On the other hand, if the index is poorly done, the reader becomes frustrated and will likely move on to the next book. Worse yet, a nonfiction book published without an index may not be taken seriously by the publishing industry.

Indexing is a skill Madge acquired after many years of writing freelance for newspapers and magazines, as well as authoring four published books. Her award-winning novel, Paying the Price, the story of a real estate deal in Hawaii that goes terribly bad, was published in 2005. Her Hawaii Real Estate Exam Book is in its 9th edition and has been used by students all over the world to pass the Hawaii real estate exam.

As an indexer Madge puts herself in the mind of the potential reader and anticipates his needs. Indexing involves such things as

• gathering together scattered information on the same subject
• breaking down large ranges of information into manageable subtopics
• cross referencing related topics
• double posting topics that might be accessed in several different ways
• distinguishing between passing references and substantive discussions

Madge has a degree in mathematics, and is a graduate of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Basic Indexing Course, a tried and true standard for indexers. She is currently vice-chair of the American Society of Indexers — Rocky Mountain chapter. She welcomes books on topics ranging from textbooks to computer manuals, cookbooks to real estate, social studies to biographies, and self-help to Hawaiiana. All subjects will be considered.

In addition to creating indexes, she also edits and evaluates indexes created by authors for their own books. This valuable service helps authors to achieve a professional-looking index on their own terms. For more on authors as indexers, see her article, "Author as Indexer: the Good, the Bad and the Possible." Also see: Good Indexes Sell Books.

Madge welcomes your questions on indexing. All work is done efficiently via email to your specifications. Don't forget: a good index sells books!

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