Publishers that don't add indexes--RANT

[Belen]

I do not think that a lot of publishers have an ear to their audience these days. I just do not believe that they care about adding an index. They are always so rushed to print that they do not take the extra time needed to create an index. Most of the 3rd party publishers cannot even tell us what is in the works and when it will arrive much less provide an index.

I see no way to correct this flaw other than a single editing/layout/design company forming to help out the publishers. It would be nice if we had a company that could edit and standardize d20 etc.

 

[HinterWelt]

I index, TOC and cross-reference any of my books over 64 pages in length. Those under 64 pages I do a detailed TOC and still cross-reference. Heck, even our HTML versions have index, TOC and cross-reference.

Bill

 

[frankthedm]

What logic is there behind NOT putting an index in a full campaign setting?

Return the book, demand your money back.

 

[painandgreed]

The licensing cost of tools like Adobe Framemaker might be prohibitive for lower-run RPG books though... and page count considerations are definitely a problem for anyone who produces physical books.

Well, Framemaker is the wrong product for that sort of thing anyway. If you're doing a manual with hundreds or thousands of pages, then you'd want Framemaker. For smaller publications or magazines, you'd want InDesign although for something like a game book, I'm sure an old copy of Pagemaker (or Quark) would do wonderfully.

But agree, if you know what you are doing while writing and are using the right tool for writing publications, then creating an index is pretty trivial. If you didn't know what you were doing, got something from the writer that wasn't flagged, or don't have the right product, then you need to spend the hours it takes to make an index just to teach you what you are doing wrong.

 

[HinterWelt]

Well, Framemaker is the wrong product for that sort of thing anyway. If you're doing a manual with hundreds or thousands of pages, then you'd want Framemaker. For smaller publications or magazines, you'd want InDesign although for something like a game book, I'm sure an old copy of Pagemaker (or Quark) would do wonderfully.

But agree, if you know what you are doing while writing and are using the right tool for writing publications, then creating an index is pretty trivial. If you didn't know what you were doing, got something from the writer that wasn't flagged, or don't have the right product, then you need to spend the hours it takes to make an index just to teach you what you are doing wrong.

Hmm, I use FM7 and it works very well. I guess if all you will be doing it a five page pdf with an expected sell through of 30 copies you would be better off indexing by hand and using your fav word processor.

For the near 15 books I have done I have found little incentive to move to InDesign. I find writing game manuals to be much like writing tech manuals. You need excellent CR, TOC and Indexing tools and FM really comes through.

That said, I appreciate that the rest of the game industry is either on Indesign or Quark for the DTP. FM shoul dnot be discounted as a poor choice though, and I have not found it very expensive at all comparatively. Could just be me.

Bill