Build a subject index draft around the book’s ideas

IndexPDF proposes concepts and passages that may deserve reader-facing access points. You decide the scope, terminology, and level of detail—and correct anything the draft misses or overvalues.

Merge true variants, separate distinct concepts, organize substantial topics into subentries, and add useful see and see also references. The result should reflect the book’s argument and remain easy to scan.

A keyword is not automatically a locator. Read the surrounding passage to decide whether the page develops the concept or merely names it, then search the book for substantive discussions the draft may have missed.

Check the draft against the book’s structure and recurring arguments, verify every locator, apply the publisher’s style, and complete a final alphabetical read.

For a practical sequence, see how IndexPDF approaches verification.