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

TRAIN YOUR EDITORS 29. NEXT YEAR’S EDITORS PRODUCE THE SUPPLEMENT OR CONTINUE COVERAGE THAT WILL BE USED TO START NEXT YEAR’S BOOK As mentioned, this is a decision that will be made before you begin producing pages of the book. If you do produce a supplement, this will take up much of the time you have after you have finalized the book. You will just continue to produce pages as you have all year. You will have seven to nine weeks to produce what you may have cranked out in two weeks earlier in the spring. For many years, we produced a supplement that was finished and distributed in the summer to include graduation and proms. After very few seemed interested in picking it up, we stopped creating it. The only way that producing a supplement makes sense to me now is to include as much coverage as you can, print it and get it into the actual book. I had one horrible year when I put the rising seniors in complete charge of it. They did a great job making the supplement, but then they were burned out before they started their actual book. That next year was the most difficult year of my advising career. 30. DEFINE EDITOR POSITIONS, ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES This seems basic, but it can be so easily forgotten and overlooked. You must take the time to clearly set up exactly what each editor in each position is expected to do. Before the year ever begins, they need to know exactly what they are signing up to do. From the adviser perspective, it will remind you that if you have these expectations, you must show them and teach and train them how to meet them. In my worst days as an adviser, I too often had expectations for editors to do things I never told them they were supposed to do and things I never showed them how to do. Once these requirements are spelled out, I put them into a clear and concise contract that each editor signed when they were offered that specific staff position. This will save you so much confusion, anger and disappointment if you put this effort in during the spring, before you start work on the next book. Over time, this will become easier as anyone applying for a position will know exactly what they are signing up for.

Photo by Laura Benteman

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