A professional index for 1/3 the price
Every nonfiction book needs an index, and it needs to be done at the worst possible moment. Page proofs arrive, the press wants them back in three weeks, and you either spend those weeks building it by hand or scramble to find and pay a freelancer. SeeAlso gives you a third way.
One flat price, per book
$399 per book
A flat rate, regardless of the length and complexity of your book. No subscription, nothing to cancel — you pay when you have a book to index, and you can try it free on your own proofs first.
- The full workspace, proofs and index in one place
- Automatic page references
- Subentries and cross-references
- Formatted export to Word, plain text, or RTF
- Return to your book as many times as you need
- Runs in your browser — no install, no IT ticket
- In-app help and Andrew Ascherl’s video tutorials
Paying from a research fund? $399 can usually go on a university purchase card — no vendor setup, no invoices. Buy it the day your proofs arrive.
Indexing many books a year, or buying for a department or press? Ask about group pricing
Your book deserves a good index. You don’t have to hire one out
When the publisher asks for an index, most authors have two choices: pay a professional indexer, or build it by hand in Word. SeeAlso is a third option — your knowledge of the book, a professional’s toolkit, and a price that won’t eat into your advance or your research budget.
| Hire an indexer | Do it by hand | SeeAlso | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your time, 300-page book | 0–18 hours** | 40–100 hours | 15–30 hours |
| Cost | $1,000–$2,000* | Free | $399, flat |
| Who decides what’s in it | The indexer | You | You |
| Page numbers, alphabetizing, formatting | Handled for you | All by hand | Automatic |
Hours are estimates for a typical 300-page scholarly book; yours will vary with length and density.
*Professional indexers typically charge $4–$8 per indexable page. The Editorial Freelancers Association’s 2026 rate survey puts book indexing at $5.00–$6.25 per page. See the EFA rate chart
**Hiring out still takes your time: you review the indexer’s work, answer their questions, and make corrections before the index goes to your publisher.
“Compared to what professional indexers quoted me, $400 is a really good value.”
Made for the person who knows the book best
You know your book best
No one understands your argument, your names, and your key ideas better than you. SeeAlso lets you turn that knowledge into an index directly.
Fewer clicks, more thinking
Indexing is really about mapping your ideas for readers. With the busywork handled, more of your attention stays with the text — and the reader.
Fewer mistakes
Mistyped page numbers, entries out of order, formatting that drifts halfway through — these are the errors that slip into hand-built indexes. SeeAlso’s automations keep them out.
A professional’s tool, made approachable
SeeAlso was built by a professional indexer, then made simple enough for a first-timer. You don’t need to learn a complicated new software to use it.
A real, high-quality index for every book — including the ones that would otherwise get a rushed one at 11pm, or none at all.
Give every book the index it deserves.
The surest way to know if SeeAlso is right for you is to try it on your own proofs.