Questions I'll Ask

When you contact me asking me for a project quote, I will ask you about the following:

• Type of book (scholarly, technical, trade)?
• Audience expertise on the subject (expert, average, basic)?
• Length of work (number of pages)?
• When will I receive the page proofs?
• When shall I return the index to you?
• If I find errors in the text, shall I notify you immediately or wait until indexing is complete?

I will also ask questions about your preferred styles for the index. Many publishers prefer to send me an index style guide or a copy of an index that they like. If you don't have preferences, I will make decisions about the style of your index based on what is appropriate to the text. If you're unsure about what style issues there are for indexes, take a look at my Choosing Index Styles page.

Time and Fee Estimates

After our discussion of the project, I will give you a rate quote and time estimate. Fees vary for every project. Why? Because books vary greatly in depth and complexity. Issues that affect fees are subject matter, quality of writing and editing, my level of subject expertise, audience level of expertise, and schedule. A 200 page book about Microsoft Exchange Server written for network administrators is going to cost more to index than a 200 page book about the history of tattoos written for the average Joe. The technical book will take more time, more energy, and more expertise than the book on tattoos. My fees often vary for different projects for the same client: a technical manual for programmers is quite different than a users manual for novice users. Generally speaking, when I charge per indexable page, my fees range between $4 and $6 per page.

Time estimates vary, too, for many of the same reasons. Generally speaking, I need approximately one week (5 business days) for every 200 pages of text.

Because my schedule is often full several months in advance, it's best to contact me as soon as you realize you need an indexer.

Contractual Information

Once the terms of the project are agreed upon, I will send you a contract which you need to sign and return to me.

Request a Quote

Fill out my Quote Request web form if you have a project you'd like me to index.

Contact Kari

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