Some friends of mine have been asking me recently about getting chapbooks published. I have had the good fortune of finding some very modest success in that area, as well as being the founder and publisher of an independent chapbook press. I thought it might be useful to post a guide of sorts, to help other emerging writers get started.

First of all, what is a chapbook? The short answer is any book of poetry, short stories, or essays… They generally run from 12 – 40 pages in length, depending on the publisher. The length can be an important thing to keep in mind: anything longer than 40 pages of poetry is generally considered to be a full length book, so if you’re interested in publishing a manuscript (your thesis, say) through one of the many first book prizes out there, don’t submit 45 page “chapbooks” left and right.

That said, chapbooks are one of the more unique opportunities that poets and short story writers have available to get their work out into the world. They provide a venue longer than the average literary journal can afford in a single issue, but also a lower cost point for publishing than a standard book (and also, in some cases, a higher aesthetic standard because of smaller print runs). They can be beautiful objects to place in the hands of loved ones who wonder what the hell you’ve been doing with your time. They can expose your work to many new readers. They can enhance your prestige in the community (especially when it comes time to finally land your tenured teaching position by upending a wheelbarrow load of publication history onto the dean’s desk). They can teach you how to chew gum and do advanced particle physics at the same time. If you get the right one, that is.

I will break my process down into a few short steps in the hope that it might provide some valuable tips for others. My perspective is one of a poet, and my experience will most likely be useful to other poets to greater degree than fiction writers. However, many chapbook contests and reading periods are open to both genres. Take all suggestions with a large grain of salt, if you please—tenacity, diligence, luck, and being in the right place at the right time are valuable way above and beyond everything else I can suggest.

1. Build a great manuscript. This might sound obvious, but a with chapbooks there can be a temptation to “take things easy” because of the smaller size. Make sure you’ve built a cohesive book with elements like structure, arcs, tonal shifts, narrative, themes, etc. Tie it all together. Tear it all apart. Repeat. This should be the best book you can make using all of the same principles you would use if putting together a full-length book. Just make it shorter.

2. Research. Discover presses that publish chapbooks. Buy and/or read work that they have produced to see if yours might be a good fit. If you’re looking into contests, find out who the judge(s) will be, and read some of their work with an eye for affinity. Be careful of too much affinity, though. Many contests specifically prohibit any friends or former students of judges. Make sure your manuscript, with its manila envelope and nicely regimented postage stamps, doesn’t do a quick swan-dive into someone’s circular file. Two places I like to start are Selby’s List at http://www.selbyslist.com/, which has a list of journals specializing in experimental poetry (many of them have annual contests and reading periods for chapbooks, there are links to individual journals on the site)

and the Poetry Resource Page at http://www.poetryresourcepage.com/contests/ccontests.html, which has a pretty comprehensive list of chapbook contests for poetry. These are good starting points, but also keep your eyes open for emails from publishers, friends, and former teachers about upcoming opportunities.

3. Prioritize your goals. Many of my comments here will likely come off as self-serving and perhaps a bit cynical, but in the interest of honesty I will say that as writers I think we often need to help ourselves out along the way. There are many reasons to get your chapbook published, and you should be clear about what they are before you start submitting your work. Some of these goals include (in no particular order): making money, enhancing your prestige and reputation as a writer, building relationships in the community, getting your work read, having your work presented in an artistic way, and the list goes on. Ideally, a publishing relationship will feed many or all of these desires, but you should have an idea of which ones are the most important to you. If money is high on the list, submit to a contest that offers a prize (usually in the neighborhood of $1000), as it is unlikely you will be reaping tons of royalties from the actual sale of your chapbook. There are many contests on the Poetry Resource Page that offer a cash prize. Some presses have high prestige and recognition in the writing community. Publication with one of them can be a wonderful publicity tool. Tarpaulin Sky is one example. Publishing a chapbook on line with a press like Scantily Clad, Dusie Books, Blue Hour Press, or Mudlark can provide an opportunity for massive readership (it’s free, get it?) that a limited-edition run of 50 books just plain can’t, mathematically. If you know someone who runs a press and would like to build a relationship with that person… publish a book together! If you would like a lovely book that you take off the shelf periodically just to caress lovingly, there are opportunities for that, too. Fact-Simile Editions is rapidly developing a reputation for amazing and creative art books, for example. The Center for Book Arts in New York holds an annual contest for chapbook publication—this would be an example of a situation that fulfills multiple needs ($1000 prize, reading in Manhattan, gorgeous art book, great publicity and prestige, and a different wonderful writer every year working as the judge). Your book can do anything you want it to if you submit it to the right place.

4. My last suggestion is to submit. Submit. Submit. Submit. Get the work out there to as many places as seems practical to you based on the suggestions above. A lot of this boils down to luck (at least I know it does in my case). The more places you are at one given time, the more likely it is that you will be in the right place at the right time. Don’t be discouraged by rejections—many of these contests see literally thousands of manuscripts and pick one. Oh, and submit.

I hope that these few tips and suggestions offer a little hope, and a little encouragement to get some new chapbooks into the world. They are wonderful to hold in your hand. And please post any comments or questions you might have from your own experience. I am far, far, far from an expert on this subject.

Also, if you get really desperate you can consider sending little manuscripts in the 6-12 page range to me for consideration, shadowmountainpress@yahoo.com.