October Yearbook Adviser Checklist: Staying on Track This Fall

Jessica Carrera
Oct 17
3 min read

October is an exciting and sometimes overwhelming month for yearbook programs. By now, your team has found its rhythm, your theme is taking shape, and your school’s fall events are in full swing. But, between homecoming, spirit week, and mid-semester deadlines, it’s easy for yearbook tasks to slip through the cracks.

That’s where a clear checklist comes in handy!

Here’s your October guide to staying organized, inspired, and on track, broken down week by week to help you (and your students) make steady progress while still enjoying the creative process.

Wrapping Up Week 3 (October 13–17): Reflect and Regroup

Before you dive into next week’s projects, take a moment to pause and reflect:

Theme Consistency Check: Is your chosen theme clearly evident across spreads, fonts, and color palettes? If not, refine it now before more pages go into production.
Cover Concept Progress: If you’re planning a special treatment (foil, embossing, spot UV, lenticular, etc.), now’s the time to finalize design details and confirm specs with your yearbook representative.
Photo Check-In: Fall Events. Ensure your team has covered major autumn events, pep rallies, football games, homecoming dances, and spirit weeks. Missing something? Assign photographers now while memories are fresh.
Staff Morale Moment: A mid-semester treat goes a long way! Host a pumpkin-decorating contest, a “fall photo challenge,” or a pizza night to keep morale high and creativity flowing.

Week 4: Prep for Deadlines (October 20–24)

Plan Your First Major Submission. Many schools aim to submit 16–32 pages before Thanksgiving. Review your publishing timeline and identify which spreads are closest to completion.
Audit Your Page Ladder Update your ladder to reflect current progress. Note any clubs, teachers, or student life sections that have been missed. (Pro tip: use color-coded tabs or a shared digital tracker!)
Refine Your Photography Workflow: Organize photos by event, class, or theme. Use naming conventions and shared folders, and your team can easily find what they need later.
Start Winter Content Planning It’s not too early to think about December! Begin brainstorming coverage for winter concerts, finals week, and holiday stories before the semester rush hits.

Week 5: Wrap Up and Reflect (October 27–30)

Design Consistency Audit: Skim through current spreads with an editor’s eye. Are margins aligned? Are fonts and colors consistent? A quick “style check” now saves hours later.
Connect with Your Publisher Representative. Communicate any upcoming needs, timeline changes, or questions to your yearbook representative. We’re here to help you stay on track and increase creativity every step of the way.
Get Creative with Halloween! Turn spooky season into content, a costume photo booth, a “Best Costume” poll, or a feature on how students celebrate fall. Have fun with it!
Plan Ahead for November. November tends to be deadline-heavy. Draft a mini calendar of page goals now to start next month strong.

Bonus Tips from United Yearbook

Encourage Leadership: Take every opportunity to check in on your student leaders to see how they’re doing. Provide a safe space to share any stressors, concerns, and ideas. This will keep things moving forward in all the busyness.

Stay Inspired: Join a United Yearbook webinar or subscribe to our Yearbook News podcast for fresh ideas and adviser spotlights.

Final Thoughts

October is when your yearbook shifts from concept to reality. Every photo captured, caption written, and layout finalized brings you one step closer to a book your school community will cherish.

Remember, you’re not alone on this journey. United Yearbook is here to support you with design guidance, technical training, and personalized publishing care.

Image of Jessica Carrera, a United Yearbook representative.

Contributor: Jessica Carrera, Associate Editor at TSE Worldwide Press and Marketing Coordinator at United Yearbook, holds a B.A. in English with a concentration in writing from Biola University. She aspires to touch the lives of others through her words.

Editor: Donna Ladner obtained a B.A. in Education and a minor in English from California Baptist University, and a M.S. in ESL from USC, Los Angeles. After she married Daniel, their family moved to Indonesia with a non-profit organization and lived cross-culturally for 15 years before returning to the U.S in 2012. Donna has been working as an editor and proofreader for TSE Worldwide Press and its subsidiary, United Yearbook since 2015.