wmartin@brl-vgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) (04/10/84)
I recently saw a reference in sf-lovers to some otherwise-unobtainable writings being "occasionally reprinted in chapbook form overseas". My dictionary is singularily unhelpful in telling me what a "chapbook" is -- it says "Any small book...such as were formerly carried about for sale by chapmen." A "chapman" turns out to be a peddler. Another dictionary defines "chapbook" as "a small book or pamphlet of poems, ballads, religious tracts, etc." Before this, I don't believe I had ever heard the term "chapbook" before. Does this refer to the thin, 5 x 8 inch (or so), paperbacks in which struggling young poets seem to often be published, usually by vanity presses? Or is that a different thing? If so, just what is a chapbook? Is the term "chapbook" commonly used in the book trade in the US, or is this a Briticism? Finally, what distinguishes a "chapbook" from a "paperback" -- size, marketing, whatever? Will
gmf@uvacs.UUCP (04/13/84)
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