Top 10 Tips for Writing Headlines
A headline grabs the readers’ attention and pulls them into the coverage on the yearbook spread.
These guidelines will help in writing effective headline packages.
1. Read the copy; as you read, write out a list of key words and phrases.
2. Describe the action in your dominant photo. Does it match any of the words in your key word list?
3. Choose your favorite key words and phrases from your list.
4. From your favorites, write a first draft of your main headline. Use literary techniques you learned in English class — alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, pun and rhyme — whenever possible.
5. Reread your copy. What factual details from your copy will help you write your secondary headline?
6. Draft your secondary headline; write a sentence that identifies key information from the spread.
7. Pair your headline and secondary headline together. Do they work together? The headline and secondary headline should be similar in tone — both should be playful, serious or informative.
8. Edit both components. Eliminate unnecessary words or information. Make sure your verbs are strong and active. Write all headline packages in present tense.
9. Use the following tools to help with headline writing: dictionary, idiom dictionary, rhyming dictionary and thesaurus.
10. Do a final check of the headline package to be sure that it accurately identifies the context of the spread.
Additional Resources
The Purpose of Yearbook
In the children’s book Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox, a young boy searches for ways to find lost memories for an old woman who had lost her own. Through his persistent questions and vivid imagination, he inspires her to remember events from her past. A yearbook should allow any reader to do the same when it is visited years later.
Examples of Type that Works
Choosing the right type for your yearbook can amplify great design. View these examples of type that works.
Dream Big
Hear it from Ann – It’s always fun to study the new releases, noting what staffs are doing well and how trends are shifting. Whatever time I allot to reviewing books, I always wish I had more.
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