Many short story writers and novelists enjoy the ease of publishing their works digitally. But when it comes to poets, many are contributing to the revival of the printed book thanks to the rising popularity of chapbooks.
If you’re wondering what a chapbook, this post is for you. We’ll shed some light on this increasingly popular mode of publishing, and explore whether or not it can be a good fit for you.
What Is a Chapbook?
A chapbook is a short book (usually 20 to 40 pages) of poems, stories, ballads, or religious tracts. They are also known as “pamphlets” in the UK.
Because poems and ballads vary in length, chapbooks don’t have a specified number of poems in them. Sometimes, one poem could appear on each page, or longer poems may take up several pages.
In fact, a chapbook might contain just one poem if it’s very long, although this is less common. Some chapbooks contain short-form prose such as essays or short stories, but most of them contain poetry.
Chapbooks of poems tend to revolve around a common theme or style. For example, they might all be elegies, odes, or interpretations of mythological stories.
Origins of Chapbooks
In the Early Modern period in England (c. 1500-1800), chapbooks were small books (often without covers) that cost less to produce.
They were often sold by peddlers known as chapmen, from the Old English word for trade. These chapmen would sell boxes of these conveniently-sized books around town, in the countryside, or on street corners, priced at twopence or threepence each.
Most of the chapbooks sold during that time were stories of romance and chivalry, nursery rhymes, folk tales, almanacs, ballads, children’s stories, cookbooks, guides to magic or fortune telling, or books on moral and religious instruction.
What Is the Purpose of a Chapbook?
Chapbooks serve a variety of purposes:
1. They offer cheaper and easier reading material.
In the old days, chapbooks served as reading material for the lower income and less-educated population. They typically contained pictures, which reduced the need for advanced reading skills. They might also contain ballads, which musicians sang and listeners repeated from memory.
2. They make shorter and quicker reads.
Today, chapbooks offer a shorter alternative to longer novels, which makes them a good option for people with little time to read.
3. They can inform and educate the masses on important issues.
Chapbooks are used extensively for educating the masses, and have been used to drive movements, revolutions, explorations, or protests.
4. They allow poets to showcase samples of their work.
Chapbooks that contain poetry can serve as a writing portfolio for the poet, which is why most contain more than one poem.
What Size Are Chapbooks?
Most chapbooks are 6” x 9” in size, or equivalent to ARCH B paper folded down the middle. Others vary in trim size, but these are the most common dimensions.
Because chapbooks contain 40 pages or less, the most common binding method is saddle-stitch, using a couple of staples on its spine.
Pros and Cons of Publishing a Chapbook
Before you jump into publishing your own chapbook, let’s look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of publishing your poems in this format:
Pro: It helps you establish your name as a poet.
Because chapbooks contain several samples of a poet’s work, the publishing world views a chapbook as “a poet’s calling card.” Jackie Kay, a poet, describes it as “the connoisseur’s version of a very tasty starter.”
Pro: They are very cheap to produce.
Because of their length, chapbooks are a low-cost way of self-publishing. Many poets print less than 150 copies, or opt for reasonably-priced print-on-demand.
Con: They won’t guarantee high profits .
Although chapbooks won’t cost you much to publish, they also cannot be sold for too high, making your profit margin really slim. Because you may also opt for smaller print runs, this also means that overall, you won’t be able to make too much profit. Therefore, if your main goal for publishing is earning big profit, chapbooks may not be a good idea.
What Are Examples of Chapbooks?
Here are some examples of chapbooks to give you a better feel of these short collections:
Bloom: A Poetry Chapbook by Adrienne Nugent
This collection of poetry features spiritual writings that demonstrate the challenges in life, as well as the hope that one can grab hold of. Through Nugent’s writing, readers are invited to take part in a liberating heart journey.
Crying in Color: A Poetry Chapbook by Amanda Lucinda
This chapbook’s poems revolve around the theme of racial inequality, featuring African American history and combining the ideas of triumph and self-loathing that grow into self-love. It also contains letters written to Brown and Black youth.
Housewoman: Poetry Chapbook for Women by Kelsey Ray Banerjee
This collection of poetry tackles the issue of superficial roles in society, using powerful contrasts such as love versus indifference, hope versus despair, and celebration versus grief. It also aims to stand as a testament to the complexity of life and love.
Should You Publish a Chapbook?
In the end, you need to look at your goals for publishing. If your main goal is to compile a portfolio of your work to advance your career in the field of poetry, chapbooks may be a good fit. Plus, they can serve as an investment in your future success.
But if you intend to use chapbooks for quick profit purposes, we encourage you to take a second look, and understand that chapbooks are not the best option for making big bucks.
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
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- 20 Best Poetry Books of All Time
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- How to Make Money Selling Poetry
Yen Cabag is the Blog Writer of TCK Publishing. She is also a homeschooling mom, family coach, and speaker for the Charlotte Mason method, an educational philosophy that places great emphasis on classic literature and the masterpieces in art and music. She has also written several books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her passion is to see the next generation of children become lovers of reading and learning in the midst of short attention spans.
