Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!akgua!mcnc!ncsu!uvacs!gmf
From: gmf@uvacs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.books
Subject: Chapbooks?
Message-ID: <1240@uvacs.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 12-Apr-84 20:18:03 EST
Article-I.D.: uvacs.1240
Posted: Thu Apr 12 20:18:03 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 15-Apr-84 05:43:59 EST
Lines: 29

ref:  brl-vgr.41

As to "chapbooks":

>>  Does this refer to the ... paperbacks in which struggling young
>>  poets seem to often be published, usually by vanity presses?

I don't have any hard data, but I think poets (or would-be poets)
who publish with vanity presses are likely not to choose the
chapbook format (and they are often not young).  In any case,
many poetry chapbooks are sponsored by poetry magazines or
poetry groups (formal or informal) or (legitimate) poetry contests or
university departments or university presses, etc.  Or a poet
simply pays an ordinary printer (not a publisher) to do a chapbook.
I take it that chapbooks are "small" and usually paperbound (to
save money).  They are also not usually published or marketed through
"standard" publishing channels (there are numerous options besides
vanity presses), although a few university presses publish and
market what they call chapbooks in a more or less standard way.
Thus there seem to be elements of both "size" and "marketing"
in chapbooks.  I would guess the sf books were (a) paperbound
and (b) not published by standard publishing houses (hopefully
no copyrights are violated).

However, I am guessing to some extent.  There was a discussion
of poetry chapbooks in a recent issue of "Coda", a writers'
newsletter, but I can't find my copy.

     Gordon Fisher