Welcome
RSB Indexing
Professional Indexing Services
RSB Indexing
Comprehensive Back-of-Book and E-book Indexing Services
Hello, my name is Roseann Shaughnessy Biederman. Welcome to RSB Indexing! I specialize in creating high-quality back-of-book and embedded indexes for publishers and authors. I will develop a concise roadmap to your book, enhancing its usability and salability. With years of experience in the publishing industry, I am dedicated to providing tailored indexing solutions that meet your publication's specific requirements.
As a former nonfiction editor for North Light Books, Writer's Digest Books, and KP Craft Books, I will use my "editor's eye" to ensure that your index is comprehensive, logically structured, and accurate. My specialties include prescriptive nonfiction ("how-to") texts that explain complex processes (e.g., fine art instruction, woodworking, fiction/nonfiction writing), K-12 textbooks, and teacher training resources.
About Me
I am an indexer and former trade book (acquisitions, developmental, and content) editor with 20 years of publishing industry experience.
I write indexes for trade books, textbooks, and periodicals utilizing SKY indexing software. I typically work from final manuscripts in PDF format and return the finished index as a Word document formatted according to the publisher's specifications.
With every project, I focus on accuracy, timeliness, and attention to detail.
Subject Areas I Cover:
- Business and Management
- Political Science and International Affairs
- Education
- Fine Art Instruction
- General Crafts
- History
- K-12 Textbooks (Language Arts and Social Studies)
- Literature and Language Studies
- Media and Communications
- Philosophy and Religion
- Writing Instruction
Education and Training:
Xavier University: M.A., Humanities; B.A., English
University of California Berkeley: Indexing Theory and Application Course
American Society for Indexing: Business of Indexing Module
Published Articles on Indexing:
“On Aboutness” and “Working with Clients”—Presentations of Kate Mertes, ASI Heartland Chapter Newsletter
“Meet a Fellow Indexer: Lisa Ryan”—ASI Heartland Chapter Newsletter
“Staying Relevant in the Digital Landscape”—Book Review, ASI Heartland Chapter Blog
Professional Affiliations, Awards, and Volunteer Service:
American Society for Indexing (ASI), Member
Digital Publications Indexing Group, ASI, Member
Order of the Kohlrabi Award for Service to ASI, 2020
ASI See Also Newsletter Editor, 2019
Recent Indexing Projects:
Manga Mania Universe (Sixth & Spring Books)
Power and Persuasion in Media and Advertising (Crabtree Publishing)
The Artist's Magazine Cumulative Index
My Blog
Frequently Asked Questions
An index is an important navigational tool that gathers the key concepts and terms in a book, groups them alphabetically, and provides multiple access points to them via cross-references and alternative terms.
An index is more detailed and comprehensive than either a table of contents (which provides an overview of a book's structure) or a concordance (which is a list of key terms in the book).
An index enhances a book's usefulness as a reference tool by helping the reader locate relevant content quickly, even if they don't know what they are looking for. A well-written index accurately reflects the book's information hierarchy, and anticipates how a reader will search for a term. So, instead of endlessly searching through multiple instances of that term (e.g., through a keyword search in an e-book), they are able to find the specific context they are looking for.
With regard to K-12 textbooks and nonfiction books selected for school libraries, the index is always considered an essential element of the text. The lack of an index would thus negatively impact a book's salability in those markets.
The Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition) provides a compelling argument for hiring a professional indexer:
"The indexer should be widely read, scrupulous in handling detail, analytically minded, well acquainted with publishing practices, and capable of meeting almost impossible deadlines. Although authors know better than anyone else their subject matter and to whom the work is addressed, not all can look at their work through the eye of a potential reader. Nor do many authors have the technical skills, let alone the time, necessary to prepare a good index that meets the publisher's deadline."
Contact Me
How Can I Help With Your Next Indexing Project?
I welcome "rush" assignments, and my rates are competitive with industry standards. Please reach out to discuss how I can work with you to create the best index for your book.
I will do my best to get back to you soon!
RSB Indexing
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