HOW TO PREPARE A CHAPBOOK

Preparation of the poems, ordering etc. Group your poems by theme/location/speaker etc much as one !oul" see a "isplay o# paintin$s on the !all o# a $allery% They shoul" be arran$e" so as to len" an a""itional sense to or syner$ise each other% A mathematical simpli#ication #or this process coul" be ren"ere" in this e&ample o# #orm' (a ) b ) c lea"s to "*% A story or narrati+e is #orme" by the care#ul arran$ement o# the poems in relation to each other% When !e look at the possibilities a chapbook a##or"s !e see that !e can arran$e $roups o# poems like this ,(a ) b ) c lea"s to "* ) (e ) # ) $ ) h ) i lea"s to -* ) (k ) l ) m ) n lea"s to o*. an" so on/ buil"in$ on the smaller stories in this manner lea"s to a metanarrati+e !ithin the chapbook% Document preparation. 0* 3* 7* 9* :* ;* Type (or cut/copy an" paste* all your poems onto a ne! 12 Wor" "ocument% Click on 45ile6 an" scroll "o!n to 4Pa$e 2etup6% Click% Choose the 48an"scape6 orientation% 2et your mar$ins to 0%: cm top bottom le#t an" ri$ht% Click on OK% Click on 45ormat6 an" scroll "o!n to 4Columns6% Click% 2elect t!o columns an" set your spacin$ to 7 cm% Click on OK%

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Choose one #ont that you are $oin$ to !ork in% 1ultiple #onts on one pa$e look messy an" amateurish !hen use" by anyone but a +ery $oo" $raphic "esi$ner% A+oi" anythin$ that is not clearly le$ible !hen hel" at arm6s len$th% Choose a seri# type#ace as seri#s (the pointy bits on letterin$* #acilitate the rea"in$ o# lar$e bo"ies o# te&t% A poem may not seem like a lot o# te&t but a book o# poetry is% 2ans seri# #onts are best use" as chapter hea"in$s or titles in books or in areas such as $raphic "esi$n an" a"+ertisin$ !here the +ie!er is re=uire" to #ocus on only a #e! !or"s at a time% Click on 4E"it6 an" scroll "o!n to 42elect all6% Click% Click on the pull@"o!n arro! besi"e the #ont name an" select your chosen te&t% Click% 2a+e your !ork un"er an instantly reco$nisable #ilename% There are too many "oc%0s in this !orl"% Choose a siBe #or your te&t% Cepen"in$ on the #ont this may be bet!een 03 an" 09 pt% Anythin$ smaller is ille$ible e&cept to ea$le@eyes anythin$ lar$er looks chil"ish e&cept on a smaller pa$e or !ith accompanyin$ illustrations% There are e&ceptions to e+ery rule% Titles shoul" be set in a lar$er pt than the main bo"y o# te&t in or"er that they may be "istin$uishe"% Dt is a matter o# taste

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!hether you capitalise or italicise your titles but you must be consistent% A+oi" the use o# the bold or un"erline buttons unless you ha+e a +ery speci#ic reason #or each use% Other!ise it !ill probably seem to a rea"er that the person !ho "esi$ne" this book re$ar"s the buttons as amaBin$ no+elties the same $oes #or centrin$ poems E they look like #ish on the pa$e most o# the time% Resettin$ your line spacin$ to 4line an" a hal#6 or 4"ouble spacin$6 shoul" be +ery care#ully consi"ere" be#ore attempte"% The reason #or this bein$ that once starte" one cannot stop until the !hole book has been space" in the one manner%

Printing instructions (for a forty page chapbook). To print the chapbook click on the 45ile6 "rop@"o!n menu an" select 4Print6% Print sheets 0 E 0A (!e6re $oin$ to call the pa$es o# 12 Wor" 4sheets6 so as not to $et con#use" bet!een the pa$es o# the "ocument an" pa$es o# the chapbook*% Take note o# ho! the paper comes out o# the printer' !hether the TDT8E2 emer$e on the le#t or ri$ht o# you as you #ace the printer hea" on/ !hich sheet in the print run is printe" #irst E the #irst or lastF/ also !hether the paper $oes up!ar"s an" aroun" the roller or #ee"s strai$ht "o!n (i%e% the printer prints on the re+erse si"e o# the paper #acin$ up as you #ee" it into the tray or the printer "oes its -ob on the up!ar"s #ace o# the paper as you loa" itF Dt6s the "i##erence bet!een bottom@ #ee" printers !ith "ra!ers an" top@#ee" printers that6s all really%* Takin$ all that into account !e6re no! $oin$ to print sheets 00@3A% Arran$e the sheets so that sheet 00 !ill be printe" on the re+erse o# sheet 0A sheet 03 printe" on the re+erse o# sheet ? sheet 07 on the re+erse o# sheet > etc etc% 5ee" the sheets into the printer an" print each sheet one at a time -ust to make sure the printer

"oesn6t !hip up t!o sheets at once !hich !oul" ske! e+erythin$ an" re=uire a reprint #rom the start% E&amine each sheet as it comes out o# the printer -ust to make sure that you ha+en6t printe" part o# the chapbook upsi"e@"o!n% Print sheet 30 on its o!n E this is the co+er an" has nothin$ on its re+erse% When all the sheets are printe" arran$e them into the or"er o# the chapbook an" #ol" "o!n the mi""le et +oilGH E you no! ha+e a rou$h copy o# ho! the chapbook !ill look% This process soun"s intensi+e but !ill not be repeate" #or the #ull print run you -ust #ee" the master copy into a photocopier an" press 4"ouble@si"e"6 an" 4collate6% GEIERA8 TDP2 Buy $oo" =uality materials #or your chapbooks as there are too many cheap an" nasty@lookin$ publications in e&istence% D# you6re to $et back the cost o# your labour you ha+e to ha+e an attracti+e presentation #or your !ork% Keep your !orkspace spotless E one sticky co##ee stain may "estroy a number o# books% Remember you can only sell copies o# your book that are in per#ect con"ition%

Allo! #or ten per cent spoila$e in your pro"uction estimates% Dt !oul" surprise you ho! easy it is to #lu## a $uillotine cut or staplin$ -ob% An" there are a lot o# cuts an" staples in+ol+e"J A+oi" han"@stitchin$ until you6re #amiliar !ith the printin$ process not until you6+e publishe" at least one chapbook shoul" you consi"er han"@stitchin$ as it is so labour@intensi+e% A+oi" table@top photocopiers as they !ill "o nothin$ but !arp your paper throu$h e&cessi+e heat% The i"eal photocopier #or a print@run is as bi$ as a small car (think o# 0 AAA "ouble@si"e" an" collate" sheets bein$ run o## in the one -ob*% Clean the screen be#ore you start%

2el#@publishin$ a chapbook E !hy "o itF To paraphrase 1ichael Hartnett the act o# sel#@ publishin$ is a rebel act% 2el#@publishin$ a chapbook allo!s a !riter to open up his or her o!n alternati+e space as Anne 1oe$lin@Celcroi& !rites in her essay 48ittle Books an" Other 8ittle Publications6 a sort o# slip@roa" besi"e the main thorou$h#are% Kery o#ten the "ecision to publish a chapbook is born o# #rustration an" the inability to $et one6s !ork accepte" by an establishe" publisher% This "oes not mean that a !riter6s !ork is substan"ar" !hen sel#@publishe" nor "oes it mean that e+ery sel#@publishe" book is a +anity publication% When one looks at the Drish poetry scene each an" e+ery book o# poetry publishe" !ith a #ull@colour co+er is a +anity publication #or there is no !ay any one o# the Drish poetry presses coul" utilise such e&pensi+e printin$ techni=ues !ithout serious Arts Council #un"in$ as a prop to a #inancial e&ercise !ith no +iability% A rose is a rose Chapbook (#rom the Ol" En$lish ceap meanin$ to barter* pamphlet opuscule little book or publication are all terms one hears ban"ie" aroun" such a little sli+er o# print% An" contentious too !hen !e consi"er the use o# 4pamphlet6 !ith its connotations o# pamphleteers an" pamphleteerin$ the practice o# ruthless an" talentless sel#@ promotion% Luestion 0 E name one !riter !ho "oes not en$a$e in sel#@promotion% Ans!er E none%

Luestion 3 E !ho is most likely to use such a termF Ans!er E the establishment% An" by the use o# this term D am $oin$ to $o back in time to !hen pamphlets ori$inate" to the perio" o# Geor$ian co##ee@houses 2!i#t an" Pope an" their satirical s!ipes at persona$es an" practices o# the "ay% 8et6s $o #or!ar" a little to another perio" !here little books #lourishe" the collapse o# the Ancien Re$ime in 5rance !here ha!kers sol" s!in$ein$ attacks upon a +ain$lorious an" callous =ueen (1arie Antoinette* an" her impotent Kin$ 8ouis MKD the in#amous 2un Kin$ (it at least !as able to rise an" poor 8ouis coul"n6t !hen he trie"*% 5ast #or!ar" a$ain to the 2econ" Worl" War an" its austerities the Parisian riots o# 0?;>% The little book !as there at them all an" in the mi""le o# it%

PAGDIATDOI 0% Take an A9 sheet an" place it into the lan"scape position (lon$est si"e horiBontal*% 3% Io! #ol" it in hal# #rom le#t to ri$ht% Nou no! ha+e #our A: pa$es% 7% 1ark the #ront pa$e !ith a no% 0 turn the pa$e an" mark 3 on the insi"e le#t 7 on the insi"e ri$ht an" 9 on the re+erse% 9% This is pa$ination at its most basic% Nou ha+e a #our@pa$e booklet% :% Io! take t!o A9 sheets (one on top o# the other* an" repeat instructions nos% 0 O 3% Nou no! ha+e an ei$ht@pa$e booklet% ;% 5ollo! instruction no% 7 until you ha+e marke" e+ery pa$e !ith its correspon"in$ no% #rom 0 E >% <% Open both sheets an" look at the pa$e numberin$% Nou !ill see (i# this is "one correctly E it6s your #irst check that the pa$ination is ri$ht* that !hen you a"" the t!o nos% they !ill total the number o# pa$es in your booklet plus one e%$% in the ei$ht pa$e booklet nos% > O 0 shoul" be on the same si"e o# the A9 sheet (>)0P?*% Turn the sheet aroun" an" you !ill see nos% < O 3 on the same si"e (<)3P?*% Nou6ll see nos% 9 O :

on the same si"e (9):P?* an" 7 O ; on the same si"e as each other (7);P?*% >% 5or the pa$ination o# a lar$er booklet/chapbook you !ill nee" to !ork out your pa$ination on a rou$h piece o# paper be#ore you $o about the layout% D use an A9 sheet an" "ra! a rectan$le #or each pair o# pa$es an" !ork out my se=uence #rom there e%$% #or a #orty@pa$e chapbook D "ra! t!enty lan"scape rectan$les an" bisect each one #rom top to bottom% D no! ha+e a representation o# the #orty pa$es an" D !rite in the pa$e nos% !ith the correspon"in$ poems% ?% To be honest D #in" this a "i##icult concept to e&plain usin$ te&t only% D normally use "ia$rams on a #ace@to@#ace basis an" !ill ha+e to !ork out a means o# illustratin$ this in a Wor" "ocument% D !as sho!n this metho" #ace@to@#ace an" nee" to think about ho! to e&plain it in another !ay%