Biography

I’m Ellen, a freelance indexer, copy editor, proofreader, and Y&R fan since my mom got me hooked in the mid-1980s.

Many people wonder what a freelance indexer does and how one becomes such a thing. The process involves reading a manuscript from beginning to end, compiling an alphabetical list of names and key terms with corresponding page numbers or locators, and then adding cross-references. I became an indexer after learning about the field in a book called “What else you can do with a library degree.” I added editing and proofreading to my repertoire later.

It might surprise you to know that Y&R is the only television show I watch, and the way I watch it is a bit unconventional: plugged into my laptop with earbuds, note-taking materials in my lap if I’m going to write an update, while pedaling a recumbent stationary bicycle. It must be quite a sight.
I live in the sunny southwestern United States, where I spend my non-working, non-viewing hours with my husband, a greyhound, and three cats.

Page updated 11/16/14