Why should I get my yearbook critiqued?

We invite this kind of situation many times in our lives, especially if we want to get better at something. We pay to take dance lessons or hire a voice coach to improve our singing. We pay consultants to get critical about our finances and personal trainers to get critical about our shape.

Why not train the same kind of critical eye on our yearbooks? After all, don’t we want them to be better? Don’t we want to give our readers the best possible product for their investment? The desire to improve should be important to us no matter what the size of our publication.

One of the best ways we can improve our publications is to get them critiqued. Any book, large or small, can benefit from having such a check up. A little knowledge about the process can make it less intimidating.

First, judges evaluate books based on criteria, not on size or the number of color pages or budget. Judges measure your publication against a set of accepted journalistic standards. Your book is not compared to other books, only measured according to the standards.

Second, the criteria in most cases include the general areas of theme/concept, coverage, design, writing and photography. Let’s look further at a breakdown of these areas.

Theme/concept involves your choice of theme and how well you carry that theme through the book. The judge looks at whether the theme/concept suits your school and students and whether it is fresh and contemporary. Does it appear where it should? Does it act as a unifier to hold the story of the year together through all the sections? It’s not whether the judge likes your theme; it’s whether it fits your school and whether you use it effectively to hold your story together.

Coverage first measures whether you tell the story of an entire year. We are, after all, a YEARbook. Then the judge looks at balance. Do you cover all levels of sports, both boys and girls? Do you cover all the classes and clubs? Do you include not only the big events such as homecoming and prom but also the day-to-day aspects of student life such as jobs and family? Do you take care to help your audience navigate through the book with effective reader aids such as folio tabs on every spread and a complete index that lists not only people but also advertisers, events, sports, classes and clubs? Does every sport have a complete scoreboard? Are sports and clubs group photos identified accurately by first and last names?

Design deals with how effectively we engage our readers visually. Judges evaluate space by looking at the use of a dominant element and other photos, typography, graphics and white space. With the movement toward modular design and all-color books, design remains in a constant state of change. Using modular design and all-color will not insure a better evaluation; solid design will.

Similarly, good writing is good writing. Judges look for copy with solid angles, strong leads and plenty of student quotes. Captions need to be truly informative, adding to the story. Headlines attract the reader and provide the link between the visual and the verbal. Secondary copy packages add to coverage.

Last, but certainly not least, comes photography. We are, after all, creating a visual presentation. Judges look for strong photography in both technical quality and content. Photos should be in focus and free of dust and scratches with a full range of value. As far as content, photos should tell a story, not be obviously posed.

A good critique can help your publication grow and improve. But to help make the most of your evaluation, consider these aspects.

Take a look at the critiques available to you. Getting your book evaluated at the state or regional level often costs less than sending it to the national level. Find out if your state offers a critique service. Be sure that service will provide feedback from the judge, not just a ranking of books for awards.

On the national level, the two recognized critique services are the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) at Columbia University in New York City. Both provide quite a bit of feedback from the judge in addition to booklets full of information on improving your publication. Both cost well over $100 so they are more of an investment.

No matter which service you choose, include a letter with your book. Explain your successes and your challenges. Did your students like the book so much you sold out? Say that. Did you only have two outdated computers to work on? Say that. Also explain special circumstances. For example, East Lansing has senior quotes, a frowned-upon practice I would love to drop. But it’s tradition and a battle I cannot win. We explain that. In Michigan, state law dictates we cannot designate a senior photographer so pictures vary in head size, background and general quality. We explain that. I know of books which must use the school crest on the cover every year or must use a Bible quotation chosen by the principal as the theme. Explain those things. Talk about money woes and staff shortcomings—anything that affected the production of your book.

Before you get your evaluation back, prepare your kids. We may love our baby more than a stranger does. Remind them that any evaluation is one person’s opinion and interpretation. Most judges will offer constructive suggestions to help you improve, but sometimes their remarks can be hurtful. Judges come from all over the country, and some see things differently. The bottom line is that if you’re doing a journalistic book loved by your audience, that counts for more than one judge’s opinion.

Lastly, use your evaluation to your advantage, not only to improve your publication but also to build your program. No matter the results, spread the word. You may know that a Bronze Medal in Michigan is a long way from the top award of a Spartan, but no one else does. Put an article in the paper. Tell your school board. Broadcast it over the announcements.

Take the plunge. It doesn’t matter whether your book is 56 pages or 456. We all need feedback to get better.

Contributed by:
Lynn Strause, Herff Jones Special Consultant
Yearbook Adviser, East Lansing High School, MI