Ask the Indexers: making connections and staying visible

Photograph of library shelves full of books with ceiling lights to illuminate them

In our latest Ask the Indexers blog post, we find out what our panel does to network, make connections and maintain visibility.

Christine Boylan, Advanced Professional Member

Luckily I have built up a good client list over the years so get enough work without much effort. I have found authors recommend me to colleagues and being on the SI Directory brings in some work. I find nowadays there can be quite a turnover of staff at some publishers and their packagers, consequently I treat each person as if they are a new client going the extra mile if necessary. This seems to pay off in the long-run with repeat work. I find the SI Zoom meetings a great way of meeting other indexers while learning about areas that are not my subjects of specialist knowledge.

Geraldine Begley, Advanced Professional Indexer

I have entries in the Society of Indexers and the AFEPI (Association of Freelance Editors, Proofreaders & Indexers of Ireland) directories.

As I live in a remote area, I cannot attend in-person conferences and gatherings much. I sometimes attend zoom conferences or webinars.

I belong to a local network of women in business and I occasionally go to events. I got a connection for a publisher through chatting with a speaker there who was promoting her book. I didn’t work on her book but she passed on my details to her editor and I got added to the publisher’s freelance pool.

Helen Taylor, Advanced Professional Member

I make sure that my profile on the SI website is up to date. Most of my clients find me through the ‘indexers available’ listings. I have also had quite a few enquiries come through from referrals where I have been recommended to them by other people that I have done indexes for.

I’m also a member of my local indexing group which is an excellent way to meet other indexers face to face. I feel I can always turn to them if I have any indexing problems, members often chat about indexing issues when we meet up. The group arranges interesting visits with coffee and lunch stops so we always have a lovely day out. It’s good to get out of the office and network with other indexers and I have also had some work passed on to me from other group members.

Joanna Penning, Advanced Professional Member

I try to attend indexing-related zoom calls from time to time. Sometimes I post my work issues on the Society of Indexers’ forum, and this can be helpful and even spark off some interesting discussion. I try to keep my website up-to-date and that sometimes involves liaising with others – an indexing colleague helped me set it up (and I shall always feel indebted to her for her considerateness and incredibly decent rates of pay), but, nowadays, I (gently) coerce my romantic partner into offering his superior skills in this field. Or have a go myself at a ‘quick edit’, with a large frothy coffee to hand.

Kate McIntosh, Advanced Professional Member

I do now have a LinkedIn account but don’t really keep it updated or use it. I now attend conferences and online meetings for contact with the indexing community. I get all my work through my regular publishing contacts and through my SI directory profile.

In my experience the SI directory is probably the most helpful as a personal marketing tool; certainly in my fields of law, social policy, history….

Linda Haylock, Advanced Professional Member

Hmm, I’m not really a networking kind of person. I have joined networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, IDG group, Sky Google Group but rarely contribute or post apart from the odd ‘like’.

However, I do participate in as many indexing Zoom meetings as I can, and have attended online workshops.

I used to attend the Anglian group face-to-face meetings when I lived in the area. Since moving back ‘up north’ I used to attend the North West group meetings, until the group fell by the wayside. It is now hopefully being resurrected so hopefully I will be able to attend some of the meetings.

I do attend conferences when able, both online or face-to-face.

Rob Gibson, Advanced Professional Indexer

For me the SI directory is crucial and I keep it updated regularly. I am also a member of

the American Society for Indexing’s special interest group for law, and thus have a small

directory entry there as well.

Samantha Clark, Advanced Professional Member

I have an entry on the SI directory and try to update that (although I’m not great at remembering to do that). Whenever anybody asks me what I do as a job we usually end up having a long conversation about it, which raises the profile (even having my eyes tested turned into being half about my eyes and half about indexing!). I am a member of SI and use the forums, try to attend zoom coffee mornings, conferences, etc., which is useful for updating knowledge, socially and can also lead to work when other Indexers recommend me to authors and publishers.

Susan Vaughan, Advanced Professional Member

For many years I have had as much work as I want and can cope with, so do very little to maintain visibility. In earlier years in lean periods I would contact editors I knew asking if they had anything in the pipeline – this sometimes worked.

I am a member of the Three Choirs local group but as I am the very extremity of their geographical range I don’t make it to many meetings.

Valeria Padalino, Advanced Professional Indexer

To maintain my professional visibility, I keep my profile on the Indexers’ Directory up to date, as it is often where publishers and authors begin their search for an indexer. I have received a few projects through people who found me there, which has reinforced the importance of keeping that information current. I also maintain a LinkedIn profile, although I must admit that I do not make full use of social media for self-promotion. My focus tends to be on the work itself and on maintaining good relationships with existing clients rather than on marketing. Because I work part-time as a librarian, I have the freedom not to be overly focused on promoting my indexing services or approaching new clients directly. I tend to work on an occasional basis and often receive repeat projects from clients who have been happy with my previous indexes.

What I value most, however, is the sense of connection within the indexing community. Attending conferences and online events has given me opportunities to learn from others, share experiences, and stay informed about developments in the profession. I have recently become the coordinator of the London group, and I am looking forward to organising future meetings and helping to create opportunities for local indexers to meet and exchange ideas

This post is part of our Ask the Indexers series. The previous post asked what was the one thing everyone should understand about indexing

To explore more of our posts on indexing topics please use the tag cloud below.