The times are hard in the teaching world right now. It seems like everybody is just piling on: parents, politicians, and worst of all, payroll deductions. A lot of teachers I talk to love their profession, but just don’t feel like they can handle 10 or 15 more years (sometimes more like even 10 or 15 more MINUTES – ahem – I’m looking at you, Friday before Spring break!!!!).
So they dream of finding a side hustle that could give them money for some extras, or maybe someday even replace their teaching income. But every time they think they have found something, it turns out to be a scam or earns a whopping $1.50 per hour.
There is an option out there that no one seems to know about. And I wouldn’t know about it if it weren’t for my friend Meridith Murray, who turned it into her full-time(ish) job. It isn’t a get-rich scheme. It’s an actual side job that can replace a teacher’s salary with work and minimal investment, AND it doesn’t involve sales!
Here’s the best-kept work from home secret of 2020: Indexing. An indexer does exactly what it sounds like – create the index at the back of non-fiction books. While most publishers have in-house editors and proofreaders, indexing is a function they often prefer to contract out to reliable freelancers.
Pros and Cons
Indexing has a ton of upsides, like good income potential, flexibility, and the ability to work from home. But it is a real job, and it requires hard work, a willingness to learn, and it doesn’t produce income on the first day. So let’s look at the pros and cons one by one to help you decide whether indexing might be your ticket to one again being the master of your own life.
Pro #1: Flexible location
Because the books indexers work on are sent via computer, you can work from anywhere there is reliable internet. Home: check. Starbucks: check. Tahiti: DOUBLE CHECK!
Pro #2: Flexible hours
Even though indexing usually has a firm deadline (and sometimes a short one, at that), the time you work on the project is up to you. Whether you’re a night owl or do your best work at 4AM before the family is stirring, there’s no problem for an indexer. As a teacher, you can also accept fewer jobs during the school year and more projects during the summer months.
Pro #3: #willreadforincome
Yes, you got that right. You get paid for reading books. OK, there is more to it than that, but reading books is definitely part of the job description. What’s more, you get to read and learn about topics from adoption to children’s book publishing to cookbooks to who knows what else, all while getting paid for it. If you are a book addict, it doesn’t get much better than that. Of course, since only non-fiction books have an index, you’re not going to be reading a page-turner novel, but once you have a steady stream of clients, you can actually choose which jobs to accept and which ones not to. A number of indexers are known for a specific type of work, often one that they really enjoy learning about.
The other side of the coin
“OK, sounds good,” you say, “but nothing is perfect.” True, that. This is a legitimate, long-term work at home option. And that means it’s going to take some commitment and investment before you see the money starts rolling in.
Of course, as with any legitimate work-at-home business, you will need to set up record keeping systems and have a quiet, distraction-free work environment. In other words, don’t plan on doing indexing while watching your kids out of the corner of your eye. That could be dangerous both for the kids and for the index.
Investment of money
Indexing is a side income that does require some up front investment and a little business acumen. First, you’ll need to learn to index by taking a class, which usually runs about $750 and can be done online in a self-paced course. Once you’re trained you’ll need to purchase indexing software, which varies in price from $225 to almost $600.
Investment of time
Besides the initial investment of money, you also have to allow time for your indexing business to take off. At first, you are not going to get many jobs because you are not well known and have no client base established. The jobs might trickle in pretty slowly, so don’t quit your teaching job after you’ve completed one project.
Unpredictability
Also, even though indexing is flexible, it is also somewhat unpredictable. The index of a book can’t be started until every other detail of the text itself is finalized, so if there is an unexpected delay, you might receive a project 1-2 weeks later than projected – quite a problem if you were counting on finishing it before a family vacation or if you have another big project that comes in at the same time.
And just like the timing, the income can’t always be relied on like a teacher paycheck can. There may be times when it seems like there aren’t any jobs coming your way, and others when you can’t accept all the jobs you’d really like to do. So if you are someone who spends money the minute she has it, indexing as a primary income could cause some pretty serious stress.
Paperwork
Unlike in teaching, you don’t have an employer who will be withholding your taxes, Medicare, or social security, you will need to educate yourself on how to set aside funds and avoid a big, nasty surprise come tax time – AND have the discipline to actually do it! If you have never had a side hustle before and that thought freaks you out, don’t get too worried. It is absolutely do-able. I just want to warn you beforehand.
The friend of mine who I mentioned earlier, Meredith Murray of MLM Indexing (her initials are MLM. Don’t worry. It has nothing to do with the MLMs that most people think of, I promise!), has been indexing either part-time or full-time for over 20 years. When we worked together, she did it as a way to make extra income. When she retired from the school system, she had established a reputation for timeliness and accuracy that allowed her to make a solid living through her indexing business. After 20 years, she is still enthusiastic about indexing and says she often has more work than she can handle.
In summary, if you are looking for a work from home activity that allows you some control over your work schedule, but is a legitimate way to potentially match a teaching salary, indexing is a strong option. It works better for fast, avid readers who are also detail oriented. For outstanding resources, check out the American Society of Indexing website.
And if you found this article helpful, please feel free to share it on social media. You might have a teacher friend who has been looking for a work at home side job exactly like this one.