ASI News
—Get a taste of upcoming ASI Webinar
—COVID-19's workplace impact
Other Industry News
—New issue of The Indexer now available
—Society of Indexers call for Coronavirus work survey
—Digital Book World event to move online
Business and Marketing
—Editor? What’s an editor?
—Standing while you work
Spotlight—Amanda Wilson
ASI News
Get a taste of upcoming ASI Webinar
AElfwine Mischler has written a blog post at An American Editor, giving a sample of what she will be covering in her upcoming ASI Webinar, “Indexing Arabic Names: What Everyone Needs to Know,” airing August 12, 3 p.m. ET. This webinar explains potential difficulties in indexing both modern and premodern Arabic names. What do you do with the definite article and its variants? What is Al when it’s not an article? What names must not be split? When and where do you invert names? The materials for this webinar are based, in part, on errors found in published indexes.
This webinar will help you to recognize:
- the definite article and its variants
- compound names that must not be split
- titles that are mistaken for surnames
- whether and where to invert names
In the post, AElfwine presents a “definitive approach to definite articles.” Have a look to get a taste of what is in store for ASI's next webinar.
COVID-19's workplace impact
The pandemic has been affecting all professions world wide. Some more than others. Freelancers are particularly vulnerable to disruptions in work flow which can cause cash flow nightmares. There has been an informative exchange, led by Jim Fuhr, on the ASIndexing forum regarding the impact of the new coronavirus pandemic on indexers. Jim has written an article presenting his findings in the most recent issue of Key Words the journal of ASI.
Publishers of audiobooks and e-books are pitching in to help readers, bookstores, schools and libraries during the COVID-19 pandemic. This post at GoodEReader.com includes a long list—from Cambridge University Press to Simon & Schuster—of what unique resources publishers are providing to educators, students, parents, libraries, and booksellers.
Other industry news
New issue of The Indexer now available
Liverpool University Press has announced that the latest issue of The Indexer is now available. This month’s issue includes articles on Australian Commonwealth annual report indexes, using Microsoft WORD as a tool for embedded indexing, and “A fourteenth-century introduction to an index.”
Society of Indexers call for Coronavirus work survey
From the survey site: “Freelance indexers worldwide will, to a greater or lesser extent, have been feeling the impact of COVID 19 and the associated lockdowns and disruption...This short survey is designed to find out some of the ways the current crisis has affected freelance indexers and how they have been coping…The intention is to publish the results in The Indexer in December 2020.”
Digital Book World event to move online
DBW Global, held on September 16, is a one day virtual event for the international community of publishers. The event will feature “a who's-who of the publishing world, providing thought leadership, best practices, and a gathering of global community across trade, scholarly, independent, educational, and 'corporate' publishing.”
Business and Marketing
Editor? What’s an editor?
Indexers are no doubt as confused (or opinionated) about the definition of editor as the rest of the publishing world (including editors themselves). To shed some light into the morass of editor roles, Jane Friedman, celebrated Publishers Weekly columnist, has put together a “Comprehensive Guide to Finding, Hiring, and Working with an Editor.” In the article, Friedman defines four types of editors: Developmental, Substantive, Copy Editing, and Proofreading.
Standing while you work
A stand up desk is a sensible addition to any ergonomically sensitive work station. These desks come in many models but all provide the ability to stand while working, with some allowing the user to alternate between sitting and standing at the push of a button. The Mayo Clinic outlines the risks of working while sitting in this article and the Harvard Health Blog has this to say about some of the health benefit claims made for standing desk use. If you do decide to invest in a stand-up desk ($200–$1000s), be sure to keep these items in mind before you purchase:
- Do you want the ability to mount two monitors or to use a laptop tray? Take note of the product’s dimensions (including any add-ons) and whether it will accommodate your vertical needs spatially. If possible, speak to a customer service rep at the company you want to purchase from.
- Measure your horizontal desk top area if you are purchasing a stand-up that sits on top of an existing desk (an affordable way to go). You don’t want to find out that you have to purchase a new traditional desk just to have room for your newfangled model. Again, speak to a company rep.
- Consider purchasing a VESA monitor if you do not have one. Most brand’s mounting hardware for monitor arms and dual monitor set ups is designed for VESA monitors that have mounting screws on the back. Mount adapters for non-VESA monitors can be clumsy and difficult to attach.
Spotlight
Amanda Wilson
If you would like to be in the Spotlight, or would like to nominate someone for it, please contact Daniel Heila.
Where do you live now? Where are you originally from? Do you share your home with pets or family?
I live in Riverwoods, IL, a North Chicagoland suburb, with my husband, three elementary-aged sons, a fifteen-year-old cat, and an Airedale puppy.
What is your educational background?
I earned BAs in Spanish and Economics from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, and an MA in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Do you have any hobbies, travels, volunteer work, or other interesting things to share?
I LOVE indoor and outdoor gardening. I also enjoy running and cross-country skiing whenever there is enough snow on the ground!
What kind of work did you do before you studied indexing? Are you still doing that or other work in addition to indexing?
I was a high school Spanish teacher in Madison, Wisconsin, before starting a family. Then I was a stay-at-home mom for ten years before pursuing an indexing career. Interestingly, my mother-in-law indexed books for several years after retiring, so I always had indexing in the back of my mind as an option for when I was ready to return to work. I love how indexing allows me to reap the benefits of working from home.
When did you start indexing? When did you join ASI?
I joined ASI in the spring of 2019 and almost immediately went to the annual conference in Scottsdale. I took the “New Indexers: Indexing from A-Z” class with Heather Ebbs. It was there that I learned about the UC-Berkeley course, which I took under Max McMaster, upon returning from the conference.
For you, what is the best advantage of ASI membership?
The indexer locator has been invaluable in acquiring new clients. It pays for itself several times over with the first job!
What is your most effective COVID-19 coping strategy?
That’s a very poignant question. My answer is working in the yard while listening to one of my favorite travel podcasts and dreaming of future adventures.
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