Yearbook Budget 101 - How to plan next year's budget

Like your school each Yearbook is unique. From the way the Yearbook is put together to the actual number of printed pages and copies getting a handle on your Yearbook budget does not need to be a difficult task. Here are three tips for #yearbooksuccess

First, start to get excited about the book that will be delivering in less than two months. Ask for distribution day materials to help get the school pumped and sell the 2016 book now- before the school year starts. These great "Sign my yearbook" pens are a fun way to get rolling.

Second, dream big! I encourage all customers to spend the end of the year and beginning of the fall dreaming. Ask questions like.. if budget is not a consideration our book would look like.... This is a crucial part of budgeting. Involve your Yearbook sales professional as well. Often we have tips on how to achieve the look you want with a minimum impact on budget. I like to propose three potential books, then when the book sale is final we can decide on which direction to go.

Third, the base pricing of a yearbook revolves around number of pages and copies. The more copies printed the lower the price. For example 500 yearbooks may be less than 300. Keep in mind that the number of copies and pages are just part of the equation. Involving your Yearbook sales professional is key. Far too many schools don't add enough "wiggle room" to the budget for the really important items like deadline parties, end of year editor dinners and of course any unexpected costs. I like to see schools ad $3-5 dollars to the sell price to cover the cost of a broken camera, replacing lost memory cards and have a celebration budget. Each deadline and yearbook staff birthday should also be celebrated.

Finally, remember we are not publishing a Yearbook, we are making history. What we do together this year and next has an incredible impact on school spirit and tells the story of all of the great things happening this year. You and your staff make a difference.

Life is good, Yearbooks are amazing and you are appreciated.

The Office of Matt & Mary Sloan
Yearbookplanet Inc.
Representing Herff Jones
905.605.1069

The REAL Reason Your School Is Suffering From Yearbook Adviser Turnover

It's March and final Yearbook deadlines are near and your staff adviser has just told you they won't be advising next year. Now what!? First, don't panic. Advising on the school yearbook can often be a difficult job and not everyone understands what the staff adviser does. Here are three things you should say and three more things you should immediately do.

1. Thank your staff member for everything they have done this year. Remember when you left the building and noticed a staff member's car still in the lot? That was the yearbook adviser.

2.  Ask your staff member to sit and chat about how you can help make his or her life easier next year. A little relief during on-calls may be just the right thing to do.

3.  Ask your staff member to become involved in recruiting the new staff adviser. If the staff member is serious about moving on at least they will feel involved and perhaps mentor the new adviser.

Now...here are three things you should start doing immediately.

1.  Plan a party.  If your school takes delivery of the yearbooks and makes a boring announcement "Yearbooks are in" and nothing more then you may have hit on a school spirit issue. Talk to your representative about distribution day materials. Banners, prizes, autograph supplements and more. Plan a day and time for a huge distribution day party. If the outgoing adviser sees you care perhaps she will reconsider.

2.  Speak with your yearbook sales professional immediately. I often work behind the scenes with schools to be sure they ramp up distribution day and planning ahead is the best way to ensure success.

3. Visit the yearbook room.  A thank you from the school Principal or VP goes a long way with the students, and again may send just the right message to the staff adviser.


Life is good, yearbooks are amazing and you are appreciated.

Matt Sloan
Yearbookplanet Inc.
Representing Herff Jones

3.5 Things Every School Board Should Know About Yearbook Publishing

It's been an incredibly busy spring. Most of my time recently has been spent with school board privacy officers and IT folks helping them get familiar with the yearbook world and achieve #yearbooksuccess. What I have discovered is that many times most people just are not familiar with what we do. After all our focus is always to deliver the Yearbook in a timely fashion with the least amount of stress and pressure possible. We focus on making our software and services so easy to use that we don't need an IT ticket or call to the board to troubleshoot.  Here's 3.5 things that I hope every school board considers.

First, the Yearbook is a key source of school pride, spirit and is the original anti-bullying program. It's not an app or a download. It's a treasure that students continue to purchase in this age of social networking.

Secondly, the Yearbook team- the Advisers, editors and photographers are some of the most important people in the school. They document the year and preserve everything. They are super stars and their hard work is often not appreciated. Getting them involved in the process of choosing a publisher is a great idea.

Third, forget about the "specifications". The number of copies and pages are not important. What is important is working with a company that is flexible. We know schools will miss the occasional deadline and students will make mistakes. It's our job as the yearbook sales professional to fix those issues and deliver the yearbook as promised.

Finally,  we welcome questions about security, ftp files and other technical questions. Like you we want the best for every school we visit. We have families just like our customers do and ultimately want a great book and a fantastic experience for everyone involved.

Life is good, Yearbooks are amazing and you are appreciated.

The Office of Matt & Mary Sloan