Welcome to the Freelance Indexer Exchange — a podcast for freelance business owners specializing in indexing books, websites, documents, and digital content. Working as a freelance indexer can be isolating and lonely. But you're not alone. Let the Freelance Indexer Exchange be your source of support, insights, and community. Your host, Michelle Guiliano, is an experienced indexer who has indexed more than one hundred thousand pages over the past nine years as a freelance business owner. In each episode, she will take an in-depth dive into the business of indexing, providing you with an authentic, personal look at the ups and downs of freelance life. By talking about our work with transparency, we can raise our businesses to the next level. We can do better together.
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34 recent
June 16, 2025Episode 711 min
#33 The Accommodating Indexer
As a freelance indexer, do you sometimes feel like you are over-accommodating to clients? In this episode, Michelle talks about her own "over-accommodating" tendencies and how she overcomes them. If you have any "over-accommodating" scenarios that you would like Michelle to discuss in a future episode, contact Michelle through the Exchange Box. Here are the links mentioned in this episode:Link to the rate calculator in Indexer IndexLink to the fake newspaper ads mentioned at the beginning of the episode Do you have a suggestion or comment to share? Maybe you have a burning question about indexing or the business of freelancing. Drop your thoughts in the Exchange Box. We would love to hear from you!
April 16, 2025Episode 615 min
#32 Indecision When Indexing
In this episode Michelle admits to being an indecisive indexer. Are you an indecisive indexer, too?Links mentioned in the episode:co-working method of learning to indexvignette on the indecisive indexing process Do you have a suggestion or comment to share? Maybe you have a burning question about indexing or the business of freelancing. Drop your thoughts in the Exchange Box. We would love to hear from you!
April 8, 2025Episode 517 min
#31 Indexing To-Do List: a strategy for conquering Resistance
Michelle shares 5 items from her Indexing To-Do list that helps keep her indexing when she has 20 minutes or less.Links mentioned in the episode:Episode #29: Naming—and conquering—ResistanceIndexer podcast website to leave a review Do you have a suggestion or comment to share? Maybe you have a burning question about indexing or the business of freelancing. Drop your thoughts in the Exchange Box. We would love to hear from you!
December 16, 2024Episode 423 min
#30 Labeling Entries
Michelle labels some index entries to streamline her indexing and index edit processes. In this episode, she explains her labeling system—naming and explaining the nine labels she uses. Do you use labels while indexing? We'd love to hear about your process!Link mentioned in the episode:Episode #29 Naming—and Conquering—Resistance When IndexingIndexer Index membership sign upIndexing courses Do you have a suggestion or comment to share? Maybe you have a burning question about indexing or the business of freelancing. Drop your thoughts in the Exchange Box. We would love to hear from you!
December 5, 2024Episode 318 min
#29 Naming—and Conquering—Resistance When Indexing
Sometimes, even with deadlines looming, indexers might not feel like indexing. It can be hard to sit down at the computer and just start working. In this episode, Michelle details the times she has encountered Resistance. (Yes! Resistance in this instance should have a capital "R"—see also Steven Pressfield's book The War of Art). Michelle shares four strategies to help you overcome Resistance and start indexing! Links noted in the episode:podcast website (indexerpodcast.com)Indexer Index membership signupIndexer Index directory Do you have a suggestion or comment to share? Maybe you have a burning question about indexing or the business of freelancing. Drop your thoughts in the Exchange Box. We would love to hear from you!
November 26, 2024Episode 217 min
#28 My Go Bag (In Case of Emergency)
In this episode, Michelle expands on what to do "in case of emergency" by describing the contents of her Go Bag. By having a Go Bag, she's ready for travel, hardware failures, and electricity outages. If you're not ready to keep indexing during an emergency, then maybe you should consider having a Go Bag too. If you don't know where to start, then you'll like the new segment at the end of the podcast: First or Next Step(s). Michelle describes in this episodes First or Next Step(s) segment where you should start.In case you missed it:Episode #27 - In Case of Emergency describes Michelle's filing system that doubles as an emergency contact list. Do you have a suggestion or comment to share? Maybe you have a burning question about indexing or the business of freelancing. Drop your thoughts in the Exchange Box. We would love to hear from you!
September 26, 2024Episode 120 min
#27 In Case of Emergency, Contact...
This is the first episode of season 3. Thank you for being a loyal listener!In today's episode, Michelle addresses the sticky situation of what to do in case of emergency. Do you have a system in place so clients of ongoing projects can be contacted if you've been incapacitated or are consumed by a family emergency? Michelle shares her filing system for projects in progress that also serves as an "in-case-of-emergency" contact list.Here are specific articles or programs she mentioned in this episode:Cindex - now an open source indexing software program supported by indexersvideo tour of Michelle's filing system FileCenter - an overlay app for Windows folder systemPDF Exchange - a robust PDF software program that Michelle uses in her indexing process and the source for her PDF printerMichelle's article comparing various PDF programs Do you have a suggestion or comment to share? Maybe you have a burning question about indexing or the business of freelancing. Drop your thoughts in the Exchange Box. We would love to hear from you!
March 8, 2024Episode 913 min
#26 Rethinking Legacy Plans
In this episode, Michelle discusses the fate of bespoke indexing software programs in light of Scribendi.ai's announcement about CINDEX. As of April 1, Scribendi will no longer distribute or support CINDEX, but will make it available as an open-source program. Michelle attempts to address what indexers can do to ensure the continued development and distribution of the software programs. Maria Sullivan, an indexer who has been providing support to CINDEX users both when it was owned by Indexing Research and Scribendi, sent an email to the CINDEX Users listserv about this upcoming change. Her email is shared below with Maria's permission.But first, here are some links Michelle mentioned in the episode:Macrex siteCINDEX Users group page. If you're interested in hearing more about the open-source efforts, be sure to join the subgroup.Index Manager - software for embedded indexes. This software is billed yearly as a subscription plan.And if you'd like to join the conversation about legacy planning (please do!), you can send Michelle a voice message at indexerpodcast.com.Or you can drop her a note in the Exchange Box.If you know anyone who uses CINDEX but has not heard the news about the upcoming change, feel free to send them a copy of Maria's email. ________________________________________________________________________________________________From Maria Sullivan to Cindex Users listserv: Please take a look: https://www.scribendi.ai/cindex/ Most of you have no doubt read the announcement from Scribendi regarding the future of CINDEX. First, let me reassure you that CINDEX is NOT GOING AWAY.This change will mean that the CINDEX community will grow—this will make CINDEX stronger, more universal, more nimble, and more useful to indexers and publishers around the world.For those of you who already own licensed copies of CINDEX, the program will continue to work as it has, and this will have no change in your personal copy.One important change: after the transition to open source is complete, free software support will no longer be provided. Please rest assured that I am working on transitioning to another platform for support, and should have news coming about that soon.There is a world of available information on open source software: please research and read up on open source and make yourself more familiar with how this model differs from a traditional proprietary licensing model. You will be surprised to hear how many of the tools that you use every day are based on open source code. I’d like to encourage any coders in the group to get ready for the release of the code. Let’s help other indexers by creating new open installers and augmenting the existing functionality.Like always, and especially for the short-run, I encourage you to make sure that you have a current copy of the CINDEX installer and your serial number. Tuck these away in a safe place (not on your computer!) in case something happens to your equipment that would cause you to need to reinstall. In the future, we will not need these, but for now it’s best to be prepared so that you can keep indexing!Thank you,M—Maria A. SullivanEmail: maria@sullivanindex.com Indexing Do you have a suggestion or comment to share? Maybe you have a burning question about indexing or the business of freelancing. Drop your thoughts in the Exchange Box. We would love to hear from you!
February 27, 2024Episode 841 min
#25 Enid Zafran: Indexing in the early 2000s and the transition to full-time freelance indexer
In this episode, Enid Zafran talks about her transition from Director of Indexing Services at BNA and the reasons behind the move to full self-employment as a freelance indexer. She also shares her experiences as chief of publications at the American Society for Indexing.Links to other episodes in the series with Enid:#18 Enid Zafran: Indexing in the 1970s and early 1980s#20 Enid Zafran: Indexing Services at the Bureau of National Affairs from 1990 to 2002#22 Enid Zafran: The Growth of Indexing Partners and Cindex in the 1990sOther episodes mentioned:#24 Stephen Ullstrom: indexer and authorMentions in the episodeInformation Today Books Indexing titles- includes books from the series published while Enid was the chief of publications at ASIWise money services for foreign payments Do you have a suggestion or comment to share? Maybe you have a burning question about indexing or the business of freelancing. Drop your thoughts in the Exchange Box. We would love to hear from you!
February 20, 2024Episode 71 hr 1 min
#24 Stephen Ullstrom: indexer and author
This episode is all about indexing and writing about indexing. Michelle talks with Stephen Ullstrom, who is not only an award-winning indexer but he's also a first-time author. He wrote an excellent step-by-step guide to indexing for authors (book link below). Stephen also shares the titles of business books that have influenced his freelance career and what's up next for him and his indexing business.You can connect with Stephen Ullstrom on LinkedIn or sign up for his newsletter on his website.You can order his book, Book Indexing: A Step-by-Step Guide, from your local bookstore or here (not an affiliate link). Also - until March 9th, the e-book version of Stephen's book is half-price at Smashwords.Books discussed in this episode (not affiliate links):The Dip by Seth Godin Company of One by Paul JarvisTen Characteristics of Quality Indexes by Margie Towery Do you have a suggestion or comment to share? Maybe you have a burning question about indexing or the business of freelancing. Drop your thoughts in the Exchange Box. We would love to hear from you!
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