For today’s article, I reached out to Mary Harper, indexer of print and ebook publications. An experienced professional with over 600 indexes to her name, Mary gives us the lowdown on a piece of back matter that, like good health and youth, we don’t appreciate until it’s missing.
Deadlines and Why You Should(n’t) Care
“Don’t make up a deadline if you don’t really have one.” That was a piece of great advice from a colleague early in my career. And one that didn’t sink in until much later. It wasn’t until my body revolted (bursitis of the shoulders, aching tailbone), that I recognized an ongoing problem with my […]
What we can learn from the movies
Documentary filmmaker Zeva Oelbaum was in Kansas City yesterday for a screening of her new film, Letters from Baghdad. She answered questions afterward, including mine about how she and fellow filmmaker Sabine Krayenbühl created the structure to tell the life story of Gertrude Bell, the film’s subject. Her thoughtful response pointed out a few ways […]
Five tips to avoid procrastinating when you’re starting out
Starting a new business endeavor, especially one we’re excited about, comes with a hidden risk. Hijacked by our eagerness to learn everything we can, we turn into industrial-strength vacuum cleaners, sucking up everything Google throws our way. We read the experts, maybe even attend some conferences. But unless we watch out, we may find ourselves […]