Book Indexing Services

Conventional back-of-the-book indexing in clear, concise, author-pleasing, and reader-friendly formats — backed by over 50 years of experience.

A Brief Overview of Indexing

Xcel serves publishers and authors with conventional back-of-the-book indexing in clear, concise, author-pleasing, and reader-friendly formats. Areas of concentration include textbooks, trade, business, legal, medical, history, general interest books, and more.

As your corrected proofs become available to us, we begin the work to ensure the timely meeting of your deadlines. While an index can be compiled in first pass proofs, Xcel prefers to wait until at least second pass. Second pass enables the author, the designer, and the proofreader to identify any problems in the text before the index is compiled.

Areas of Concentration

Planning Your Book Index

Typically, a closed index (located in the back of the book) is created once for a single product. The terminology of these indexes uses the preferred vocabulary of the author. While the idea of reusing previous indexes may seem practical, the reality of doing so is quite the opposite. We recommend new editions always receive new indexes, as repagination tends to be overly time-consuming and disadvantageous to your completion date.

Things to Consider

Before we begin your index, here are some key decisions to discuss with your team.

Space Allowance

As long as needed, or limited to a set number of lines? Determining space up front helps guide the scope and depth of the index.

Quantity & Levels

Single index or multiple separate indexes? The majority of publications use two levels, but your content may require more or fewer.

Page Numbers

Should subheads be supplied, or are number strings acceptable? Abbreviated to save space, or displayed in full?

Capitalization

Uppercase or lowercase letters for beginning main entries? This small detail affects the overall look and feel of your index.

Illustrations & Tables

Images, graphs, maps, photos, tables, figures, and boxes — decide which visual elements need indexing alongside your text.

Style & Symbols

Indentation, run-on, or a combination? Technical publications may also require a separate symbol index.

Excellence in Precision & Expediency

Xcel’s number one goal is to produce a quality index that meets all your specifications and needs, including your deadline! Our expert proficiency is proven by:

Over 40 years of industry experience — our professional indexers manage every project, including critical term selection and final edits
Thorough spellchecking and proofreading on every index
Comprehensive indexes that remain reader-friendly
Efficient meeting of strict deadlines without sacrificing attention to detail

But Is an Index Really Necessary?

Xcel offers options from the simplest index to the most complex and comprehensive in your field. As a key element of nonfiction and academic publications, authors have long been utilizing indexing for the benefit of casual readers and researchers alike. If you want your publication to stand out in your subject of expertise, an index is a significantly persuasive component.

So don’t just create a book — create a book that is surefire to XCEL!