Oftentimes, I scope out Twitter, Craigslist and the web for people looking for help and guidance when writing an index for their own book. 

I enjoy speaking with the authors.  They understand the importance of having an index and I love consulting with them and guiding them with the basics.  While I truly believe that nearly anyone can write an index, I find that a well-written index requires a trained professional.

Authors are often frustrated with writing their own indexes.  Many times they have spent years working on their book and feel overwhelmed with the task of writing an index on top of all their other efforts.  Other times, they don't even know where to begin.  An author may feel that they are unable to afford a professional index. 

Professional indexers have been trained to objectively analyze a manuscript, choose key terms, ensure that cross-references are made, synonyms are used when applicable, and in short - that the reader of your book can find the subject matter s/he is looking for.

I think a key point that authors (and publishers) must understand is that an index is a very strong selling point for many customers.  Having previously worked in libraries, I would give a strong reconsideration of a book with no index.  When searching for quality non-fiction, I would oftentimes see if I could read the index on Amazon before making a purchase.  I have spoken with many librarians, professors and students, and all agree that a quality index is vital.

So if you are an author who is burned out on your book, or someone who thinks they can't afford a professional indexer, think about the fact that a quality index will help sell your book, get your message out to your customers, and make your book much more profitable in the long run.