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Back to Spring Meeting 2008 program page
Spring Meeting 2008 Presentation
Business Roundtable: Marketing Strategies
Facilitated by Heather Hedden
Marketing was a popular topic which drew about 15 people to each of the two roundtable rotation sessions. The first group included participants of various backgrounds and levels of indexing experience, whereas the second group comprised mostly those new to indexing.
Following are some of the questions and answers that came up. When asked whether material (resume, cover letter, index samples) should be send by regular mail or e-mail, there were differences of opinion and experience, but the consensus was that it was probably best to do both, because some production editors prefer the convenience of receiving material in print, while others prefer to maintain an electronic filing system only. The answer to the question as to whether it was OK to create a sample index for an existing published book was yes, but it was also proposed to created a volunteer index for a nonprofit organization. When the question came up of how to protect one's personal privacy while also having a web site, it was suggested to have a company name different from one's personal name, but full privacy cannot be ensured.
Heather provided additional advice from her experience. You can make contact with publishers by visiting a book fair in conjunction with a conference, such as the American Libraries Association or that of a professional association of a specific academic discipline. The book fair booth staff can provide the correct contact information. You can also look at a publisher's catalog, such as on their web site, making note of forthcoming books that might not yet even have an indexer assigned and then mention interest in indexing the specific titles. ASI's Indexer Locator is useful for gaining some jobs, especially in the beginning when you don't have regular work, but you are not as likely to get repeat clients this way.