Interview with Ken Hassman, Professional Indexer
Ken Hassman is a good friend of mine; he owns his own book indexing company, Hassman Book Indexing Service. I decided to ask him for an interview. Book indexing is an art form-- not everyone can do it.
Ken has created indexes for some of the biggest names in publishing, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, McGraw Hill, and many others.
1. How did you get into this business, and how long have you been indexing books?
My indexing career began with a chance meeting at the wedding of a friend's daughter where I ran into old friends I had not seen in years. In catching up I discovered they had a really successful indexing business.
When they told me this I said the very same thing that people say to me: "Indexing, what's that?" They gave me the same answer I have given many times since: "Indexes, you know-those things at the back of books."
They asked me if I would like to learn the art/skill of indexing and they mentored me with paying jobs for the next two years during my last two years of teaching school. Good friends that they are, after two+ years they offered to help me get my own indexing business started and introduced to me a couple of their clients.
2. When did you decide to strike out on your own?
In March, 2005, I had to let the school board in the district where I was teaching if I was going to be back the next year and I decided I had served out my usefulness and with the blessings of my friends and indexing mentors I handed in my resignation effective in June, 2005.
3. Which publishing companies have you done indexing work for?
Two of my main publishing clients for about 4 years now have been Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press. I have a great relationship with a variety of production editors at both publishers and they both send me indexing work directly and/or have authors get in touch with me.
In addition I have indexed a lot of books Cengage Learning, ABC-CLIO (formerly Greenwood Publishing Group), Springer, Wiley Blackwell, World Net Daily Books, New Press, Johns Hopkins University Press, WestEd and International Society for Technology in Education.
4. How important is an index to the success of a book?
Based on comments I have received indexes are considered quite important. Many book distributors will no longer consider selling non-fiction books if they do not have an index.
5. What do you feel are the biggest obstacles in your industry today?
Much of what takes place in the publishing world is being outsourced to India and for freelancers like myself this has caused a huge shift in the amount of work we get. Some of the publishers I have worked for have expressed their sadness about this in that they feel bad for the U.S. based freelancers they have worked with for years and hope that eventually the work finds its way back to the U.S.
6. Do you charge on an hourly basis, or by the job?
Most indexes are based on a per-page rate. I may get a book and be asked to create a medium density index meaning 3-4 index entries per page and be paid at a rate of $3 per page. I may be asked for a light density index of 1-2 index entries per page and be paid at the rate of $2-2.50 per page and I may be asked to index a single-subject encyclopedia which requires about 15 index entries per page and be paid at the rate of $7 per indexable page. You can see there is a wide range.
7. Do you have any advice for authors who are considering an index?
Indexing is a tedious, labor-intensive process. It's much more than simply creating a "main word" concordance with a long list of nondifferentiated locators (page numbers only with no subentries that do not help a reader locate specific information). Authors will know their material much better than an indexer would but indexers have the skill set that enables them go through the material and create relationships that make sense to an end user.
More publishers are requiring authors to create their own indexes these days. I've noticed that since this policy has come into existence the past six moths I am getting a lot more direct calls from authors asking for help.
If you are in need of an index, please call or e-mail Ken; he's always happy to answer. (ken AT hassmanindexing DOT com) or call Hassman Indexing (916-716-4848).
Ken enjoy talking to authors-- that's how I got to know him! I've learned a lot about indexing and how important it is to making a book successful.
GO Back to HomePAGE.
Ken has created indexes for some of the biggest names in publishing, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, McGraw Hill, and many others.
1. How did you get into this business, and how long have you been indexing books?
My indexing career began with a chance meeting at the wedding of a friend's daughter where I ran into old friends I had not seen in years. In catching up I discovered they had a really successful indexing business.
When they told me this I said the very same thing that people say to me: "Indexing, what's that?" They gave me the same answer I have given many times since: "Indexes, you know-those things at the back of books."
They asked me if I would like to learn the art/skill of indexing and they mentored me with paying jobs for the next two years during my last two years of teaching school. Good friends that they are, after two+ years they offered to help me get my own indexing business started and introduced to me a couple of their clients.
2. When did you decide to strike out on your own?
In March, 2005, I had to let the school board in the district where I was teaching if I was going to be back the next year and I decided I had served out my usefulness and with the blessings of my friends and indexing mentors I handed in my resignation effective in June, 2005.
3. Which publishing companies have you done indexing work for?
Two of my main publishing clients for about 4 years now have been Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press. I have a great relationship with a variety of production editors at both publishers and they both send me indexing work directly and/or have authors get in touch with me.
In addition I have indexed a lot of books Cengage Learning, ABC-CLIO (formerly Greenwood Publishing Group), Springer, Wiley Blackwell, World Net Daily Books, New Press, Johns Hopkins University Press, WestEd and International Society for Technology in Education.
4. How important is an index to the success of a book?
Based on comments I have received indexes are considered quite important. Many book distributors will no longer consider selling non-fiction books if they do not have an index.
5. What do you feel are the biggest obstacles in your industry today?
Much of what takes place in the publishing world is being outsourced to India and for freelancers like myself this has caused a huge shift in the amount of work we get. Some of the publishers I have worked for have expressed their sadness about this in that they feel bad for the U.S. based freelancers they have worked with for years and hope that eventually the work finds its way back to the U.S.
6. Do you charge on an hourly basis, or by the job?
Most indexes are based on a per-page rate. I may get a book and be asked to create a medium density index meaning 3-4 index entries per page and be paid at a rate of $3 per page. I may be asked for a light density index of 1-2 index entries per page and be paid at the rate of $2-2.50 per page and I may be asked to index a single-subject encyclopedia which requires about 15 index entries per page and be paid at the rate of $7 per indexable page. You can see there is a wide range.
7. Do you have any advice for authors who are considering an index?
Indexing is a tedious, labor-intensive process. It's much more than simply creating a "main word" concordance with a long list of nondifferentiated locators (page numbers only with no subentries that do not help a reader locate specific information). Authors will know their material much better than an indexer would but indexers have the skill set that enables them go through the material and create relationships that make sense to an end user.
More publishers are requiring authors to create their own indexes these days. I've noticed that since this policy has come into existence the past six moths I am getting a lot more direct calls from authors asking for help.
If you are in need of an index, please call or e-mail Ken; he's always happy to answer. (ken AT hassmanindexing DOT com) or call Hassman Indexing (916-716-4848).
Ken enjoy talking to authors-- that's how I got to know him! I've learned a lot about indexing and how important it is to making a book successful.
GO Back to HomePAGE.
