What can you gain from joining the Society of Indexers? How do we support our members to develop their indexing skills and businesses? In this post, indexer Susan Penny explores the advantages being a member of the Society can provide.
Indexers are life’s swans. We create indexes that sail gracefully into the book world, allowing our clients to locate information without thinking about the skilful feet paddling away beneath the surface. So how does an indexer learn to run a freelance business, and maintain and develop the necessary skills to create a swan-like index? The best way is through membership of the Society of Indexers. Many people become indexers by taking the SI’s Training Course: it’s the gold standard in the field, and the basis for other courses internationally. Once you’ve completed the course and passed the rigorous assessments, the SI is there to support newly qualified indexers with a number of benefits.
Starting your business
Setting up as a freelancer is daunting, and if you are new to the publishing industry, as I was, it can seem doubly so. As well as a comprehensive and thorough range of New Professionals leaflets, SI members actively support new indexers through our New Professionals forum. With a supportive, experienced group at your back, ready to answer your questions, you will be able to rapidly build confidence as you start work as a professional indexer.
All members with a recognised qualification are entitled to an entry in the SI’s Directory. It’s an effective way of marketing yourself and is free. It’ the way I received my first commissions, and is still a major source of work for me, even now that I have set up my own website.
Developing skills
As a newly qualified indexer, I expected that I would reach a stage where I could say “I know how to do this. “ But the more I index, the more I realise that each project poses new questions: from the correct filing order of names in an unfamiliar language; philosophical discussion of the management of metatopics; the practicalities of getting the best from specialist indexing software; to whether indexers need Public Liability Insurance. Conferences, workshops, Zoom discussion groups and online forumsprovide the answers you need, and allow you to develop your skills. SI membership also gives you access to the information treasure trove that is the back catalogue of The Indexer. This is my regular starting point when embarking on an unfamiliar subject area or type of index, and if I don’t find the answer there, I can go online for help. Zoom discussions are always rewarding. Not only do you get to put a face to professional colleagues, but you will always come away with at least one practical gem of information. Sometimes it’s the answer to a question that’s been gnawing away at the back of your mind, and sometimes it’s something you didn’t even know you needed to learn about.
Beating imposter syndrome
Newly qualified indexers are particularly susceptible to imposter syndrome, perhaps exacerbated by self employment, lone working, and the professional isolation this can bring. SI membership offers an instant link to a group of people from the same small corner of the publishing world. It’s good to find your tribe: where else will you meet people who care about BS ISO 999 and will offer ready sympathy for indexing woes? Peer support is good for your mental health, but it also allows you to benchmark your work. In my experience, just listening to or reading discussion of a subject allows you to realise how much you actually know, which is an instant morale-booster.
Professional unity
SI members offer exceptional peer support. I’ve never had a question or an urgent call for help go unanswered. But beyond the professional advice and support, its worth considering not just what SI membership can do for you, but what you can do for the SI. It is worth making the effort to become actively involved in your professional organisation. You’ll learn, network, find new work opportunities and boost your self-confidence.
And finally, what we can do for each other? We are members of a niche profession, and that might mean that we can be forgotten and ignored. If you don’t know what other rates other people are charging, it’s hard to argue with low rates of pay. The SI’s recommended fees are updated annually. Along with your SI postnominals, they can offer a starting point in fee negotiation. SI provides guidance and regularly hosts workshops and events for publishers to promote understanding of the indexing process – something that a lone indexer would be unlikely to achieve. By presenting a united professional front we become more visible.
As freelancers, we are acutely conscious of our cash flow, and an annual subscription can seem like an unnecessary expense. But spread out over a year, at less than £4 a week, that Society of Indexers subscription represents excellent value.
Sue Penny qualified as an indexer in 2021, and is now an Advanced Professional Member of the SI, indexing books in the arts, humanities and social sciences. She has a background in librarianship, education and bookselling.
Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash
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