How Many Yearbooks Should You Order?



How Many Yearbooks Should You Order for Your SchoolDetermining the quantity of school yearbooks to order from your yearbook publisher can be dependent on several factors including:


  • The number of students at your school.
  • Past performance of your yearbook sales from previous school year(s).
  • A survey of students and parents who say they will purchase a school yearbook.
  • Number of pre-sales / pre-orders.
  • How well the yearbook club markets & promotes the yearbook (Keep in mind, many yearbook publishers provide helpful marketing materials including posters, flyers, banners, email campaigns, and more – so don’t forget to ask).
  • The base price a.k.a. price point of your yearbook. (PRO TIP: The size of the yearbook and design options you choose will affect the price. Make sure you don’t create a yearbook that the school community can’t afford.)
  • How easy it is to purchase the yearbook? For example, will you only accept cash and checks or will you offer online sales as well?


So How Many Yearbooks Should You Order for Your School?

Every school is different, however, it is recommended that you order enough yearbooks for approximately 30% of the student population. Meaning if you have 2,000 students, at least 600 school yearbooks should be ordered. It’s important to review the yearbook sales from the previous school year(s) since past performance can give you an idea of what to plan. If enrollment numbers for your school have changed, you may need to make some adjustments to the number of books that you order from your yearbook publisher.


NOTE: You may have students or parents who forget to order the school yearbook. It may be wise to order “extra” just in case! Once your yearbook gets distributed, more may be sold.


How to Better Gauge the Quantity of Yearbooks You Should Order?


Review Yearbook Sales from Previous School Year(s)

Review Yearbook Sales from the Previous School Year(s)


As we mentioned before, past performance can be indicative of future results. For example, looking at the numbers from last year’s yearbook sales should give you an idea of what percentage of students and parents buy the school yearbook.


Survey the Students and ParentsSurvey the Students and Parents


Simply asking the students and parents if they are planning on purchasing the school yearbook is an effective way to estimate the demand and give you an idea of the number of yearbooks that would actually need to be ordered.


Pre-Sale / Pre-Order DiscountsPre-Sale / Pre-Order Discounts


Offering discounts to students and parents who pre-order the school yearbook is a great way to increase yearbook sales as well as gauge how many yearbooks you should order.


Sell Your School Yearbooks OnlineCreate an Online Store


Many yearbook publishers offer you the ability to create an online store for your yearbook sales. This not only makes purchasing a school yearbook easily accessible for students and parents by allowing 24/7 online ordering, but on top of that, you can easily keep track of sales to make sure you reach your goal(s).


TIP: If possible, add a link to your online yearbook store on your school’s website to help increase sales and awareness.



Who Pays Sales Taxes On School Yearbooks?


Over the years we have discussed this question with accountants, lawyers, Departments of Revenue and other “experts” in the field. As expected, we have received many different answers. There is no one answer that fits every school in every situation. The answer lies with your state’s taxation authority. READ MORE



*Make sure to take advantage of the tools & resources offered by your yearbook publisher to help you during the entire yearbook process.


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