Yearbooks and Magazines

1. Yearbooks and Magazines

2. Learning Objectives Create a yearbook theme and magazine concept Adapt journalistic writing and design skills to yearbook and magazine publishing Plan, design and produce a yearbook or magazine

3. Yearbooks and Magazines Even the traditional yearbook has not escaped the technological revolution in high school publications. Schools are experimenting with alternative formats for the traditional yearbook. These new formats include monthly magazines, video yearbooks and yearbooks on computer disks. Desktop publishing and improved printing techniques have changed the look of the traditional yearbook, too. The stiff, formal record book has evolved into a contemporary book with more candid pictures and more color, graphic accents and infographics.

4. Yearbooks and Magazines cont. Similarly, many schools are experimenting with magazines, either as an alternative to traditional publications or, in some cases, as a substitute. Literary arts magazines that showcase student poetry, fiction and artwork have long been popular. The design and layout techniques, the photography skills and the writing styles you have learned for newspapers apply to yearbook and magazine production as well.

5. Why a Yearbook? A yearbook is all of the following: A memory book A history book An inclusive publication A reference book A public relations publication An educational experience

6. A Memory Book The yearbook contains the pictures and words that affect the way students remember this year. The pictures capture the culture of the year through the clothes and hairstyles people wear, the cars they drive and the events they plan. The copy tells the stories of the people and the things they thought were important. The yearbook should cover the whole year, not just the school year. After all, it�s a book about the lives of the people, and summer is one-fourth of their lives.

7. A History Book Did you know that Donald Trump was voted the Popularity Poll�s Class of 1964 Ladies� Man at his high school? That Madonna was in the Thespian Society? That Sissy Spacek was homecoming queen? That Ted Koppel�s nickname was �Dumbo�? It�s all there�in their high school yearbooks. Thanks to their yearbook staffs.

8. A History Book cont. Your yearbook will be the only history ever written of this year at this school with these people. As a historical record of the school, the yearbook must be factual, accurate and complete. The name of every person who is enrolled or works in the school should be recorded�and spelled correctly. Scores, dates of events, and special occasions such as anniversaries or charter meetings of organizations must be recorded for future reference. Because the yearbook is a record book, complete season records for each team are a necessity, as are the names of all members of organizations, classes and the faculty, whether they are pictured or not.

9. A History Book cont. Important events in the national and local news should be included as part of the history, along with things such as the most popular movies and books. Features on issues that concern students are finding their way into the student life sections of more yearbooks. These features might cover subjects such as peer acceptance, dating, money, getting into college, teenage pregnancy, drinking, gangs, single-parent families, AIDS and suicide. A history is not complete if it omits news people don�t like to hear. If the death of a classmate or faculty member occurs, it should be noted in the yearbook. �In Memoriams� include dates, a brief biography and quotes from friends and feature a recent photo of the person.

10. A History Book cont. Some topics may be controversial in your school or community and should be discussed by the staff before publication. Stating the cause of death in an obituary also should be discussed. Some fear, for instance, that a story on suicide or listing suicide as a cause of death will have a psychological impact on the family or the students. Others feel that it is better to be open and factual about the issue of suicide. Each staff must determine a policy based on the preferences of its school, the community and individual circumstances. The best solution is to have a policy before the need arises.

11. A Reference Book People will turn to a yearbook to find information on an individual, an organization or an advertiser. Like other books to which people refer for information, your yearbook should be organized and have reference points. Page 1, the title page, should contain the complete name and address of the school. It also should include the name of the book and the year it was published. The photo or illustration on the title page should be related to the theme of the book.

12. A Reference Book cont. Each page should have a folio, or page number. The folio in a yearbook often contains a bit of art that reinforces the theme, as well as words that describe the contents of the page�for example, Opening, Academics Division, Track or Freshmen. The table of contents should be at the front of the book, either on the front endsheet or following the title page. It should list each division, including the ads and the index sections, with a beginning page number.

13. A Reference Book cont. The opening section should be the first two to four double-page spreads, depending upon the length on the book. A double-page spread is any two facing pages. The opening copy should introduce the theme of the yearbook and explain why it was chosen for this year. The layout for the closing section�the last double-page spread or two in the book�should be the same as that on the opening pages. The copy in the closing section should give examples of ways in which the theme applied to specific events throughout the year.

14. A Reference Book cont. The index is a key reference tool that should be a part of every yearbook, no matter how large or small. The index should be placed immediately before the closing double-page spreads. It should contain the names of every person, organization, major activity and advertiser in the book, along with page numbers on which they appear. The colophon is a technical description of the book as a product. Colophons are references used by publication staffs and publishers to find out technical information about a book.

15. A Reference Book cont. If your staff likes the typeface used in another book, for instance, you can check the book�s colophon to find the name of that type and the point sizes used. Information on the colophon should include the name and address of the printer; the number of copies printed; the special processes used to create the cover; the finish, weight and color of the paper; the typefaces and sizes used for headlines, body copy and captions; the graphic techniques used, such as spot color, screens, size of initial letters and tool lines; the computer system used; and the total cost, photography budget and selling price. For easy reference, the colophon is placed at the end of the index or on the back endsheet.

16. A Reference Book cont. Acknowledgements should be given to everyone who assisted with the book. These people include students who provided information or photos, professional photographers, artists, secretaries, parents, administrators and yearbook representatives. Acknowledgements may appear with the colophon, but they should not be part of the closing double-page spreads.

17. A Public Relations Publication Even though the yearbook is produced primarily for students, it has a larger audience. Parents, grandparents, friends from other schools and local businesses see or ask to purchase yearbooks. They are curious to see how the students view themselves and show their school to others. Doctors, dentists, photographers and businesses like to purchase local yearbooks for their waiting rooms. Chambers of commerce and real estate agencies like to show people who are moving to the area and are looking for schools for their children.

18. An Educational Experience Schools provide and adviser and funds for yearbooks because they understand the importance of the historical record to the students and to the school. Schools also help make these books possible because the students on a yearbook staff learn writing and production skills. Producing a yearbook gives students hands-on experience practicing skills learned in English class, the computer lab and the darkroom. It also gives them the credentials that might help when they apply to colleges or look for jobs.

19. An Educational Experience cont. Publishing is a major industry that offers career opportunities for creative artists and salespersons, editors and desktop designers, writers and photographers. Working on a yearbook gives students a chance to experience book publishing from the idea to the finished product. It lets them become the planners, producers, journalists, researchers, sales staff, marketers and distributors.

20. Everybody�s Book No matter what else it may be, the yearbook is everybody�s book. It should reflect the school and each individual in the school, not just the staff or a few key people. It takes a concentrated effort to make sure the coverage includes every person. When planning the book, devise ways to be sure everyone is included at least once in addition to the individual photographs on the people pages. People pages are those on which the people associated with the school are recognized through photos and identified by name.

21. Everybody�s Book cont. They are also called mug pages or panel pages when they contain rows of head-and-shoulder photos of individuals identified by name and class or job description such as freshmen, seniors, faculty and staff. People pages are more interesting if they contain some feature stories about individuals or a few candid photos in addition to the individual portraits.

22. Everybody�s Book cont. One staff made a master list of students� names and put a check beside the name each time a person was pictured. Its rule was that everyone would be pictured at least twice and no more than five times. A computer database makes it easy to keep track of which individuals have been pictured or quoted; what percentage of those individuals represent each grade level; and how many pages represent student life, academics and so on. Quoting as many different individuals as possible in the copy and indexing the speakers� names also help ensure that everyone is represented in the book.

23. Planning the Yearbook With careful thought and planning, a yearbook staff can create a product that appeals to each segment of the audience and includes everyone in the school. Cover design and theme choice are ways to include everybody in the yearbook, too.

24. Cover Students love, hate or ignore the yearbook at first sight. The cover makes the all-important first impression people have of the yearbook. Whether you choose a leather-look material, a shiny foil-stamped design or a colored photograph for your cover, you want people to respond positively to the book.

25. Cover cont. One of the services your yearbook representative provides is showing the staff all the materials available for covers and special effects. The staff�s imagination�or the budget�is the limit. Good planning includes good budgeting, so always ask for cost estimates. Know the budget for extras before ordering anything that is not specified in your contract with the publisher.

26. Cover cont. The design of the front cover should include the theme, the logo and the year of the book. For easy reference, the copy on the bound edge, or spine, of the yearbook should include the name of the school, the city, the traditional name of the yearbook, the year and the volume number.

27. Theme, Logo and Color The theme of a yearbook is a word or phrase that pulls all parts of the book together in a relationship that reflects something special about this year at this school. The theme says something unique about the staff, the school and this one year. A yearbook�s theme helps tell its story. Readers will notice the theme before they open the book. It will set the tone for their impression of what is inside. The theme influences the design and the colors the staff chooses for the color.

28. Theme, Logo and Color cont. The logo is the graphic that portrays the theme visually. The logo shows the theme through design or typography, sort of like a brand name identifies a wearer�s choice of jeans or the stylized check mark identifies Nike products. Themes are trendy. Like fashion, they change quickly. Sometimes a clich� can be adapted, or a current ad campaign, television show, popular song or movie triggers an idea. Sometimes a special event, such as an anniversary or a new addition to the school, can become theme material.

29. Theme, Logo and Color cont. One school chose �Messin� with the Best� as its theme to talk about the inconveniences caused by a major construction project at the school. Another school used �New and Improved� to show how an addition to the school added new classes and faculty, as well as bricks and boards, to the building. One staff used �XXX Rated� as its theme; the book�s divisions were �eXtraordinary,� �eXtra special,� and �eXceptional.�

30. Theme, Logo and Color cont. Sometimes a clich� like �Just When You Least Expect It� will work for a year when the unexpected happens. It�s also exciting to make a clich� unique by adding a twist such as �In One Year and Out The Other.� Anniversaries beg for special themes: �Etched in Gold,� �A Not So Traditional Year,� or �This is What 40 Looks Like.� The media, advertisements and package labels are good places to look for theme ideas. �Contents Under Pressure,� �One Size Fits All,� �After These Messages,� �Behind the Scenes� and �Seasoned to Perfection� each became a unique yearbook theme.

31. Theme, Logo and Color cont. Choose the theme as early in the year as possible. The organization of the book may depend on the theme. A theme focusing on the individuals on the individuals in the school might call for placing the mug section at the front of the book with the student life section. A seasonal theme might organize events in time periods. A theme that emphasizes academics would encourage greater focus on that section.

32. Theme, Logo and Color cont. The theme should be the central focus of the cover where it is identified through words, graphics, photos or illustrations, and color. Inside the book, the theme is established by a photo and caption on the title page. Theme reinforcement is carried throughout the book in words, graphics and colors. It may appear on the endsheets, the heavy paper pages immediately inside the front and back covers which hold the cover and the pages of the book together, The endsheets may reinforce theme through color, graphics and contentm possibly including the table of contents, printed on them. Theme reinforcement should appear in the table of contents in the subheads that describe each section by using variations on the main theme.

33. Theme, Logo and Color cont. Opening and closing sections identify and explain the theme through copy, photos, graphics and layout design, The theme should be strongly represented on the division pages, the single page or double page spread at the beginning of each section that introduces the content in the section through copy, photos, the logo, a theme-related label or headline, and perhaps color. The theme may also appear in the folio on each page if it includes a graphic or theme word.

34. Theme, Logo and Color cont. Color if the first thing people notice about a yearbook. Even from a distance, people can recognize the cover by its covers. Some schools traditionally use variations of their school colors on the cover, but the trend is to use currently popular colors. In choosing colors, a wise staff considers its audience, theme and budget. The audience is the people in the school, but within the audience are males and females, seniors and sophomores, athletes and actors. Just as the them encompasses the individual members of the audience, the colors must appeal to them, too.

35. Theme, Logo and Color cont. Color makes a statement. School colors state that this is the book by the school represented by these colors. Every year there are �power� colors�colors that are trendy in clothes and decorating schemes. Colors represent emotions, too. Red can mean energy and love, or it can symbolize anger and hate. Green symbolizes life; yellow symbolizes happiness. Upbeat themes are best reinforced by warm colors like red, yellow and orange. Laid-back themes are better reinforced by cool colors�shades of blue, green and purple.

36. Ladder The ladder is a page-by-page plan that shows the content of each page of the yearbook. As soon as the staff members know how many pages the book will contain, they can begin planning the ladder. The ladder is designed to show which pages will be across from each other. Books should be planned and designed in double-page spreads even of the subject matter on each page is different. Readers will see the pages as one unit when they open the book. Exceptions are the first page and the last page, which will be single pages.

37. Ladder cont. The first page is always the title page. Other pages to set aside include the division pages at the beginning of each section, ad pages (if the staff sells advertising), opening and closing sections and the index. Add the number of pages needed for these sections, and subtract that figure from the total pages in the book to find the number of pages you have available to use as you choose.

38. Ladder cont. Yearbooks are printed in 16-page sections called signatures. The ladder will show the signatures, but you can count them out by counting 1-16, 17-32 and so on. To get the best value, color pages should be planned in one or two signatures with early deadlines. Complete signatures should be sent to the printer together whenever possible. Most yearbooks are organized in sections, such as student life, people, academics, sports, organizations and special events. Current or world events may be in a section by itself, be part of an opening or student life section or be in a mini-mag. Ads and index are also separate sections.

39. Ladder cont. The staff can figure out how many pages will be needed for mug shots when they know how many people are in the school and how big they want each photo to be. To make the mug pages more interesting, many schools combine some student life stories with the people pages. To do this, add more pages on the ladder for the people section.

40. Ladder cont. Another decision to be made is the order in which the sections appear. The theme, placement of color pages, individual school circumstances and staff preferences influence placement of the sections. The number of pages in each section, or the percentage of the book given to each topic, is determined by the staff. The decision may vary based on the size of the yearbook, the number of students involved in each area, tradition and special events or circumstances. A team that wins a state championship, academics that wins honors, a new program, or anniversary or an addition to the school building may tip the ladder more heavily in favor of one section or another.

41. Special Additions Mini-mags, tip-ins, cutouts, pop-ups, foldouts, specially designed covers and endsheets, postcards tucked in a pocket, individual photos affixed to the cover, holograms�whatever your staff can imagine and afford can probably be done. Before ordering special additions, however, get estimates from the yearbook representative and check your budget carefully.

42. Special Additions cont. Mini-mags are unique sections of yearbooks set aside for special topics or subject matter. They come in many forms. Some mini-mags are separate from the actual book and are stored in pockets inside the cover. Others are bound into the book but use paper of a different color, weight or finish for easy identification. Some are slightly smaller than the regular pages, which make them easy to find. The content of a mini-mag may be devoted to student life, current events or special features. The design is usually similar to a news magazine, with lots of photos, sidebars and graphics. The results of student surveys often add a personal touch.

43. Special Additions cont. Tip-ins are pages that are printed separately and attached to the book later with narrow double-sided tape. Tip-ins are used for special two-to four-page additions or for entire signatures. Books delivered in the spring use tip-ins to add the spring sports and graduation pages to books that are distributed before those events are completed. The tip-in section is mailed to graduates and distributed to returning students.

44. Special Additions cont. Pop-ups and multiple pages which fold out for viewing like the ones in children�s books and greeting cards can be built into yearbooks. Because of the difficulty of construction, pop-ups and foldouts are produced as part of the book at the production plant. Individual photos, holograms and other special effects are often added by the staff after the book is delivered to save labor costs.

45. Working with the Yearbook Representative The yearbook representative is your special consultant, the go-between for the staff and the yearbook company. It is the rep�s job to make sure your school�s book looks the way your staff wants it to when it arrives. The rep will work with your staff to plan the book; offer cover, color and endsheet options; and help you create special effects. He or she will also help the staff set manageable deadlines and explain company policies and production schedules. The company or rep will provide all the supplies necessary to complete the book, from a blank ladder to layout sheets to computer software.

46. Working with the Yearbook Representative cont. Yearbooks are the ultimate desktop publishing experience. Yearbook companies have developed software to allow staffs to design their own pages or to provide fill-in-the-blank templates. Each yearbook company has its own software, so ask the rep to demonstrate the special features available from the company.

47. Working with the Yearbook Representative cont. Your staff may choose to submit layouts and copy on disc, or you may prefer to do the pasteup yourself. A new service allows schools to send in pictures, which are then recorded as images on compact discs. The discs are returned to the school, and the staff can then use the images to create completed pages on disc. Don�t be afraid to ask for help. The rep�s service is part of what you�re paying for. One call may save hours of time redoing layouts, may get the book done weeks earlier or may keep the staff within budget.

48. Activity 1. Write down at least 10 things you remember about last year at your school that should be recorded in the yearbook. 2. Brainstorm to come up with a theme for your yearbook. 3. Design logos to represent the themes you chose. Add colors that go with the theme. Sketch a cover using the theme, logo and colors you like best.

49. Source Schaffer, James, Randall McCutcheon and Kathryn T. Stofer. Journalism Matters. Lincolnwood: Contemporary, 2001.