Jason Begy Indexing

About

Note: I am currently only accepting work for board game projects.

Jason Begy Indexing services specializes in scholarly texts in the humanities and social sciences. I index manuscripts, edited collections, and annual journal supplements. I work directly with authors and academic presses to produce indexes of the highest quality and usability. I write both traditional back-of-the-book indexes, and embedded Microsoft Word indexes.

My subject specialties include media and communication studies, game studies, anthropology and ethnography, history, literature, philosophy, political economy, sociology, and critical theory.

Why Do I Need an Index?

A good index does two things for your book:

1. It enables readers to find the information they need quickly and effectively, making your work easier to cite.

2. It sells your book to curious readers who need to know if your book has information relevant to them. A decision at the bookstore often hinges on the usefulness of your book, and the index is the easiest way for them to find out.

My indexes add value to their texts by emphasizing these two points. They are precise and clear, making it easier for readers to find what they need, and they are complete and accurate, so interested readers will know that your book is relevant to them.

​This will increase the visibility and utility of your book, and in turn, your academic career.

Why Hire Me?

A good indexer can index anything, but the best indexes are written by indexers who are also widely-read and have studied a range of subjects. My background and expertise include media and communication studies, game studies and design, literature and literary theory, history, and information technology. 

I am a fast, efficient worker who will prioritize your needs. I finish on time and on budget. 

Shouldn't the Author Index Their Book?

While authors can certainly index their own work, there are two good reasons to hire a professional, such as myself.

First, indexing is like proofreading: authors are frequently too close to their texts to do it effectively and efficiently (I know from personal experience!). Having an outsider's perspective is invaluable when indexing because he or she will come to the text without foreknowledge of what it is supposed to be, much like a reader will. The indexer is the reader's advocate, and is well-positioned to think like they will.

Second, indexing is a technical and nuanced skill, just like writing and research. An experienced professional who is already familiar with indexing standards and best practices can create a higher quality index in a shorter period of time. 

Rates

I charge per indexable page. As a general rule, rates are higher for academic texts than for textbooks or trade books. 

For an estimate, please email me with a representative sample of your book, ideally 10 to 15 pages from the middle of the text. I accept both American and Canadian dollars.

How Do I Contact You?

Email me!

Select Recent Indexes

  • Acland, Charles. “American Blockbuster: Movies, Technology, and Wonder.” Duke University Press, 2020.
  • Bair, Nadya. “The Decisive Network: Magnum Photos and the Postwar Image Market.” University of California Press, 2020.
  • Banerjee, Dwaipayan. “Enduring Cancer: Life, Death and Diagnosis in Delhi.” Duke University Press, 2020.
  • Blanchette, Alex. “Porkopolis: American Animality, Standardized Life, & the Factory Farm.” Duke University Press, 2020.
  • Buchanan, Allen. “Our Moral Fate: Evolution and the Escape from Tribalism.” The MIT Press, 2020.
  • Chandler, Gena E. “The Wanderer in African American Literature.” The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, 2020.
  • Chattoo, Caty Borum and Feldman, Laura. “A Comedian and an Activist Walk into a Bar: The Serious Role of Comedy in Social Justice.” University of California Press, 2020.
  • Dilger, Bochow, Burchardt, and Wilhem-Solomon, eds. “Affective Trajectories: Religion and emotion in African City-Scapes.” Duke University Press, 2020.
  • Eeckhout, Peter, ed. “Archaeological Interpretations: Symbolic Meaning within Andes Prehistory.” University Press of Florida, 2020.
  • Engelstein, Geoff. “Achievement Relocked: Loss Aversion and Game Design.” The MIT Press, 2020.
  • Evans, Harriet. “Beijing from Below: Stories of Marginal Lives in the Capital’s Center.” Duke University Press, 2020.
  • Forsyth, Janice. “Reclaiming Tom Longboat: Indigenous Self-Determination in Canadian Sport.” University of Regina Press, 2020.
  • Friederici, Nicolas, Wahome, Michel, and Graham, Mark. “Digital Entrepreneurship in Africa: How a Continent is Escaping Silicon Valley’s Long Shadow.” The MIT Press, 2020.
  • Henricks, Thomas S. “Play: A Basic Pathway to the Self.” The Strong Museum of Play, 2020.
  • Hetherington, Kregg. “The Government of Beans: Regulating Life in the Age of Monocrops.” Duke University Press, 2020.
  • Jaurretche, Colleen. “Language as Prayer in Finnegan’s Wake.” University Press of Florida, 2020.
  • Lapoujade, David. “William James: Empiricism and Pragmatism.” Thomas Lamarre, trans. Duke University Press, 2020.
  • Macduff, Sangam. “Panepiphanal World: James Joyce’s Epiphanies.” University Press of Florida, 2020.
  • Packer, Jeremy, and Reeves, Joshua. “Killer Apps: War, Media, Machine.” Duke University Press, 2020.
  • Rogers, Katina L. “Putting the Humanities PhD to Work: Thriving in and Beyond the Classroom.” Duke University Press, 2020.
  • Skvirsky, Salomé Aguilera. “The Process Genre: Cinema and the Aesthetic of Labor.” Duke University Press, 2020.
  • White, Bretton. “Staging Discomfort: Performance and Queerness in Contemporary Cuba.” University of Florida Press, 2020.
  • Winford, Brandon K. “John Hervey Wheeler, Black Banking, and the Economic Struggle for Civil Rights.” University Press of Kentucky, 2020.