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INDEXING IN THE HEARTLAND The Newsletter of the Heartland Chapter of the American
Society of Indexers
Distributed to Heartland Chapter members, ASI officers, ASI SIG contacts, and ASI chapter contacts. The Heartland newsletter is now being distributed in electronic format. Verbatim printed copies are available for those who do not receive email. ========= IN THIS ISSUE: CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS Washington, D.C., Chapter
Come see how database indexing and the Web work neatly together. Ann Rimkus and Michael Melinchok from AARP's Research Information Center will demo two free Internet resources produced by AARP that provide a wealth of information on the 50+ population. The first, AgeLine, is the world's premiere gerontology database, containing over 70,000 bibliographic citations of books, articles, government reports, think- tank papers, videos, and dissertations. Each citation includes a detailed abstract and is indexed using the Thesaurus of Aging Terminology, 7th edition (2002). The second, Internet Resources on Aging (IRoA), is a searchable and browseable collection of 900 of the best web sites for midlife and older adults (and individuals working with this population), categorized into topics and subtopics. IRoA is a vetted Yahoo!-style directory with detailed descriptions of each site that are also indexed using the Thesaurus of Aging Terminology and include a direct link to each site. This will be a brown-bag session -- please bring lunch and a beverage. Dessert will be provided. Registration is required. Please RVSP by January 4. Free for DC/ASI members and $10 for nonmembers (please make check payable to DC/ASI). Contact Sue Nedrow for directions. Send name, contact information, and fee to: Sue Nedrow
American Society of Indexers 37th Annual Conference
========= LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT John Bealle During the business meeting at the fall meeting in Richmond, I initiated a discussion of the state of the chapter. The past two or three years have brought many changes, and I wanted to establish a broad understanding of recent history so that we can face the upcoming challenges together. I would like to report here on the gist of that discussion. The meeting itself was an apt indication of what Heartland has come to be recently. There were seven of us--three from Indiana, three from Ohio, and one from Chicago. The MCL cafeteria meeting facility was convenient, obliging, and well-suited for our activities. We learned that our Ohio members are an important chapter contingent and need to be accommodated. We will probably have future meetings in that area unless there is evidence of a member contingent elsewhere that is eager to participate. The sample index exercise we conducted was surprisingly rewarding. Marilyn and I proposed this in the spirit of the peer review initiative that Larry Sweazy undertook last year. But Heartland hadn't used a common text (as opposed to samples of our own indexes) in quite some time, so we decided it was time to do this again. We chose a short article, and each of us indexed the article and brought our work to share. The result, beyond the most obvious entries, was that we each approached the article very differently. This brought to mind that indexing skills are not exactly acquired in linear fashion, but ebb and flow. We indexers are an independent sort, by conviction, by choice, by the dictates of our personalities. Our habits need to be challenged by critique. We cannot work entirely in isolation. We need one another. We need one another now more than ever. A few years ago, we had an exodus of prominent chapter members to other areas of the country or to retirement. The list of names of those we lost is breathtaking, including Alexandra Nickerson, Pat Rimmer, Lilian Mesner, Becky Hornyak, and George and Mary Neuman. They were intelligent and outspoken, and infused every meeting with brilliance and energy. To their coattails many of us had hoped to cling. The soul of Heartland seemed to have departed with them. Messages appeared on the chapter email list suggesting that the chapter disband and merge with Chicago. These events loomed as we gathered for the summer picnic two years ago. A few of us raised the subject of the future of the chapter. We could attend the Chicago meetings, which are always provocative, informative, and well-organized —- so was there any need for Heartland? Some thought yes, there was, especially for the support and peer network we enjoyed. So, on the spot, Larry Sweazy and I agreed to serve, if elected, as president and vice president. Larry's year as President was a whirlwind of energy, punctuated by the return of peer review to the forefront of our chapter. So where do we stand now? Heartland membership stands at 39, and this official membership is overlaid by a larger population of Heartland area indexers and other interested affiliates who receive our news on the yahoogroups email list. Subscription to the yahoogroups list is open to anyone with a genuine interest in our chapter, and it now stands at 64. Participation in these two entities has declined slightly in recent years (55 members in 2000), but still would indicate a lively, healthy chapter. Other aspects of chapter vitality are less encouraging. Chapter meetings, once bustling with energy, are not always well attended. Last summer we had to cancel the summer picnic because no one signed up to attend! We need to hear from you what would make our meetings worthwhile. Equally importantly, the work of the chapter is falling to fewer and fewer hands. The chapter website is not being maintained, and has out- of-date information. Cathy Seckman is doing two jobs, both the newsletter and the treasurer position. The nominating committee, which will solicit candidates for elections next spring, needs one more non- officer to abide by ASI guidelines. In that election, we will need a candidate to run for vice president and succeed Marilyn the following year as president. This picture looks gloomy, but it is not. At Richmond, there was not a sliver of doubt in our necessity, our purpose. Still, the message is clear: we need your help! The work of our chapter is neither onerous nor difficult if borne by many hands. There is surely a task to suit your needs, so please, think "yes." Let us know what you can do for the chapter, and what you would like the chapter to do for you. John Bealle ========= MEMBER NEWS As Larry says, this is shameless self-promotion, but let me tell you about a few things Heartlanders have been doing besides indexing. Larry Sweazy has just published his eighth short story, “The Promotion,” in an anthology, “Texas Rangers,” which came out in September from the Berkeley Publishing Group. He’s also in the final re- write stage of a mystery novel that he plans to begin marketing in 2005. And though Cathy Seckman has never published a piece of fiction (not for lack of trying), she’s written a lot of non-fiction. Just this month, her 114th magazine article was published. If any of you happen to be bikers, it was “Dispatch from the Demo Line” in the December issue of American Motorcyclist. She also wrote some entries for the International Directory of Business Biographies; did her first bit of professional copyediting; and managed a few newspaper travel articles. If any of you are writing fiction or non-fiction in addition to indexing, let us hear about it. ========== MARKETING PANEL DISCUSSION, FALL MEETING – Marilyn Augst The following information was presented by Marilyn Augst and John Bealle, with additional comments from Sharon Shock, at the fall meeting of Heartland ASI Chapter on November 6, 2004. RESOURCES ON HOW TO MARKET YOURSELF ASI meetings - Heartland, Chicago, National - often have marketing workshops and always have friendly indexers who can give advice and support. It's worth a day of travel to go to a meeting. KeyWords has many articles on marketing. Look up article titles in the yearly index or on the ASI website - members area. Books from ASI on marketing and other topics are available for purchase from Information Today, Inc. They have a catalog that describes the books. www.infotoday.com or 1-800-300-9868. HOW TO FIND THE PEOPLE TO HIRE YOU Go to a bookstore to the section you love. Find publishers' names in books. Later look for the publishers online or in the books listed next to get phone numbers. Go to your library and look in Writer's Market, Literary Market Place, and other books to find managing editors and production managers of companies you want to work for. Search on Google or other Internet search engines for "editorial services", "publishing services", or "production editorial services books.” Do not rely on other indexers for work. You might be lucky to be referred for a job, or even to find a mentor, but remember that other indexers are your competitors, and many do not give the names of their clients. HOW TO CONTACT EDITORS OR PRODUCTION MANAGERS Call, send, call. Or in this Internet age: email, send, email. Contact an editor first (CALL or EMAIL) to ask if they hire freelances, if you can be added to their freelancer list, and what information do they want from you. Then SEND the information they want (resume, sample index, references, whatever). Then wait a week or two, and CALL or EMAIL again to ask if they received your information, will they add your name to their list, and do they have any work for you. When you call an editor, be professional, pleasant, upbeat, and sure of yourself. Remember that your service is valuable to the editor. Sell to the editor's needs, not to yours. Do not waste an editor's time with frivolous conversation. When you call a publisher, do not waste your time with the acquisition editor. Ask to speak to the manager of the production department. Find out exactly who is responsible for hiring freelancers. When calling a big publishing house, ask the receptionist, "Does your company USE freelancers?" Don't ask, "Does your company HIRE freelancers?" because you'll get dead-ended in Human Resources. If they do use freelancers, ask to speak to the manager in charge of Editorial Services or the manager of the Production Department. Once connected, be prepared to sell yourself and let him/her know why you would be a valuable asset to the freelance pool. Be sure to get their personal e- mail address and follow up every few weeks to let them know you're still interested. Important point: Call or email your target editor often. (But not so often that you become a pest.) Often, an editor will hire the person whose name they saw most recently. You want to be that indexer! ANNOUNCE YOUR NEW CAREER BY NETWORKING AND ADVERTISING YOURSELF Join other groups, such as Editorial Freelancers Association, Society for Technical Communication, etc. Join a local group of freelancers, editors, writers. They'll tell you who they work for and they won't compete for indexing jobs! Talk to librarians, university professors, business people, etc. Tell all your friends, neighbors, and relatives about your new business. Advertise in ASI Locator Listing. If you get at least one indexing job from the Locator, it's worth it. Note: The above items work for some indexers but not for others. You'll need to try each one to see if it works for you. YOUR RESUME NEEDS TO SHOW YOUR WORK Volunteer to do a free index for local museums, clubs, small businesses, etc. Do a few practice indexes so that you have samples to show. Accept lower pay for first jobs, just so you can get some titles on your resume. Start around $2.50/page. After you work for a publisher for a year, you can tell them you need to raise your rate. Branch out from back-of-the-book. Try catalogs, field guides, self- published books, continuing education materials, extension materials. MARKETING AIDS Give yourself a good name. (Example: "Augst Indexing" was unpronounceable and forgettable. "Prairie Moon Indexing" is at least mildly interesting.) Design and produce a brochure for yourself. Include such things as contact information, services, specialities, professional affiliations, education, work experience, books indexed. Write a one- or two-page resume. Include the same information as above. Create a website on the Internet. Find a friend to design a simple one. Don't spend too much money on this. Print business cards. Include your company name, your name, phone, address, email address, website address, "Member, American Society of Indexers." Write template emails (see samples). Prepare a sample index to have ready to send. GETTING THE SECOND AND THIRD JOBS AND BUILDING GOOD CLIENT RAPPORT Do a good job so that you keep an editor as a client. Follow their specific instructions and specifications on writing the index and on submitting the index. Deliver a good index - correct page numbers, well- constructed, and no typos. Finish the index on time, or a couple of days early if time permits. Offer to fix any mistakes they find. Be professional. Don't squabble over a few dollars. Be willing to do something extra for them (without charge), such as printing their files on your paper (paper is cheap), or repaging the index after their publisher tells them to change a chapter, or sending them a list of mistakes you've found in the text. Send your invoice after they are satisfied with your work. Wait a day or two to hear from them to find out if your index is acceptable. Your final email on a project should say, "I enjoyed working with you (or your team). I hope to hear from you again soon." Send an email after a few weeks, saying "Do you have any more work for me?" Keep their indexing specifications, so that you don't have to ask for them on the next book. Send a follow up letter (hand written) or greeting card via postal mail to let them know you enjoyed working with them and look forward to hearing from them again. Also, add them to your Christmas card list or send them a goody basket (candies, cheeses, coffees) as an appreciation for opening their doors to you. SAMPLES OF EMAIL MARKETING Sample of email for first contact: Subject: Indexer available Dear ___ Do you use freelance indexers? If so, I would like to be added to your list of freelancers. I obtained your name from your website/book/wherever. I write back-of- the-book indexes, specializing in science, math, engineering, and technology. Please let me know if I can send you my resume or other information. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you, Marilyn Augst
Sample of email to send a few weeks after first contact: Subject: Any indexing work? Dear __, Have you had any indexing work come up since we last communicated? I'd love to do some freelance work for your company. Marilyn Augst
SUMMARY What this all boils down to is that marketing takes time and work! Set aside time to do your marketing, don't be shy or afraid, make a list of what to do, and DO IT! Good Luck! To longtime indexers: Do you have some advice to add? Let me know, and we'll include it in the next newsletter! ========= MEET A FELLOW HEARTLANDER By Joy Dean Lee
All my life I’d dreamed of having an RV and traveling around the country. The path to that dream was a long one and the end result was a variation of that dream. My education includes receiving a B.S. degree (language arts, speech and drama, library science, and journalism) and an M.A. degree (journalism and library science) from Ball State University. My 32 years of work experience includes mostly teaching (24 years) English in every grade six through twelve and serving as a publications adviser, newspaper, yearbook, and photojournalism for 21 of those years. In 1982 when I accepted a position as a journalism teacher/adviser in a large high school in an affluent suburban area of Houston, Texas, I made a decision as I filled out the purchase orders to equip a newspaper/yearbook lab and a photo lab, a decision which has greatly influenced the almost 25 years that followed. I knew nothing about computers, but I knew that journalism and computers had to go hand-in-hand. And indeed they did. The order for several computers and printers was approved. I taught myself a word processing program which was not user-friendly; this was on the Apple IIe machine prior to even AppleWorks. Then I taught my students word processing using very large poster board to list all the commands necessary. If you didn’t save, there was no friendly dialog box to come up to ask if you were sure that you wanted to quit without saving the document. Students will be, well, students so many an article was lost. However, we were soon going to state and national conferences where I’d have opportunities to speak on using journalism in the production of high school publications. My students would ask, “Ms. Lee, how do schools that don’t have computers produce their publications?” The poor deprived dears! Thus a love of and devotion to computer technology was born. Little did I know then that computers and technology growth would enable me eventually to have a lifestyle I’d always dreamed of. After I quit teaching in 1989, I was employed by a educational computer software company and traveled extensively in the U.S. conducting training sessions and workshops. In 1992 I returned to Indiana to be closer to my family. Job hunting became a challenge; I was over-fifty and over-qualified! Eventually I was employed by Macmillan Computer Publishing (now Pearson Technology Group) as an in-house indexer. We did embedded indexing in PageMaker. Later I was trained as a layout technician and learned another aspect of the publishing business. Macmillan was always using cutting-edge technology and I tried to learn everything that I could. Finally in 1997 I decided to move to Orlando, Florida, to be nearer one of my daughters. Finances at that time did not allow me to purchase an RV. I had a lifetime of knowledge and the technology skills to allow me to start freelancing. Although I’ve done writing, proofreading, copy editing, page composition, and indexing as a freelancer, my skill I prefer to use is the indexing. Back to OnTheRoad Indexing. In 1998 I made plans to purchase an RV and become mobile in the fall of 1999. Circumstances dictated another path. I was leasing a condo in Orlando through a property-management company. Unknown to either the management company or me, I was paying my monthly payment, they were paying the owners who were living in California, but the owners were divorcing and they were not making their mortgage payments. One day a deputy from the Orlando Police Department appeared at my door with a notice to vacate for the property was being repossessed by a bank. I had to find housing quickly and was fortunate to have a family member who knew someone who had a small Class C (an over-sized van) RV for sale. I purchased it without having a chance to think through whether I’d really be happy with that type vehicle. The smallness was not so much a problem as the fact that things had to be moved around each evening for sleeping and again the next day for driving. I was too old to mess with so many daily tasks. In addition, over the next two years the vehicle had a recurring up-front air conditioning problem which had to be fixed at a great expense three different times. After the third repair, I placed a ‘For Sale’ sign in the window and an ad in the Orlando Sentinel. At that time my mother in Indiana became quite ill and I returned to southern Indiana to help care for her. I didn’t purchase another RV. Then after my mother’s death I returned to Arizona. For a couple of years I’d been spending five or six months in Mesa, Arizona, each winter with a elderly friend who wanted a companion and helper. However, when spring comes each year, I get restless and I’m ready to travel. Why don’t I settle down in one place? The main reason is that I don’t know where I want to live, so as long as I’m happy and healthy, I see no reason to settle down. I can get everything that I need to live and work in my Honda Civic which has almost 240,000 miles on it…and heading for 300,000. Where do I go? I have daughters in Florida and Texas whom I visit. I have dear friends in Houston, San Antonio, Atlanta, Indianapolis, and Mesa, Arizona, who always have their doors open to me. In addition, I house/pet-sit for quite a number of friends and family members. What lures me from place-to-place? Usually a situation where I’m needed. Last winter I stayed with a long-time friend who was battling a cancerous growth and had to have two surgeries and 33 radiation treatments. Additional surgeries in September brought me back to Indy again to stay with her. The house/pet-sitting gigs also take me from one place to another. I have many friends and some of them aren’t human! I’m a great cook and I know seven kitchens well; for many households I know the weekly schedules and tasks that need performing. I’m always available to be a part of a family, not a guest. “How do you get your mail?” I’m often asked. I’ve had the same post office box in Orlando for the last 5 ½ years. I call when I want mail forwarded to me to give them an address for shipping. A cell phone provides access to family and friends as well as business contacts. As with most indexers, I contract for work and I receive/return all of my work over the Internet. Publishers either send me chapters in which to do embedded indexing or they post chapters to an FTP site and I download the chapters to read and then construct the indexes in Cindex, finally sending them an RTF file of the completed index. Most of the time I am able to plan my travel when I have a slack period in my work. If not, I set up my computer and the ergonomic full-size keyboard up in motel rooms and work. All have data ports now for Internet access and many have high-speed connections available free. When I can, I get off the interstates and drive the lesser-driven roads to really explore the country. I’ve traveled in all of the continental states except 15. I hope to take on some house/pet-sitting gigs in the two sections of the country where I haven’t traveled and thus get to color in those 15 states on my map. ========= MINUTES, FALL MEETING
Members Present: John Bealle, Marilyn Augst, Wendy Grainger, Margaret Hentz, Cathy Seckman, Jim Fuhr, and Carol Loughlin. Afternoon program: A panel discussion on “Marketing your Freelance Business” by John Bealle and Marilyn Augst was held 1:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. A peer review and comparison of the same index was held from 3:30 p.m. – 4:50 p.m. (after the business meeting). Call to Order: President, John Bealle called the meeting to order at 2:30 p.m. Secretary’s Report: Minutes from the previous meeting held April 24, 2004 in Indianapolis, IN were approved as written. Treasurer’s Report: Cathy Seckman provided the treasurer’s report. The chapter’s allotment of $257.50 was received from ASI National Headquarters. Ending balance, as of July 1, 2004, was $1,890.41. The treasurer signature card still needs to be signed to transfer the account to the new treasurer. Old Business: None Committee Reports: None New Business: John Bealle started the discussion on the need for increased participation of the chapter’s members on various committees, speak at future meetings, and to run for an office. There was been a decrease in membership participation; partially due to many long-term members retiring or moving out of state. It has been increasingly difficult to sustain the chapter with the current level of participation. There was a discussion about the timing and location of the upcoming spring meeting. The possibility of holding a meeting in Bloomington, IN on “Information Architecture” was suggested. However, it was agreed that the MCL Cafeteria in Richmond, IN was a convenient location for members in Indiana and Ohio. A new web master is needed because Pam Nohr can no longer continue as the chapter’s web master. Margaret Hentz volunteered to check with ASI National to determine if the chapter can host its website on their web hosting system. Margaret will also contact Pam to determine the current structure of the website and see about transferring the files to another hosting system. A chapter newsletter will be published by the end of the year. A nominating committee is needed to solicit candidates to run for office. Wendy Grainger volunteered to chair this committee. Additional volunteers are needed by January when the committee starts to solicit candidates. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 3:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Margaret Hentz
========= CHAPTER OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS ASI Heartland Chapter Officers as elected on April 26, 2003 ** President **
** Vice-President/President-elect **
** Secretary **
** Treasurer **
ASI Heartland Chapter Committee Chairs ** Newsletter **
**Nominating**
** Web Site **
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