If you received overrun books, then you have an opportunity.
Extra yearbooks mean more happy readers.
What are overruns?
In the printing biz, we are extra careful to make sure you get the books you ordered, so there’s no way we’re going to take the chance of sending you too few books or a book that doesn’t meet our quality standards. We usually print extras to make sure every book you receive is top-notch. We save a few for our own libraries, and then we send any extras to you so you can profit from selling them.
Before you sell overruns:
- Make sure you have enough books for distribution and that all of those books are in great shape. If you need help planning for distribution day, click here.
- Set aside books for contests (including Portfolio!), school offices, the library and your classroom.
- Start with the students who would be most likely to be disappointed if they didn’t get a book (seniors!) and consider the FAQs below.
FAQs
Q: How can I easily promote sales?
This is a great time to use Send and Sell, if you’re an eDesign customer. Here’s a sample email you could send to parents on your non-buyers list.
Yearbook Campaign: Overruns
Headline: We’re in it together
Subject Line: We have XX books available – while supplies last (but they won’t last long)
(Fill in a number slightly fewer than your actual supply of extra books)
(Customize this sample email copy for parents.)
Great news!
We have received a few extra yearbooks and now have the opportunity to offer them to parents and students who have not yet purchased one. With the year cut short, our yearbook staff worked overtime to complete this book and make sure it captured all of the great memories of the school year. Give your student this gift so they will be able to look back at all of the friends and fun — and remember their own extraordinary experiences of 2020.
(Remember, your Yearbook Order Center sales are probably concluded for the year, so make sure to include in-school sales information here. You may also want to add delivery and pickup information, if it is available.)
First come, first served. While supplies last.
Q: How should I price them?
Do not discount the extra books. You have been selling books all year. Don’t devalue the purchases that all of those students and parents have made by offering discount books after distribution. You don’t want to risk sending the message that if a parent or student waits long enough, there’s a good chance they can still buy a discounted book.
Q: But I have been selling books all year! Why should I sell more?
Look at extra books as a fundraising opportunity. The more books you sell, the more stable your program will be in the coming year. If you’ve met your budget goals, these funds may go toward a new camera or a workshop. You do not need more than a handful of books in your classroom. Sell as many of these overruns as possible!
- Use social media to your advantage. Get the word out to grandmas, aunts and uncles. Consider using very concrete information — “We have 15 books left, and no more will be available.” When you successfully sell every book, make sure to promote your sell-out. You may see a bump in your next book’s sales as a result.
- Use your own work. Cross-check the non-buyers list with the subjects in dominant photos. A quick message with a sneak peek of the spread would likely result in another book sold. Or assign staffers to the index to identify people who appeared in the book a certain number of times. Comparing those lists to the non-buyers report and snapping shots of the index might move some overruns as well.
- Have a one-day pop up sale. There’s a chance that some people were holding out for the last minute or distribution day to buy a book. Now, there’s less of a chance they will be able to purchase on-site. A one-day pop-up, maybe as school starts again in the fall, may be the best way to sell your overruns.
- Sell outside the school. So many businesses and organizations could benefit from having a yearbook. Think real estate offices, the chamber of commerce, visitor/tourism centers, police and fire stations, recruiting offices in corporations large and small. Assign each staffer two or three places to call. We even have a script for students to follow.
- Fundraise for your friends. You may want to consider starting a GoFundMe page and ask your community to provide books for those students who couldn’t afford one. Maybe the PTA/PTO or a booster club would like to get involved. This can be a sticky subject, though, so make sure to seek input from colleagues on how this would work.
