Are you tired of keeping your poetry a secret? Decided it’s time for the world to take note of your writing skills? If you are just starting out as a writer and want a cheap easy format in which to share your writing with others why not make a chapbook? A chapbook is a short, inexpensive booklet that you can make at home. It can feature your favorite poetry or even short stories or articles if you so desire. The world is your oyster when you print a chapbook of your very own!
You can even print a chapbook to give away as a really personal and thoughtful Christmas, Thanksgiving or Valentine’s Day gift. You may be considering getting together with a few other writers and publishing an anthology of selected works. Whatever the reason, if you are thinking about printing a chapbook to display and share your work, read on to find out how!
Your can print a chapbook using templates from the web or using your computer software such as Microsoft Publisher, Adobe Pagemaker or Quark Xpress and there are even small home printing businesses that will print it for you at a very reasonable fee once you give them the layout and work you wish to include. If you are making your own book from scratch follow these easy steps:
Phase 1 of Printing a Chapbook
Get all your poems, stories or non-fiction articles together in one place and decide which ones you want to include in your chapbook. A chapbook usually isn’t very long so you may want to restrict it to your best work or those that conform to them (for example ‘Holidays’ or ‘Inspirational Poetry’).
Try to stick to about twenty pages for your book or it may look a bit bulky or untidy in chapbook form. Make sure that your twenty pages includes space for a title and contents page and any acknowledgements or copyright information you wish to include.
Tip: Remember that written works are automatically protected by U.S. copyright law. This law applies even if the works are not officially registered with the U.S. government. You don’t have to file for a registered copyright to use the copyright symbol ©.
Try to choose a pretty or unusual paper when you print a chapbook. Go for pastel colors or textured paper – any kind that will go through your printer with ease.
Phase 2 of Printing a Chapbook
Make a mock-up of your chapbook. Take five sheets of paper, fold them in half and decide where you would like each poem or story to go. If you are adding pictures or photographs to your chapbook make sure you leave some pages open for these.
Now, number each page so that you have a workable layout for your book once the pages are laid flat. If you print a chapbook from scratch phase 2 will be a master copy.
The back cover of your chapbook should include:
* A short description of the contents that invites readers in.
* A short biographical note about the writer or (if it is a group effort) a list of the names or all the poets or authors and their contact information (if you choose to include it).
* Contact information for the publisher i.e. yourself (don’t leave this out – it could even turn into a lucrative business opportunity for you!).
The back and front covers can be printed on one side of one 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper.
Phase 3 of Printing a Chapbook
How will you print your chapbook? If you want to use your computer you can use any use a desktop publishing software program or a word processor program – if you have one that can do the job. Take a look at what you already have and see if you can make it work or buy some software if you have the ready cash invest.
Another option for your book, is to handwrite it or make photocopies of the pages and make copies of the completed book. If you plan to use it to promote your work to publishers try to make it look as professional as possible. Don’t forget to include a scheme for adding in your pictures or photographs for example using a scanner or drawings that you can photocopy.
Phase 4 of Printing a Chapbook
Always make sure you check your work for spelling errors before you print a chapbook and do any necessary edits. Now you are ready to type out your work (if it isn’t already on your computer or hand-write it neatly. Using the master copy you created in phase 2 as a guideline, make sure everything is in the right place. Print out a copy of your chapbook so it can be proofread by you or somebody else to make sure it’s absolutely perfect.
Phase 5 of Printing a Chapbook
Once you are happy with the draft copy you can print a chapbook with the minimum of fuss! If you are using your computer you can simply print out everything you need. If you are working with hand written work you can set about making double-sided photocopies at a copy shop or at home.
Phase 6 of Printing a Chapbook
Now it’s time to make an eye-catching cover for your chapbook. Choose a heavier card and try to pick one that is attractive. You can choose a nice picture for the cover and use a descriptive title as well as your name and the year the book has been ‘published’. If you are planning on giving your chapbooks away as gifts why not personalize each cover and make a special effort for the intended recipients that they won’t soon forget?
Use an interesting font for your cover page or print in color rather than basic black. You could even try some calligraphy or ask somebody to do it for you.
Be as inventive as you can with your cover. You can add bits of paper, pictures or dried leaves and flowers and have the cover laminated afterwards. The basic idea is to print a chapbook that is both special and personal.
Phase 7 of Printing a Chapbook
Once you have all your pages printed out and have your cover’s ready to go you can start putting your chapbook together. A chapbook is basically a pile of sheets folded over in the middle which you bind along the fold but you can be inventive in your choices of binding – staple the pages together or sew the spine with some pretty thread, yarn, twine or ribbon anything goes but try to tone the binding in with the color and theme of your chapbook cover.
How simple was that!?
Now you are ready to share your work with others by giving them to friends and family as gifts, sending your chapbooks out to publishers or periodicals or even selling them! You can print a chapbook quickly and easily so make as many as you like and spread your literary talents around. You can even teach your friends how to print a chapbook and make gift sets of three or four books which you can give away or sell. Have fun with the process and be creative with your writing gift! Good luck and happy publishing!