history are her favorite subjects.

Ina was active in the New York chapter of ASI, serving as treasurer and in the Twin Cities (now the Upper Midwest) chapter where she was secretary and treasurer. She was a member of the ASI Board of Directors, serving on numerous committees and as SIG liaison. She was chair of the ASI Award for Excellence in Indexing (then the Wilson Award) twice. Ina was ASI president from 2013-2014. She received the Hines Award in 2016.

Beyond the Showfront: How to Build a Great Website for Your Freelancing Business

10:00 AM, Pacific / 1:00 PM, Eastern

It’s easy to get a website built. Where many freelancers struggle is coming up with the content to go on the site. In this presentation, you’ll learn how to organize and write your web pages so that your audience can see clearly and convincingly what sets you apart from the rest…and why you’re the one they need.

Whether you’re just starting out, or you’ve been thinking about updating your site, you’ll come away with a website strategy and a bundle of tips that will get you on the path to building a professional and credible showfront for your business.

JoAnne Burek divides her time between freelance indexing and website copywriting. Her blog on Wordbeats.com offers tips to freelancers to help them market themselves.

Break and Networking

11:00 AM, Pacific / 2:00 PM, Eastern

Textbook Indexing: What It Is and What It Isn’t

11:30 AM, Pacific / 2:30 PM, Eastern

Have you ever wondered what textbook indexing is? How is it different than trade/scholarly indexing? How is it similar? This presentation will answer those questions and more about what sets textbook indexing apart from “regular” indexing and what skills are most valuable for textbook indexing. (Hint: It’s not that much different, so don’t be afraid of the term “textbook.”)

Before becoming a full-time freelancer in 2016, Cheryl Lenser was an in-house indexer for 21 years at Pearson Education (formerly Macmillan Computer Publishing). She, along with other in-house and freelance indexers, was responsible for indexing books for Que, Sams, New Riders, Addison-Wesley, Prentice Hall, Cisco Press, and FT Press, among other imprints. As a freelancer, Cheryl has continued to work with Pearson imprints as well as other textbook publishers, scholarly presses, and trade publishers. She lives in Greenfield, Indiana, with her husband, two teenage daughters, two dogs, two parakeets, two turtles, and numerous wild birds at the feeders just outside the window.

Further Thoughts About Speed in Indexing

12:30 AM, Pacific / 3:30 PM, Eastern

In 2004, I developed a workshop on Nascar Indexing: Creating and Maintaining Speed, which I taught at a number of indexing events in the US, Canada, and Great Britain. Since then I've refined, modified, and clarified some of my thinking on the subject. Balancing speed and accuracy remains a major challenge in indexing, and I'm looking forward to engaging with indexers on this topic again.

Kate Mertes is sole proprietor of Mertes Editorial Services, providing indexing, information retrieval, and editorial expertise for complex, challenging projects in law and the humanities. A medieval historian by training, Kate moved into indexing, joined ASI in 1990, and started her own business in 1998. She has served on the ASI board and committees and has been president of ASI for two terms. She is a winner of the Hines Award and has won the ASI Award for Excellence in Indexing twice. Kate is also a founding member of the Institute of Certified Indexers.

Sessions will be 50 minutes followed by a 10 minute break. Your registration includes all four presentations. Program is subject to change without notice. Please register no later than 5 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, December 3.

Please note: This virtual event will be presented live and will not be recorded in order to more closely simulate an in-person experience. Just as with an in-person event, attendees will be able to ask questions by (electronically) raising their hands. Be aware that the quality of the live presentation may be lower for viewers with slower internet connections.

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ASI members, please log in to the website for member pricing.