Chapbook Assignment
Overview
Chapbooks or “chapterbooks” as they were once called, are paper booklets or collections of work that illustrate a theme or tell a story. Historically, chapbooks were an important medium for the spreading of popular culture. They were a medium of entertainment, information and history. They are now valued as a record of popular culture, preserving cultural and personal memories that may not survive in any other form.
Over time poetry chapbooks have become very popular in the world of creative writing.
Requirements
You will each create your own poetry chapbook that illustrates your life or a theme of your choice. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind:
Requirements
You will each create your own poetry chapbook that illustrates your life or a theme of your choice. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind:
- This chapbook is yours not mine! Make it personal, relevant, and interesting to you.
- It is not a diary or a scrapbook, it must contain poetry on every page!
- Chapbooks can and should contain pictures, drawings, or artwork, but your writing should dominate each page.
- Language and content should be appropriate.
- Each chapbook should have a cover (with title,) table of contents, and page numbers
- Creative Title/Evident Theme is imperative
- Table of Contents/Page Numbers necessary
- Images should be used throughout (hand drawings are encouraged)
- Your name should be clearly written/typed on the cover
- Dedication/Foreword/Afterword are not required BUT would be nice additions!
- 5-10 Poems is a good number. Focus on quality!
I like this Q&A from writersdigest.com
Q: I’ve been writing poetry for a few years now and want to publish some of my work. A friend suggested I publish a “chapbook” of my poetry. What is a chapbook, and how is it different from a regular book? —Cindy N.A chapbook is a small collection of poetry, generally no more than 40 pages, that often centers on a specific theme, such as exotic foods or wild animals or Justin Bieber. It’s typically saddle-stitched (like a pamphlet or magazine) and is a format well suited to smaller print-runs.
Poets publish chapbooks instead of full-length books of poetry for a number of reasons, but perhaps the most common is that chapbooks are relatively inexpensive to produce. In fact, many poets take the DIY approach and print their chapbooks themselves. (If you’re so inclined, Poets.org which offers up an excellent step-by-step set of instructions on its website at poets.org/view media.php/prmMID/21249.)
As difficult as it is to sell fiction to a publisher, it’s even harder to sell poetry. Producing a chapbook is an excellent way to give audiences a sampling of your writing and potentially sell your work for a nice little profit.
Plus, should your chapbook take off and sell at a healthy rate, it could serve as proof to publishers that there’s a market for you poetry. And that’s the best way to get their attention.
(writersdigest.com)
- I have some information on a simple pamphlet stitch that you are welcome to try as well. Please hand in your chapbook by the end of class.
- http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=2&sqi=2&ved=0CDQQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pagehalffull.com%2F8sheettemplate.doc&ei=qMm0UL-sHNOO0QHs2oHwDg&usg=AFQjCNHKnOs7vVQy7MFvFyNj2KByV5yREg (this is a template I found...)
