It’s never too early to start thinking about next year’s yearbook. That’s because events you may want to include happen all year long. When you start planning in advance you have a greater chance of creating a book that everyone is a part of. So take advantage of the great resources we offer as you design, create, manage and sell your yearbook—starting with this planning guide!
In here you’ll find tips, suggestions, examples and snapshots that will help you start brainstorming, organizing and designing the ultimate yearbook for your school!
Every school is different…some schools have a yearbook class that includes the creation and sale of the yearbook, while others have a group of students that meet outside of class or before and after school. Some even have just one faculty or parent volunteer handling it all. Whatever the case may be, our guide will help you organize your team so you know exactly what (and who) you’ll need to create a great yearbook – even if that team is just you!
Roles Defined
As the yearbook adviser, you have been chosen to be the project manager of the publication. As project manager, your primary responsibilities lie in two areas:
PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT (the creation of the yearbook) and
FINANCE MANAGEMENT (the sales and finances of the yearbook).
Production managers (sometimes called “Editor in Chiefs”) usually have
to do or assign someone to the following tasks, along with a completion
deadline for each item:
• Decide what will go onto each page
• Photograph key school events
• Write headlines, stories, and captions
• Choose a cover design
• Choose page designs
• Choose type/text/font specifications
• Troubleshoot production issues
• Establish design custom page design
• Review/proofread page designs and stories
• Complete pages in a timely manner (if applicable)
• Complete advertisement pages
• Work with your yearbook representative
• Work with your school photographer
• Work with club sponsors and coaches for photos and more!
YEARBOOK PLANNING TIP:
Student Editor in Chiefs are often your natural leaders who motivate and empower their peers. A student editor who has the most design experience might not necessarily be the best fit for “Editor in Chief”, but would be a great “Creative Team” leader. This would allow him or her to focus his or her strength in design vs. project management.
YEARBOOK PLANNING TIP:
Don’t overlook possible professional assistance from your portrait photography studio and the customer service and technical support teams of your yearbook publisher. They
can be great resources to share examples of what has worked for other schools.
Develop a small focus group of students that represents everyone on campus. Pass
ideas by them if you do not have a student staff to rely on for input. What adults find
appealing versus what students
find appealing can be different.