STAFFER TAKEOVER: We submitted the book. Now what?

This blog post was submitted and written by a fellow yearbooker.

The school year is almost over. Spring sports are wrapping up. Anticipation for the yearbook to arrive is high. What’s next? Preparing for next year. 

Communicate with your staff about next year as they are starting to plan ahead (hopefully for the yearbook) for next year. By having a sense of who is coming back, you have a good sense of where the staff’s strong suits and soft spots are. Here are a few tips to get the rest of the year filled, so next year can start off with a bang. 

Get your editorial board ready.

There is always a select group of people ready to take on responsibility, or better yet, you’ve witnessed them take on editor responsibility. Now is a great time to start discussing and creating editor positions for next year. After you have the board ready, spend the rest of the year training them how to do their specific job. For example, a design editor would need to know the in’s and out’s of eDesign. Get the board ready now, so that when camp and next year roll around you’ll be off to a great start.

Talk with the students.

Remember, the yearbook is about creating a time capsule for the students and each of their years here. Talk with students about what they like and dislike about the book, what they wish they saw more of and what they want to see again. Keep an open mind and take note of things to work on for next year.

Submit for awards and critiques.

There are so many awards and helpful critiques your yearbook can receive, so why not submit it? Set aside a copy of your book and consider submitting to Portfolio. All the directions can be found at herff.ly/portfolio-submit. Submit for state awards through each state’s JEA portal. CSPA and NSPA also have a multitude of award contents ranging beyond just the yearbook publication. You’ll never win if you don’t submit!

Brainstorm themes.

It is also a great time to consider what themes and trends may be upcoming for this next school year. Think about your previous volumes, your past themes and what’s unique to this upcoming school year. Brainstorm with your class on what is happening next year, and find phrases to work off of. You’ll want to think about the verbal/visual themes you want to reoccur throughout your book to tie into your theme. 

Author:

Chiara Arendt // Yearbook Staffer at West Linn High School, West Linn, OR

Want to share your yearbook experience, tips or tricks? Learn more at herff.ly/ybkinfluencer 

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