Most yearbook teams start thinking about next year’s staff in the fall. But by then, it’s often too late. Schedules are already set, students have committed to other activities, and you’re left trying to fill gaps instead of building a strong, intentional team. Relieve the stress and find the best candidates by taking a different approach. The most successful yearbook programs take a different approach; they start recruiting before the current school year ends.

As submission deadlines approach, yearbook teams often focus on finishing pages as quickly as possible. After months of writing captions, collecting photos, and designing spreads, it can be tempting to upload the files and move on. But the final review stage is one of the most important parts of the production process.

If sales feel slow, it’s easy to assume families just aren’t interested. But in most cases, that isn’t true. Students care. Parents care. Seniors especially care. What’s usually missing isn’t interest, it’s strategy. Here are the most common reasons yearbook programs stall and exactly what you can adjust right now in March.