[bksvol-discuss] Re: yikes continued
- From: "Estelnalissi" <airadil@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 05:35:17 -0400
Dear Devorah,
One of the reasons I'm such a pokey validator is that I do indexes because I'm
validating books I've chosen which I want to be as complete as possible and
because in most cases when reading nonfiction, I want the index to be available
for my own benefit. I appreciate them when they show up.
I understand why some validators omit an index. They are very time consuming.
My methods are intuitive, so I'd rather share them off list, but I'll admit to
some of my formatting practices.
Often the print in indexes is smaller than the print in the rest of the book
and the two column format really causes the pages to be long. I never keep the
columns. I lengthen the page as much as possible and if the page still seems
too long I number the page 248A for the first column and 248b for the second
column. I just made up the page number 248 to make the example.
Working through an index is tedious. Sometimes I start on it at the same time I
start validating, just doing a page or so a day so I don't get burned out
listening to strings of page numbers etc.
It is important to check the spacing of those page numbers. I noticed in the
example you gave that some numbers were in the trillions because of the lack of
spaces after the commas separating the numbers.
If the scan is fairly accurate, I don't check every numeral, just the spacing.
The best submittors we have don't get accurate scans of indices. It isn't their
fault. Scanners tend to combine short lines eliminating the hard returns which
would mimic the formatting in the print book.
I definitely don't put in hard returns to duplicate the line lengths in the
index. I put a hard return after each entry and two hard returns after the last
entry for a letter and before the following letter like between cyclone and
dabble. Long lists of very short lines are tedious to read on braille displays.
It doesn't effect the meaning to change the line length. It doesn't help in
comprehension or the author's meaning. Poetry is a different matter. In poetry,
the line length is often chosen by the poet for a reason. In validating poetry
I reproduce the lines as exactly as possible even if it means putting a hard
return after every line.
If there are subtopics under an entry, you might consider indicating the
subtopic with a double dash.
Honestly you'll get in to a kind of rhythm when you get used to formatting an
index and it isn't so bad. I used to dread them and now they are slow, but
business as usual and I am proud of them.
I'll give you the names of some books I've validated with indices which include
the Tolkien books, the Silmarillion and the History of Middle-earth volumes 1,
2 and 3 and factual books about Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
As for bibliographies. I love, love, love, them. They give me super ideas of
more books to read about a topic and even of more books to add to the
collection.
I'm dedicated but no expert, so if you want to talk in more detail, please
contact me off list. I'd rather not debate. I just want to keep validating.
Don't give up. Indices are doable! Best of luck.
Always with love,
Lissi
----- Original Message -----
From: Devorah Greenstein
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sunday, March 30, 2008 10:56 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] yikes continued
Sorry - I was trying to overcome my computer's determination to continue tab
stops and the message was sent. I wonder what combination of characters brought
that on.
Anyway, any suggestions would be most welcome. It feels like a big job to
untangle fourteen pages, two columns of this book's index - so I want to know
about format etc before I start.
Many thanks. It's been a fabulous book, and I recommend it: It's called
"Entangled Minds: Extrasensory Experiences in a Quantum Reality"
Devorah
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