A backofthe book index is a list of words with corresponding page. A proper index cant be produced automatically by your word processing software. How to create an index in word with pictures wikihow. Jun 01, 2015 there are many nonfiction books that need an index to be complete. An index wont do a reader any good if there are no page. In the last issue of office for mere mortals we looked at the basics of indexing in word setting up a document to be indexed and then generating a simple index in this issue well look at marking index entries across multiple pages, hidden text and a nifty add. In order to define an index entry, first select the keyword on your document.
How to add an index to an ebook in alphabetical order. How to format your book for kindle using microsoft word in 6. Fivestep process for writing a book index by stephen ullstrom. How to create an index for your book in microsoft word youtube. To use existing text as an index entry, select the text. We were using an online publisher to format the manuscript so the index needed to be linked. Select 1020 different subjects treated in your book and then see if your index words are related to these.
The author had created one but it was not linked to the text. Select references insert index to add it to the location. A word index example shown below provides a very useful reference for the reader. The common approach to create an index table in word is to manually mark each word that we wish to index, but the other alternative is to use a concordance document to automatically index our master document, which is what we will cover in todays article. Do make sure you keep saving the ebook as you write, to avoid losing your hard work. These microsoft word tips and tricks are important as they increase your productivity in office. Once you are done marking text in the word document, you can add the index to it. Fivestep process for writing a book index by stephen. This is a step by step guide video to help you learn how to. Jul 03, 2008 i started by using index cards that is their name, after all but that got old really fast, so i developed my own system using a notepad, excel, and word. Its recommended that you adjust these setting before writing the content of your book to prevent formatting issues late on.
With textract you create the backof book index for your ms word manuscript or proof document in a few steps, using a unique combination of automated and manual indexing. This is because ereader devices have very small screens. How to create an index for your book in adobe indesign. Apr 26, 2019 the index in a book role is to create a roadmap to all the pertinent information in the document. Many companies use microsoft word to create their manuals and books, writing and printing directly from the program. Go through each chapter of proofs, writing down each word you feelcould be in the index, followed by the pages on which it appeared. To download, youll need to scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the download button. Now click on the main entry box and the word will be transferred in the dialog box. Although it seems that more books are published without indexes every year, savvy selfpublishers know that including an index is one way they can make their print books stand out. You can create an index entry for an individual word, phrase, or symbol, for a topic that spans a range of pages, or that refers to another entry, such as transportation. An index lists the terms and topics that are discussed in a document, along with the pages on which they appear.
Rather than scroll through page after page in a document, quickly return to bookmarked locations to resume your work. Ten tips to help you create a great book index index busters. Press shiftaltx together or index on the insert menu click your mouse back onto the text this leaves the dialog open. This will bring you to a dialog with several options. Common mistakes made when writing a book in microsoft word. Frequently asked questions american society for indexing. How to make a really good book index in word tck publishing. You can change the overall look of the index by choosing from the formats dropdown menu.
In this video you will learn how to create an index for your book using microsoft word. Many companies use microsoft word to create their manuals and books, writing and printing. For computer software, i suggest simply writing the index in word or. How to create an index for your book in microsoft word. Index a book using word and excel writers technology. Go to references menu and click on mark entry button under index group. In the insert group still on the references tab, click insert index. How to write an ebook using microsoft word clothed in scarlet. With textract you create the backof book index for your ms word manuscript or proof document in a few steps, using a unique combination of automated and manual indexing just drop your word document onto textract. Please prepare your index on computer and send a copy on disk or by e. Its quite easy from the standpoint of operating the software, but it wont. And even if you are writing a nonfiction book, indexing is often handled by. It is a good thing that life is a lifelong learning process and i am open to learning.
For computer software, i suggest simply writing the index in. How to choose the words and terms to index in your. Just continue reading in order to find out how to create an index in a word 2016 document. In the index dialog box, you can choose the format for text entries, page numbers, tabs, and leader characters.
An index is curated, written to guide the reader to what is most important and relevant. How to format your book for kindle using microsoft word in. Here i am presenting solutions for these daytoday ms word problems in simple and illustrated fashion. Just drop a pdf proof version of your book onto textract. In the page setup group, click the small arrow at the bottomright. How to create an index in word 2016 ghacks tech news.
Ah, indexes, the worst part of the book production process. Creating an index in microsoft word typefi support. Place the cursor where you want to create an index go to references index and select insert index select any required formatting options from the menu. You must mark text in a document for inclusion in the index. An index is a document reference or list word 2016 can build and format, providing that you know the trick.
Its simply a case of using the mark index entry button to highlight the words you want to index, and word will automatically find every other instance of the word, and save each instance to the index. First of all, identify and prioritize topics of significance. A reader asked me to do a video on how to make a book index in word. In a book or a long report, you may often see the index list for readers to locate names, concepts, procedures, or any other important topics. How to create an index for your book in adobe indesign the. A quality index should first and foremost help readers find topics within. On the references tab, in the index group, click mark entry to open the mark index entry dialog. On the references tab, in the index group, click insert index. How to create a table of contents link to pages in word. How to build a biblical reference index with microsoft word. Apr, 2010 the book needed only a biblical reference index. We look at marking index entries across multiple pages, hidden text and a nifty addon for regular indexers. How to add an index to a word document using index tags. You should not use extra spaces or tabs to indent the first line of.
Click on new from the file menu, and then click on save to save the ebook. If youre writing a book and need to create an index, this article will tell you everything you need to knowfrom tips and tricks for identifying the best terms to. Go to the location in the document that you want the index to be displayed in. How to create a table of contents link to pages in word document. The sublime joy of making a book index without bullshit.
For example, in groundswell, there are entries for idea communities and listening. May 24, 2016 an index is a document reference or list word 2016 can build and format, providing that you know the trick. Publishers often ask nonfiction book authors to create an index of their work. Blog 10 tips youd know before creating a book index.
Creating an entire index can be an arduous task, but it doesnt require much more than a word processor and a good work ethic. Usually the toc commands can be found under a references tab. In word, most of time, you may type a large of contents into the document. Indexing a microsoft word document using textract semiautomatic word indexing.
If you dont find solution to your problem in the articles listed below, please feel free to ask me a question in the comment section. Some of my books have an index but i see now that i didnt create them while thinking of someone reading the book. You can even add notes to self in the highlights for example, if you want to add something for an entire section but dont want to highlight the. While theres a way to use ixmlembedder to insert the xe fields into the footnotes and have them appear in the generated index, the locator will still be missing the n notation. This is a step by step guide video to help you learn how to do it the. Starting at the very beginning of your manuscript, comb through the text for a term youd. But these arent the only terms i incorporated into my index. To create an index, you mark the index entries by providing the name of the main entry and the crossreference in your document, and then you build the index. Once you have marked your entries, all thats left is to create an index. How to choose the words and terms to index in your nonfiction. Create, update, or delete entries in a docuuments index. Highlight the term, go to the references tab, and, under the index section, click on mark entry. The book fold layout sets you up for printing your masterpiece automatically in the correct order, ready for folding and binding.
Its quite easy from the standpoint of operating the software, but it wont turn you int. To create an index entry, click mark entry in the index group on the references tab. And for reading pages better, you may split them into several parts, such as list of figures, list of tables, abstract and so on. Select the text you want to mark, or click where you want to insert the index entry. When the mark entry dialog opens, your focus is in the edit field labeled main entry. Whether you want to create a booklet for an event or print out an ambitious book project, consider using the prebuilt page settings for booklets that comes with word. A backofthebook index is a list of words with corresponding page. A simple, clean design, this free word book template is specifically for the standard 6 x 9 book, which is the most common book size for printed paperbacks. Indexing can be done at the time of manuscript submission using words index function. Document command to set margins to a minimum of three quarters of an inch on all sides. Aug 20, 2012 now go through your pdf book and use the text highlighter to accurately highlight any term a word, a sentence, that you want to have extracted for the index use one highlight per term. When you select text and mark it as an index entry, word adds a special xe. While the task is easy at the first look group words by the first letter, then sort them, this obvious solution works only for the usa language.
For each idea segment, create an entry with a name that would lead to that segment. Is there a good how to create an index for dummies guide out there. Lets now get into the step by step process on how to write an ebook using microsoft word. Creating an index is a nontrivial task often performed by people who specialize in creating indexes using software designed for that purpose. In this post, ill share how to build a dynamic microsoft word index i. With textract you create the backof book index for the printed and ebook editions of your book in three steps, using a unique combination of automated and manual indexing. You can create an index entry for an individual word, phrase, or symbol, for a topic that spans a range of. The automated indexing feature that your word processor might contain will not create an index. Otherwise when the author wanted to make a minor edit the index will not be correct. Nov 08, 2019 when you have a long document and need to return to specific locations in the document later for editing or want to make it easier for readers to browse the document, use the bookmark feature in microsoft word. Book indexing how to make a book index in microsoft word. Generate multiple indexes in the same word document.
While i do plan my content structure for my books, i didnt plan my index structure or relate it to the content structure. Also create entries for proper names, such as dell or rubel, steve. Your first step, therefore, is to set a custom page size in word s page setup menu. On the references tab, in the index group, click mark entry. Aug 15, 2017 yes, it will take longer to create the index but the result will be better. To make an index you must ask, for every passage in a book, if i were looking for this, what words would describe what i was looking for. Examples are an index in the back matter of a book and an index that serves as a library catalog in a traditional backofthe book index, the. Separate these terms into main entries and subentries. Once the words are marked, an index field is inserted, which displays the index. Jun 24, 2020 after having a list of keywords, you can define index entries for each keyword. Jul 06, 2018 its a pretty simple process to create an index in word.
Create your table of contents toc microsoft word has the builtin capability to link styles with table of contents listings. Inserting bookmarks in your word document lifewire. Starting at the very beginning of your manuscript, comb through the text for a term youd like to index. Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors. Indie authors or those who are selfpublishing books may choose to write indexes for their own book or books.
Feb 01, 2016 create ms word bookmarks for those page spans. To enter your own text as an index entry, click where you want to insert the index entry. Before start creating your index write 10 to 20 most important subjects your book is talking about, then when you select your index words check. Examples are an index in the back matter of a book and an index that serves as a library catalog.
Mar 27, 2017 publishers often ask nonfiction book authors to create an index of their work. In other words, you put the index entries for the book directly into the same files used to create the book. Mark entry is to add the words or phrases to the index list. Word wont insert note numbers in its generated index. If you need any help preparing your index, discuss any problems with your. Position the curso r at the end of the document youll probably add a new page to your document.
Create a book index from a pdf using word manuscript. To create this, the indexer needs to read the whole book, from cover. When you select text and mark it as an index entry, word adds a special xe index entry field that includes the marked main entry and any cross. Being a book indexer is a hard job that is well suited for detailoriented people. Adding to the complexity is authors usually work in microsoft word while publishers work in adobe pdf. A wellorganized quality index in a book saves readers time and effort as well as helps to find valuable information easier and faster. How to write an ebook using microsoft word clothed in. Each version of word is different, so i recommend you consult the help menu for instructions. Indexing helpful hints read the proofs or manuscript.
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