How Do I Add An Index To An eBook?

by Dann
(Tri Cities, WA, USA)

Question:
Submitted by Dann

I am in final review of my non-fiction text and need to add an index. If I publish it as a Kindle/ebook, then there are really no "page numbers" to reference.

So what is the process of indexing important words or concepts in an ebook?

How do I indicate the page/location of each indexed word?

What if the same word appears on multiple 'pages'?

Does one of your publications handle this subject? If so, point me to it and I'll read the details there.

Thanks for your anticipated response.

Dann
Author of First Aid for a Heart Attack

Answer:
From Self-Publishing-Coach.com

Hi Dann,

Great question! You are completely right that eBooks don’t have page numbers, so the best way to handle it would be to add internal hyperlinks, linking the indexed words. For more words used more than once you could add a numbering system to distinguish between the different entries (i.e., {1} {2} {3} etc.). I do not believe that any of Shelley’s products covers that directly, however she does cover converting footnotes, the table of contents and such in both her “Get Your Kindle eBook Done!” and “eBook Publishing Success” courses. It’s also important to note that all of her products come with complete support services, so if you purchased one and it didn’t answer your question we would get you the information you need or your money back guaranteed.

Congratulations on reaching the final stages of publishing your book, by the way! What a great accomplishment. I wish you all the best.

~Heather Hart
Self-Publishing-Coach.com Support Services