What to Do After You Submit Your Yearbook

Apr 2
3 min read

A group of yearbook students celebrating submitting their yearbook with pizza and confetti.

Submitting your yearbook is a major milestone. Finally, after months of writing, designing, photographing, editing, and proofreading, it’s a great feeling to finish uploading those final pages! But once the submission is complete, many advisers ask the same question:

“Now what?”

While the biggest deadlines may be behind you, there are still a few important things you can do to wrap up this year successfully and set up next year’s staff for an even smoother start. Here are a few steps to consider after submitting your yearbook.

1. Start Planning Your Distribution Day

Yearbook distribution day is one of the most memorable days of the year for students. With a little planning, it can become a meaningful event.

Ideas to Consider:

✍️ Create a yearbook signing area

🗂️ Set up tables by grade level for organized distribution

🎵 Play music during distribution

🖊️ Have extra pens/Sharpies available

📸 Create a small photo backdrop for students to take pictures with their books

🎓 Consider allowing seniors early distribution or a separate signing time

A little planning can turn distribution day into a celebration of your students' work.

A group of yearbook students celebrating their final submission by making s'mores together

2. Thank and Recognize Your Yearbook Staff

Your yearbook staff has likely spent the entire year working diligently to complete the book. Taking time to recognize their effort is important.

Ideas to Consider:

🎉 Host a small end-of-year celebration

💌 Write thank-you notes to your editors and staff

🏆 Create yearbook staff awards (Best Photographer, Caption Writer, Layout Designer, Most Reliable, etc.)

📸 Take a group photo of the staff to include in next year’s book

Recognition helps students feel proud of their work and encourages younger staff members to return next year.

3. Organize and Archive Your Files

Before the school year ends, take time to organize this year’s materials so next year’s staff can easily access them.

Things to Save:

📸 Photos from events

📄 Page templates

🔤 Font and color information

💡 Theme development documents

📇 Staff contact list

📦 Vendor and photographer information

Creating an organized archive can save next year’s staff a lot of time.

4. Evaluate What Worked and What You’d Change

While the year is still fresh in your mind, it’s helpful to write down notes for next year.

Questions to Ask:

⏰ What deadlines worked well?

⏳ What areas were we behind on?

📸 Did we have enough photographers?

💰 Did we start sales early enough?

⭐ What pages were the most successful?

🔁 What would we do differently next year?

Even a simple one-page note can help next year’s team start stronger.

5. Start Thinking About Next Year

The strongest yearbook programs often begin planning for the next book before the current school year even ends.

Things You Can Start Now:

👥 Recruit next year’s staff

⭐ Choose editors or leadership roles

💡 Start brainstorming theme ideas

📸 Plan summer photography (sports, campus, community)

🎯 Set goals for next year’s book and sales

Starting early reduces stress later and gives your team more time to be creative.

Finishing the Year Strong and Starting the Next One Right

Submitting the yearbook is a huge accomplishment, representing months of hard work from both advisers and students.

Taking a few extra steps after submission, planning the distribution, recognizing your staff, organizing files, and preparing for next year can make a big difference in the long-term success of your program.

At United Yearbook, we believe creating a yearbook is a year-long journey, not just a single deadline. Supporting schools through every stage, from planning and design to submission and delivery, is an important part of what we do. In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing more detailed ideas and resources on topics like planning a successful yearbook distribution and recruiting next year’s staff as schools begin wrapping up this year and preparing for the next. Email us at info@unitedyearbook.net or call our toll-free number: 1-877-33-YEARBOOK (international: 909-373-4087).

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.