Jim Jordan's 40 Things To Do After The Yearbook Is Done

EXPAND YOUR AUDIENCE 27. SEND YOUR BOOK FOR A NATIONAL, REGIONAL OR STATE CRITIQUE Send your book into one of the critique services to get objective feedback on your students’ work. Both the National Scholastic Press Association at the University of Minnesota and the Columbia School Press Association at Columbia University offer detailed critiques of all publications at the national level. Some, but not all, state and regional press associations also offer detailed personal critiques of your book. These critiques may seem pricey, but the objective commentary you get, in conjunction with their detailed guidebook of what goes into a quality publication, are invaluable. When the critique comes back in late summer or early fall, each editor is required to read through the comments and gauge how well they are doing in improving areas of weakness, and how they are continuing to uphold what the critiques said our staff is doing well. This can also be a great time for an editor roundtable, where the editorial board discusses what needs to be improved in the book and how they plan to meet their goals for the year. A warning, though – these critiques are done by one person in a limited amount of time. Choose to take whatever criticism may be offered with that in mind.

Photo by Briley Kemper

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