The Power of Proofing Yearbooks: Transforming Good Yearbooks into Great Ones

Yearbooks are labor-intensive projects, combining the elements of storytelling and design with journalistic precision. In the training video “Proofed to Perfection: Proofing and Editing Your Copy,” your staff will learn how proofreading ensures your readers focus on the story – not on the errors. 

“We put so much effort into creating beautiful pages and telling these stories –  we don’t want the subject matter of the story to get lost in people noticing little errors and misspellings,” Jim Jordan said in the training video.

Proofing and editing don’t just make a publication look professional; they honor the work of your staff and the stories of your school. It’s about ensuring that every detail is accurate, polished and aligned with your yearbook’s vision.

The Three-Part Process: Pre-Vision, Vision, and Revision

When your staff is ready to begin refining their spreads, it’s best to break the editing process into three distinct stages: pre-vision, vision and revision. Each stage plays a unique role in producing high-quality spreads. 

1. Pre-Vision: The Foundation

Before a story is written, it’s essential to lay a strong foundation. This involves planning and researching to ensure the story has depth and context. Your staff should:

• Identify the story’s focus: What angle will the story take? What unique perspectives will it highlight?
• Plan interviews: Determine who will be interviewed and what questions will yield the most insightful responses.
• Gather facts and data: Research background information to provide context and support the story.

Tools like spread planning sheets can help organize these details, ensuring that nothing important is overlooked.

2. Vision: Assembling the Story

Once the groundwork is laid, it’s time to draft the story. During this stage:

• Focus on the content: Assemble the interviews, facts and observations into a coherent narrative.
• Embrace imperfection: The first draft doesn’t need to be polished. Its purpose is to organize thoughts and get all the information down.

The training emphasized that this stage is about creativity and exploration. Staff members should feel free to experiment with storytelling techniques, knowing that they will refine their work in the next phase.

3. Revision: Proofreading and Editing

Revision is where the magic happens—and where the hard work pays off. This phase is as critical as the others, yet it often receives the least attention. The video highlights two key aspects of revision:

• Big Picture Revision: Look at the content itself. Does the story have a clear focus and angle? Are the facts accurate and do the quotes support the narrative? This is the time to refine the story’s structure and flow.
• Details Revision: Dive into the technical aspects – spelling, grammar, punctuation, mechanics and quote attribution. Pay attention to consistency in style and formatting.

A cyclical approach is best. Revision shouldn’t be a one-time task, but rather it should be an ongoing process that involves multiple drafts and perspectives.

Tips for Effective Proofing and Editing

Yearbook experts Jim Jordan, Mike Taylor, CJE, and Sabrina Schmitz, CJE, shared practical strategies to make the proofing and editing process more efficient and impactful:

1. Collaborate Early: Encourage staff members to share their drafts before they feel “done.” Early feedback can save time and help identify issues before they become overwhelming.
2. Chunk the Tasks: Proofing can feel overwhelming because there are so many details to check. Break the process into manageable chunks by starting with the big picture and then moving to the finer details.
3. Read Aloud: Hearing the words can help identify awkward phrasing, missing information or inconsistencies that might be missed when reading silently.
4. Involve Multiple Eyes: Have different team members review the same piece. Fresh eyes can catch errors or suggest improvements that the original writer might overlook.
5. Use Checklists: Create checklists for both big-picture and detail-oriented revisions. This ensures that nothing is missed during the process and have your style guide handy to keep your 

Watch Our Training Video With Your Class Today 

Proofing and editing are not just technical tasks; they are acts of respect – for the story, for your school and for your community. By dedicating time and attention to these processes, you ensure that your yearbook stands out as a professional and polished publication

By incorporating the strategies and mindset shared in the training video, your team can transform its approach to proofing and editing, producing a yearbook that is as flawless in execution as it is meaningful in content. The time invested in revision will pay off in the form of a publication that you and your school can be proud of.