---
title: "The Ultimate Yearbook Tip Sheet: 5 Tips for Success in 5 Key Categories"
description: New yearbook advisers often struggle with yearbook spreads. Experienced advisers look for ways to take their books to the next level. Here’s a tip sheet full of ideas to create a better yearbook. Not everything will work for every school. Take what you want; leave the rest, and don’t try to do everything at once. Just working on one or two strategies at a time will help you improve your book.
image: https://blog.balfour.com/hubfs/iStock-1358814280.jpg
---

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# The Ultimate Yearbook Tip Sheet: 5 Tips for Success in 5 Key Categories

 Feb 27, 2024 [Back to Blogs](https://blog.balfour.com)

**![iStock-1358814280](https://blog.balfour.com/hs-fs/hubfs/iStock-1358814280.jpg?width=3864&height=2576&name=iStock-1358814280.jpg)**

New yearbook advisers often struggle with yearbook spreads. Experienced advisers look for ways to take their books to the next level. Here’s a tip sheet full of ideas to create a better yearbook. Not everything will work for every school. Take what you want; leave the rest, and don’t try to do everything at once. Just working on one or two strategies at a time will help you improve your book.

**Layout**: 

1. Include a dominant photo. Best photo on the spread.  
2. Cluster your photos – don’t scatter them. 
3. Use uniform internal margins between photos. 
4. Bigger photos in the middle. Smaller photos/elements on the outside. 
5. White space in the corners. Don’t trap white space. 

**Photos: **

1. Strive for the correct exposure. 
2. Use candids whenever possible. Two eyes, one ear, action, and emotion. 
3. The dominant is the best photo on the spread. 2-3x bigger than the other photos. It often crosses the gutter. 
4. Leave some nose room when cropping photos. 
5. Arrange photos so people are looking into the layout; not off the page. 

**Copy: **

*Dos: * 

1. Specific is 1000X better than general. 
2. Write in the active voice. 
3. Opinions go in quotation marks. 
4. Commentary is factual. 
5. Write about what was special/unique to this year. 

**Photography: **

1. Go early, stay late. 
2. Take more than you need. 
3. Photograph before, during and after events. 
4. Get some wide angle and close-up shots. 
5. Look for moments, wait for the perfect time, then take several.  

**Interviewing: **

1. Interview the right people. 
2. Suggest a specific time when requesting an interview. 
3. Do some research before the interview. 
4. Verify your research in the first set of questions. 
5. Ask open ended questions.

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