Many times, yearbook advisers struggle trying to identify their role on a yearbook staff. Most advisers feel that they are a club sponsor and should let the students decide everything, from font selection to ship week of the yearbook. As much as this can lead to student excitement, remember one thing… your role as an adviser is unlike any other sponsor or teacher. Your decision on how to manage your publication can make the difference between a successful yearbook or a yearbook that is over budget and incomplete.
As the adviser, you have been chosen to be the project manager of the publication. As project manager, be aware that your primary responsibilities lie in two areas: PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT (the creation of the yearbook) and FINANCE MANAGEMENT (the sales and finances of the yearbook).
As a production manager, you will be responsible for the entire creation of the yearbook. Remember that you were chosen by the school administration to fill the position – ultimately, you are the decision-maker on all parts of your program, and you report to the school administration. Sure, it is great to get the student input on all decisions, and this is highly encouraged, but you must set realistic goals and deadlines for all decisions. This being said, it’s important that you know that you are also responsible for keeping the administration informed on choices, decisions, set-backs, advancements, and more. Make sure you ask the administration how much “input” they want to have on the program. Understand that your administration, more than likely, does not want to know which photos you put in the yearbook, unless they are of important events or of questionable nature. They are trusting you to create a product on-time and that is free of problems. If you can do this, your efforts will be appreciated.
When it comes to being a production manager, this usually means you have to do or assign the following tasks to key people to complete within a specified time frame:
• Deciding what is on every page in the yearbook
• Photographing key school events
• Writing headlines, stories, and captions
• Choosing a cover design
• Choosing page designs
• Choosing type/text/font specifications
• Training staff members on production issues
• Page creation of custom pages to meet content elements
• Reviewing/proofreading page designs and stories
• Completing pages in a timely manner (deadlines)
• Completing advertisement pages
• Working with your yearbook representative
• Working with your school photographer
• Working with club sponsors and coaches for photos AND MORE…
When it comes to being a finance manager, this usually means you have to do or assign the following tasks to key people to complete within a specified time frame:
•Balancing the yearbook budget
•Developing & implementing a plan for yearbook sales
•Developing & implementing a plan for advertisement sales
•Developing & implementing, if necessary, a plan for fund-raising
•Tracking all sources of income
•Managing and tracking production & operation expenses
•Promoting & Selling Yearbooks to the school population & parents
•Fund-raiser Manager… if necessary AND MORE!
Finance management can be stressful if you do not have a plan in place to address different scenarios. We encourage you to develop three financial scenarios for your program: WORST CASE (drop in sales and finances from year before), SAFE CASE (sales and finances stay flat and don’t change from year to year), and BEST CASE (sales increase and finances grow).
After looking at these responsibilities, hopefully, you are not feeling overwhelmed. The key in managing your responsibilities is determining if you will be completing the yearbook project alone, or with assistance from co-sponsors and/or students. If you choose to include others, the experience can be both fun and exciting as well as crazy and stressful at times. The key to success is to take one step at a time and also control your decision-making process so choices are made quickly and without debate.
It is getting close to the end of the school year, and yearbook staffs have hit that stage of the school year where they are now finished with the yearbook. It is just a few weeks away from the final product being delivered and the distribution day.
It can be difficult finding things to keep the yearbook staff busy untill then, especially yearbook staff who don’t have their eyes on getting ready for next year’s book. But there are definitely productive tasks your yearbook staff can be working on.
Some things the yearbook staff can do while waiting for this year’s school yearbooks to arrive:
- Have the yearbook staff research colleges and careers, then present on them – journalist, graphic designer, even yearbook rep. They can interview professionals in the field.
- Create a portfolio of their best yearbook spreads and journalist work.
- Let them work on marketing ideas to sell more books for this year, if you have any left over. For next year, they can stuff folders to go out for next year’s ad and yearbook sales.
- The yearbook staff has learned all the yearbook tricks, and they know how to survive every ordeal, so have them create a “Survival Guide” for future yearbook staffers.
- Have the yearbook staff help with a curriculum, and provide input on what next year’s yearbook class should be graded on.
- Get your yearbook staff to research distribution ideas to make for a smooth distribution day.
- Theme ideas are always one of the most enjoyable areas of the yearbook to brainstorm. Allow the yearbook staff to provide input on next year’s theme.
- Have you thought about doing a supplement? If not, there could still be time, and the yearbook staff should be in charge of a supplement covering graduation or prom.
- Have the yearbook staff create fliers to help recruit students for next year’s staff.
- Have you tried some fundraising lately? The yearbook staff could organize a bake sale, or a barbecue to raise some money for yearbook.
Don’t forget to tell your future yearbook staff about the yearbook publishing and printing resources available at YearbookLife.com!
Important Information for All YearbookLife Customers:
Here are a few things you should know about your school yearbook.
YearbookLife reminds current customers that our agreement indicates that you if you intended to submit your book by our Early Bird Deadline of March 15 and you have not submitted your school yearbook yet, it is past due.
There is no penalty for submitting your book past that date, but we wanted to remind you that you must submit your book 8 weeks prior to the date you would like delivery.
Therefore, any books submitted from March 28 – April 3 may not be delivered until the week of May 30. Books submitted after April 4 may not be delivered until after June 9.
Please be aware of these deadlines and contact us if you have any questions about the submission process.
**ON-LINE USERS**
IF YOU HAVE CREATED YOUR COVER WITHIN THE EZBOOK PROGRAM, YOU MUST EXPORT YOUR COVER IN ADDITION TO EXPORTING YOUR BOOK.
Go to File/Export Cover and follow the on-screen instructions. You will then receive an email directing you to online.ezbook.net to review the pdf proof of your cover and to complete the cover production form.
You may then export your book by going to File/Export and following the same instructions to review the pdf and complete the Yearbook Production form. The export process is not complete if you have not completed the Yearbook Production Form.
You will receive a hard copy proof of both your cover and your book within three weeks of these exports. Please contact us if you have any questions about the export process.
YearbookLife
www.yearbooklife.com
Local: 954-447-5157
Toll Free: 888-680-0143
Getting your yearbook is an exciting time as a student. You cannot wait to see what pictures of you and your friends made it into the yearbook. The second best part of having your yearbook is having all of your friends sign it. Sometimes ordering a yearbook can be a hassle. As a parent, you worry about sending your child to school with cash or a check to pay for their yearbook, with thoughts of them losing the money. Fortunately, there is an easy solution. You can order your school yearbook online!
My Yearbook Sales is the solution. It is free to use, and eliminates the stresses of yearbook sales, making yearbook sales quick and easy. My Yearbook Sales allows you to sell your school yearbooks and accessories online. Parents love the convenience of being able to order their child’s school yearbook online; while the yearbook staff will appreciate the time they will save by not having to produce a receipt for every sale. My Yearbook Sales is a secure web-based application which does not require any software installation. It does all the work of managing sales and date information. Even more convenient to your yearbook staff is the ability to access the information from any computer with any internet access! Online yearbook sales through My Yearbook Sales is made for the yearbook staff, students, and parents. When it comes time to sell or buy your yearbook, make sure to keep My Yearbook Sales and YearbookLife in mind.
Christmas and New Year celebrations are an exciting time for the whole family. For some, the period involves family gatherings and vacation traveling. This time of year gives the opportunity for the disperse family to get together and celebrate the achievements from the past year as to welcome new beginnings and future challenges. However, after the festive season, reality kicks back and the time to go back to school is not faraway anymore.
Everyone has had a much needed holiday break and now it is time to return to school. Going back to school after the holidays can be difficult. You might be really excited to get back to school, catch up with all your friends and start the new school year. Or you might be sad that days of sleeping in, going to the beach, and having extra time on your hands are over until the next holiday. No matter what you might be feeling, you have to get back into the right headspace for going back to school and get you motivated for a successful new school year.
Books, teachers, classroom, and homework are part of your life again. Your role as a student begins and with all this excitement comes something special and meaningful that you will be receiving this spring and during summer: the yearbook. Yearbook will help yourself, your family, and friends remember unique moments during this school year with better clarity. It will measure the year in pictures and words, and will keep all the specials events including holidays.
We all know that you would love to see your holiday photos in the yearbook on the holiday page this year and share with everyone the wonderful images you have captured with the best moments of this holiday break. So, find your favorite pictures and give them to your school yearbook staff. It would be thrilling to open your school yearbook and find your holiday portraits being part of it. Years from now you will be in a different place, but this is how you and your loved ones will always remember this holiday season.
Do not forget! Submit any pictures of you and your friends during the holidays to the yearbook staff. Pictures do not have to be of people dressed up in festive attire, any pictures taken during the holiday season will work!
