========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1993 12:57:15 ECT Reply-To: Michael Kalen Smith Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Michael Kalen Smith Subject: Re: Inversion of fictional names ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > >I'm looking for an opinion about inverting "Betty Crocker" when this name >appears in a book about advertising. It is clearly used as a fictional >character, so it seems odd to me to invert it to "Crocker, Betty." However, >the author does refer to "Crocker" in the text (not always as "Betty >Crocker")--although if I had been the editor I certainly would have kept all >references to "Betty Crocker" in full. > >Any comments? > >Barbara E. Cohen >(becohen@well.sf.ca.us) I agree: the author SHOULD have kept it as "Betty Crocker" throughout the book. (Would a book about the Paul Bunyan folk stories refer to him as "Bunyan"...?) However, since he didn't, you should consider indexing everything under "Betty Crocker" and including a See Ref under "Crocker, Betty".... Mike ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Michael Kalen Smith / Dallas, TX Internet: mksmith@taproot.win.net / CompuServe: 73177,366 *** It doesn't TAKE all kinds; we just HAVE all kinds *** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1993 12:57:48 ECT Reply-To: Michael Kalen Smith Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Michael Kalen Smith Subject: Re: FrameMaker ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >Karen, I'm looking for an answer to a similar question. Right now >I do my indexing with Cindex (on MS-DOS) and they put the information in >a FrameMaker file (but it can't be used as a generated file). > >I hate the so-called "indexing" capability on FrameMaker. I tried using I've written letters over the years to virtually ever wp software company that claims their program produces an "index," pointing out that what they really produce is a concordance, which is next to useless for indexing a book.... >it for a list of names for a conference program. I'm almost ready to >send the printed document to printing services dept., but I have to >start over with an index of names--ON CINDEX, this time, for the >generated index was too big a disaster--it takes to much effort to enter >things in those little dialog boxes, and who can remember exactly how it >was used the first time? > >So, if anybody out there knows an answer to this question, I'd >appreciate it also. Thanks Maybe this is too obvious,... but I'm a strong fan of WordPerfect (since v.4.1) and I dump the results of Cindex (which I've used since the first month the first release came out) into that for dressing-up. Cindex regretably doesn't do things like underlining commas & colons that follow underlined words; it took them forever to get the separating comma *inside* the quote marks! Using WordPerfect allows me to add headers identifying the name of the book and the name of my company, and so on. Of course, I use WordPerfect for so many other things so much of the time, including self-publishing, that index-prep is no more than 5% of it.... >Paula Presley > >Assoc. Editor, The Thomas Jefferson University Press >Copy Editor, The Sixteenth Century Journal > >Northeast Missouri State University >McClain Hall 111L >Kirksville, MO 63501 >(816) 785-4525 FAX (816) 785-4181 >Bitnet: AD15@NEMOMUS Internet: AD15%NEMOMUS@Academic.NEMOState.EDU ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Michael Kalen Smith / Dallas, TX Internet: mksmith@taproot.win.net / CompuServe: 73177,366 *** It doesn't TAKE all kinds; we just HAVE all kinds *** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 4 Nov 1993 10:44:05 ECT Reply-To: Elaine Brennan Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Elaine Brennan Subject: 7.0281 Meetings: Trent Babson at NEACH; Book Indexing (2/96) Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 7, No. 0281. Tuesday, 2 Nov 1993. Date: Mon, 1 Nov 93 21:00:18 EST From: Joseph Galron Subject: Seminar on Book Indexing: Principles and Techniques St. John's to Offer Workshop on Book Indexing in New York City "Book Indexing: Principles and Techniques" is the theme of a Professional Development Seminar to be taught by Dr. Bella Hass Weinberg, Professor, Division of Library and Information Science, St. John's University, on Friday, April 22, 1994 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Sixty East Club, 60 East 42nd St., New York City (the Lincoln Building opposite Grand Central Station, the 27th floor). The fee for the seminar is $95 including lunch, coffee breaks, and handouts. There will be discounts for pre- registration and students. The seminar will introduce the preparation of "back-of-the-book" indexes, covering concepts of indexable matter, structure of index entries, cross references, filing, format, and indexer-publisher relations. Manual and computer-assisted techniques will be discussed. Continuing Education Units (.6 CEU) will be available to those attending. Authors, publishers, information scientists, librarians, and indexers should benefit from the seminar. The 1992 seminar was rated "excellent" by 72% of those attending, including many experienced indexers. Dr. Weinberg is a Past President of the American Society of Indexers, and former Chair of its Indexer Education Committee. She teaches graduate courses in Information Science and Indexing and Abstracting at St. John's. She has compiled several highly praised book indexes and consults on the design of indexes and thesauri. Dr. Weinberg has published extensively on indexing theory, and edited Indexing: the State of Our Knowledge and the State of Our Ignorance (Learned Information, 1989). For further information, contact: James A. Benson, Director Division of Library and Information Science St. John's University Jamaica NY 11439 Phone: (718) 990-6200; Fax (718) 380-0353 10/20/93 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 4 Nov 1993 10:45:26 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: bob wallace Subject: article on indexing ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I've just read a pretty nice article on indexing in the _Editorial Eye_ by Cathy Dettmar (are you on INDEX-L Cathy?).It contains one of the best treatments I've seen on why you need human indexers: "Most people feel that indexing is a simple computerized process. Fortunately, specialized software exists that *can* be used as a tool, but even indexing software won't prepare a complex subject index any more than WordPerfect will write a master's thesis for you (though both programs will make the job go faster). True, one kind of index can be done with word processing software: a key word index. [description of key word index] ... Such an index, however, is less than useful for a technical manual or textbook. Try to picture the _Encyclopedia Britannica_ with a key work index. ... Preparing a subject index requires careful analysis of the text, complex reasoning, and an ability to see not only the big picture but all the components of, and relationships within, that picture." Tangent: You know when you get one of those books to index that's just plain fun? I'm working on one now that forecasts marketing trends. Here are some of the more oddball entries: aromatherapy, buckyballs, fuzzy searching, holistic law, meditation for divorce, office moms, sex-predetermination of cattle, sludge, telephone sex, witchcraft, and zebra mussels. It also contains entries for the IRS and for pain killers. If this were a humorous book, I could have this entry: IRS, xx. See also pain killers. Cheers, Carol Roberts rw16@cornell.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 Nov 1993 16:20:47 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: "Neva J. Smith (DataSmiths Information Services)" Subject: last chance - SCC/ASI meeting ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear INDEX-Lers, The South Central Chapter of the ASI is meeting in Austin, TX on November 6 (Sat) from 9-2ish. There will be a panel of editors from various sectors including: University Press, Textbook, and 3 from Technical publishers. The topic is 'The Publishing Cycle from the Editor's Point of View.' It's an opportunity to find out about our "customers" and see how we fit into their worklife. As I write, there are still 2 of the catered lunches available. Others may bring a sack/picnic lunch. Registration is $15, and catered lunch is $8. IF you are registered in an ALA accredited MLIS program, the registration will be waived. Please send me a note if you would like to come. Neva J. Smith, Chair, SCC/ASI DataSmiths Information Services, & njsmith@wixer.bga.com Editor, _Library_Currents_ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 Nov 1993 16:21:06 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Richard Vacca Subject: looking for a few freelancers ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hello. I'm posting this on behalf of the American Society for Quality Control in Milwaukee, where I'm starting up an information center. (I'm using my Univ of Wisc mailbox becuase the ASQC doesn't have direct internet access yet.) Part of this startup effort involves writing abstracts for hundreds of articles that have appeared over the years in the society's Annual Quality Conference transactions. We need to do this because the author-supplied abstracts are inconsistent; some are quite good and some say "this paper is about quality in the health care industry." My task is to make this info consistent, and pour the resulting abstracts and keywords into our database. If you know of any freelancers or any indexing services who would want to get involved in this, please have them contact me. Also, if there is anyone who can cross-post this notice over to the WELL, I'd appreciate it. Finally, anyone who has words of wisdom to pass on... I'd like to hear from you. Dick Vacca American Society for Quality Control 611 East Wisconsin Ave Milwaukee WI 53201 414-272-8575 x7406 414-272-2734 (fax) internet: dvacca@macc.wisc.edu America Online: richv001 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 Nov 1993 16:21:33 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: "Barbara E. Cohen" Subject: Indexing symbols ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Just a follow-up: No one mentioned the article by hans Wellisch on representing symbols in indexes in the Oct. 1991 INDEXER. I found it today while looking for something else, and I plan to get a copy to my client. If nothing else, it expresses the idea that we should think about this sort of thing and that someone besides me is (which is always useful when you have a client who wonders why I stay awake nights worrying about such things). (Sorry for the faulty grammar and spelling today--not enough sleep last night due to a rip-snorting good mystery I couldn't tear myself away from). Barbara E. Cohen becohen@well.sf.ca.us ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 Nov 1993 16:21:50 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Eileen Allen Subject: Getting work ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- This was a private transaction that both parties felt could be useful for subscribers to this list without much experience landing indexing jobs. Carol, During my MLS program, I took an indexing class and was able to acquire an indexing job and thesaural work as a result. Since then I have not done much indexing. I would like to start indexing again, but have no clue, other than calling publishers and mentioning to people who I know are writing a book how to acquire indexing work. Got any words of wisdom here? Tricks? Advice? Thanks for your help. Eileen E. Allen SUNY Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome Box 3051, Marcy Campus Utica, N.Y. 13504-3051 (315) 792-7252 eeallen@sunyit.edu Hi, Eileen. I'll help if I can. I am a generalist in indexing, but I also have one area of specialization (philosophy). I'm also new to indexing--I started last spring and have indexed about nine books. Marketing, in my opinion, is critical. I have freelance work lined up through mid December, which also happens to mark the six-month anniversary of going freelance full-time. In all that time, I will have had only a one-week gap in work. Here's how I get work: 1. word of mouth--I tell just about everybody I come into contact with about my business, even people I know aren't writing books, because they tell other people who are. I hand out lots of business cards. I make sure I attend meetings at which I will run into people; I attend Ithaca Press Club functions, book signings, editors' group lunches, Women in Communications meetings (even though I'm not a member), and anything else of that sort that comes up. So far, I've gotten three indexing jobs that way and another that I'll do in the spring. Make sure you tell other, established indexers, too, because some will send work your way when they're very busy (as you will do for them when you're very busy). 2. cold letters--I sent lots of letters to publishers (mostly those that publish scholarly philosophy books) along with a resume. That has produced two indexing jobs, one copyediting job, and other "we-don't-have-anything-now-but" responses. 3. not-so-cold letters--Because I can index philosophy books, I sent letters to any members of my old dept. who I thought I could work well with. That produced one indexing job. I've also sent letters to former grad students and to my husband's friends. That produced one offer I declined, because the index was needed in three days! 4. advertising--Starting in January, I will have an ad in the _Proceedings and Addresses of the American Philosophical Association_. We'll see what, if anything, that brings in. I will also be placing an ad in Ithaca's _Bookpress_, a newspaper for the literary arts, figuring that people who are writing books probably read that. 5. fliers--I made up a flier about my business and had 600 copies offset printed (cost around $26) and stuffed about 400 of them so far into Cornell faculty mailboxes (after getting permission from secretaries). That's produced two inquiries so far. 6. press release--I will be sending a press release to the local paper, so I can be included in the next business quarterly. This approach is not for everyone, obviously. Use any of these techniques that appeal to you, and let me know if you think of any others. If you do have an area of specialization, sometimes there's a professional organization that has a newsletter you can advertise in. By the way, I don't call publishers, because it makes me too nervous. I prefer to just send them a cover letter and resume. This response was in reply to your private request, so I did not post it to the list. I think it could be of interest to other newcomers or wannabes. So if you don't mind posting your original request, feel free to post my reply. Do let me know how you make out! Cheers, Carol Roberts rw16@cornell.edu =========================================================================