Computers are a valuable tool in making the indexing process more efficient and enabling us to integrate the index more effectively with production, but ultimately only an intelligent, alert human mind can produce a good index. And even when the terms to be indexed actually appear consistently and unambiguously, it is rare for them to be sufficiently coded to be extracted efficiently. Highly structured reference works can be an exception, but even then, the resulting indexes rarely meet the expectations or needs of the reader. For most projects, indexes need to be done either by a professional indexer or by the author. Although authors know their material intimately, they often know little about indexing.
Impressions can provide guidelines to help publishers get better indexes from their authors.
And better yet, we can provide expert, professional indexing integrated with editing and production. When an author submits an index, it is copyedited by an experienced indexer or copyeditor to ensure that the style is consistent and conforms to the body of the book and the publisher's stated preferences. We work together with the author to produce clear, usable, and reader-friendly indexes. Professionally Compiled Indexes or authors who are unable or prefer not to prepare their own index, one of Impressions' professional freelance indexers compiles the index. Our indexers are experienced and comfortable with numerous fields and subject matters, including humanities, mathematics, and technical and scientific copy.