A Fine Balance

twig balances with coralIndexing is actually a highly engaging activity, isn’t it?

Sure, we work alone. We may not even have a single face-to-face conversation all day. But as we get into reading the book in front of us, we go beyond being absorbed. We deeply engage on two fronts—with the meaning of the text and with the minds of the future readers.

One of the secrets to happiness is doing engaging work. And that’s why most of us wouldn’t choose to do anything else.

But there is a down side to this choice, especially for freelancers. We have to manage clients, projects, schedules and personal responsibilities. If we don’t, the stress piles up and that’s just not fun.

So, what can we do to balance on the edge of maximum happiness and minimum stress?

Nan Badgett will give us strategies at the conference in Winnipeg June 8-9.

You can register here.

Cuts after cuts

Film editing has a methodology. Why not index editingIn the methodology of classic film editing, there are four orderly cuts to get to the final film. First, the film editor assembles the footage and puts the scenes in proper order. This product is called the rough cut.

Next, the editor, director, and producer review the sequences and footage selection and agree on a version that becomes the first cut.

Then the team zooms in on the details of the scenes and the rhythm and structure to create the fine cut.

Finally, the music and sound effects are added to create the final cut.

Considering how much money is poured into making a film, it’s only natural that the industry should have a film-editing methodology.

As an indexer, you pour a lot of time into your indexes. Have you thought about your index-editing methodology? (Or lack thereof?)

Come to the conference in Winnipeg on June 8-9, when Anne Fifer shares all her secrets on editing indexes. (First tip from Anne: It starts as soon as you write first entry.)

Early Bird Registration Now Open

The annual ISC/SCI conference in Winnipeg is now open for Early Bird registration.

Take advantage of these early bird rates until April 20:
Members: $275 for full two-day conference, $150 for one day
Non-members: $325 for two-day conference, $200 for one day

We have a special rate for eligible full-time students: $150 for the two-day conference and $75 for one day.

The full conference program will be revealed soon. Here are the highlights:

The keynote session is an interview with Maureen MacGlashan, editor of The Indexer, the International Journal of Indexing from 2004 to the present. Maureen is retiring this year. In this session, she’ll be sharing plenty about her experiences and unique perspectives gained from producing this quarterly journal that indexers find so essential to their practice.

The closing session will be Dr. Gregory Younging, the author of Elements of Indigenous Style. Choosing appropriate words around difficult topics is a challenge in index-writing. In this session, Dr. Younging will give us the mindset we need to construct an index that is a worthy bridge between the author’s message and the reader.

We will have sessions on indexing academic books, tips for editing your index more efficiently, the latest research on index usability, and from our Hansard indexers, a case study of browsing and navigation technologies for indexed documents on the web.

Our business skills sessions will help you navigate the stages of a freelancing career—from making a splash with bids that impress clients and win business, to staying afloat with managing clients and schedules, to sailing gently into retirement with ease and purpose.

Get with the flow and register before Early Bird pricing ends April 20.

Conference 2018 :: Congrès 2018 – Winnipeg, MB

Historic Fort Garry Hotel, venue for the ISC/SCI conference
Historic Fort Garry Hotel, venue for the ISC/SCI conference

Winnipeg, June 8 – 9, 2018

Fort Garry Hotel

Get into the flow and join us in Winnipeg for our 2018 conference.

  • Discover the best tips and techniques for your indexing practice
  • Explore new insights and ideas for your business and career
  • Meet and mingle with colleagues old and new

Winnipeg is an extraordinary city situated on the Canadian Prairie at the crossroads of ancient North American canoe routes. Consider lingering a while to experience the rich multicultural heritage, the prairie landscape, and illuminating attractions such as the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (“the world’s only museum that explores human rights as a concept and aspiration”) and the Winnipeg Art Gallery (the largest collection of Inuit art in the world). Learn more about what to do while you are in Winnipeg.

Program

View or download the conference program.

Schedule

To help you plan your travel, here’s the schedule of activities:

  • Thursday, June 7: a pre-conference event, starting at 5:30
  • Friday, June 8: breakfast, sessions from 9 until 5, and banquet dinner at 6:30
  • Saturday, June 9: breakfast, sessions from 9 until 5, followed by a reception at the conference hotel
  • Sunday, June 10, 9:00 to 12:00: Workshop: “Indexing for Multiple Outputs” presented by Cheryl Landes, renowned speaker and owner of Tabby Cat Communications.

Donations and Sponsorships

Thank you to the following people and organizations who provided door prizes and equipment for our conference. You helped make it a success.

Conference Announcements

A big thank you to our conference donors and sponsors

Dish of Candy

Thanks to the wonderful donors and sponsors of our 2018 Conference in Winnipeg! Their contributions of door prizes and equipment helped make the conference a … […]

Another Successful Conference

Our June 2018 ISC/SCI annual conference brought old and new friends together sharing information and laughs.

2018 Conference Photos Here!

Heather Ebbs (and others) took some amazing photos at our ISC/SCI annual conference in Winnipeg. Check them all out here.

Bidding on an index? Be like the Spiderman of Paris

screen capture of video

Mamoudou Gassama, the Malian man now called the “Spiderman of Paris,” climbed four levels up the side of a building and rescued a four-year-old boy … […]

A precious resource

clock

Time is a non-renewable resource. Thus we were reminded by Christine LeBlanc when she led a recent Editors Canada webinar on starting a freelance career. … […]

Exploring usability

Two questions: 1. Has becoming an indexer changed the way you use indexes? 2. Assume you mostly indexed technical books. Would that influence the way … […]

Patterns of indexing careers

wheel of fortune

Indexers come into their careers from many directions. For some, it’s a natural progression from a job in a publishing house. Others discover the calling … […]

The scent of information

Have you heard of a rule in web design called the three-click rule? It states that users will leave your web page or app if … […]

ISC/SCI Unveils 2018 Conference Program | Early Bird Pricing Closes Soon

Pileated woodpecker

The complete program of speakers and sessions for the 2018 conference in Winnipeg is now available on this website. View and download the details on … […]

Post-Conference Sunday: Embedded indexing

The client wants an index for a printed book and an eBook. You’ve heard about embedding indexes, but you haven’t attempted one yourself. The client … […]

New ideas where you weren’t looking

I tell my writer friends that a good way to find new ideas is to read a scholarly book that’s not quite in their field. … […]

A Fine Balance

twig balances with coral

Indexing is actually a highly engaging activity, isn’t it? Sure, we work alone. We may not even have a single face-to-face conversation all day. But … […]

Cuts after cuts

Film editing has a methodology. Why not index editing

In the methodology of classic film editing, there are four orderly cuts to get to the final film. First, the film editor assembles the footage … […]

Early Bird Registration Now Open

The annual ISC/SCI conference in Winnipeg is now open for Early Bird registration. Take advantage of these early bird rates until April 20: Members: $275 … […]

Doing the right thing by the author and the reader

Over the last week, we’ve had a riveting discussion on the ISC-L forum. It started because a Canadian indexer was indexing a book on racism … […]

Every Three Months a Treasure

Every three months, a treasure lands in my mailbox. As I pull it out of the clear plastic envelope, and read the article titles laid … […]

A Unique Plug-in Opportunity

At the 2014 Conference in Toronto, Margery Towery gave us one of her best indexing tips: plug yourself into the subject. If you index in … […]

While you are in Winnipeg

On the confluence of the Red River and the Assiniboine River lies Winnipeg. For thousands of years, this area was the crossroads of canoe routes … […]

Our Conference Venue – the Iconic Fort Garry Hotel

The Fort Garry Hotel was built over a hundred years ago in Canada’s era of grand railway hotels. This was a time when the railways … […]

Save the date

Historic Fort Garry Hotel, venue for the ISC/SCI conference

Winnipeg, June 8 – 9, 2018 Fort Garry Hotel Navigating the confluence of text and context Get into the flow and join us in Winnipeg … […]

Save the date

Historic Fort Garry Hotel, venue for the ISC/SCI conferenceWinnipeg, June 8 – 9, 2018

Fort Garry Hotel

Navigating the confluence of text and context

Get into the flow and join us in Winnipeg for our 2018 conference.

  • Discover the best tips and techniques for your indexing practice
  • Explore new insights and ideas for your business and career
  • Meet and mingle with colleagues old and new

Winnipeg is an extraordinary city situated on the Canadian Prairie at the crossroads of ancient North American canoe routes. Consider lingering a while to experience the rich multicultural heritage, the prairie landscape, and illuminating attractions such as the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (“the world’s only museum that explores human rights as a concept and aspiration”) and the Winnipeg Art Gallery (the largest collection of Inuit art in the world).

To help you plan your travel, here’s the schedule of activities:

  • Thursday, June 7: a pre-conference event
  • Friday, June 8: breakfast, sessions from 9 until 5, and banquet dinner at 6:30
  • Saturday, June 9: breakfast, sessions from 9 until 5, followed by a reception at the conference hotel
  •  Sunday, June 10: a possible workshop or other event, to be announced in January.

Watch the 2018 Conference Page for more details and announcements.

We hope to see you there!