Let’s Make Next Year’s Book the Best One Yet!

Tuesday Tip: Select one thing to improve next year.

In order to make every yearbook better than the last, it’s a good idea to pick one new thing to work on each year.

• Do you want to start including copy on every spread? Photographs without copy is like watching TV with the sound turned off. Even a few sentences on each spread can make a big difference. Include detailed facts about this year. What was special about the event this year? Avoid sentences that are true of all schools and statements that describe every year.
  
  
• Can you improve your photography skills? Every photo should have a center of interest. Try to fill the frame and get closer. Work to capture action and emotion instead of just including posed photographs. When taking candid photos, position yourself to get all your subject’s eyes and one ear in the photo.
  
  
• Is this the year you move from titles to headlines? Headlines are stronger than titles because they have verbs. Football is a title. Navy Team Wins District is a headline. Effective headlines have strong verbs and concise, specific detailed facts.
  
  
• Is it time to improve your design skills? Include a dominant graphic element near the center of every spread. Cluster photo boxes around it while maintaining uniform internal margins. Keep the text boxes on the outside of the photo boxes. A little white space is a good thing, but keep it in the corners. Uniform outside margins on all spreads will give your book a polished look.

Talk to your rep about local summer workshops and learning resources.