Culture: Stop With The Chapbook Races

Embrace Your Unique Chapbook Timeline!

By Christine Sloan Stoddard

I have a secret: Nobody fucking cares how many chapbooks you publish. That may sound harsh. Hear me out. I'm not saying that your chapbook (or plural, should you be so industrious and so lucky) doesn't matter. It does. But it's the work itself that counts. Take pride in producing quality work that honors your voice, values, and aesthetics. It takes dedication. Then do your manuscript a favor and think carefully about the press that should put it out into the world. That also takes dedication.

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​Ask yourself: Why are you comparing yourself to others? Why are you making yourself miserable? The answer on both counts is probably peer pressure. Oh, and Capitalism. All of us are worth more than our productivity. Let's not let social media and arbitrary social expectations up our anxiety levels and dictate our lives. Nobody gets rich from chapbooks and acquiring massive wealth is not an ​admirable goal, anyway. You don't get filthy rich from kindness and good deeds.
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I'll be honest: I'm not Little Miss Perfect Chapbook Practitioner. I've placed work with presses when I should not have. Or I've kept a manuscript in the hands of a press when I should have pulled it much, much sooner. The latter has always been the end result of the former. A cause and effect, if you will. I swear to this: I have never, ever regretted pulling a manuscript. It's crucial that you're proud of the press that puts out your chapbook. You should believe in what they do as much as they believe in what you do. I want to be proud and I want to believe, but I don't want my faith to be completely naïve, either.

Here's my general advice for finding the appropriate press for your chapbook manuscript:
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​• Read what a press has previously published. Do you like these chapbooks? Are they well-designed and error-free? Do they feel like they're in the same family as your chapbook-to-be?

• Study the publisher's website. Is it easy to navigate? It is clear how to order chapbooks from it?

• Check out the publisher's social media presence. Do they have a healthy following? Are their followers engaged? Do you want to be associated with the content they post and share?

• Find out which of your colleagues have published work with them. Ask about their experience. Did they find the publisher and editor courteous and communicative? Did they receive a reasonable contract?

​There are plenty of nuances, but these are the main points to consider.

Your chapbook timeline is unique. Don't rush the process. You will be happy you waited when the right press cherishes your work. It's kind of like falling in love. You'll know your soulmate when you meet them.

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You can find the author's chapbooks here.