Below are examples of how Shadow Poetry can design and format the inside contents of a chapbook. Authors may also choose different colored papers for printing as well! Formatting decisions should be based upon personal preference of how you want your chapbook to appear. Chapbooks may include any of the following: title page(s), dedications, acknowledgements, about the author page, and/or a table of contents. The basic content of each chapbook will begin after these pages. Introduction pages do not count towards your total number book pages unless the author chooses to put one or more of these features on the final page(s).

  Title Pages:

Each chapbook may have up to two title pages. The first title page will only have the chapbook title printed on it. The second, the chapbook title and author will be displayed along with a graphic or an image to reflect the cover. Most authors prefer two title pages, as the second is the correct page to autograph a book when at a signing or giving a personally signed copy to a friend or relative. These two pages will allow room for Shadow Poetry to place copyright information into the publication as well. If only one title page is chosen, then the format of the second title page will be used.When titling your chapbook, make sure it is something that reflects the overall work, and don’t make it too long as this may disrupt the layout of your cover. Subtitles are welcome.

  Dedications:

Dedications may be added to chapbooks as a wonderful gesture to honor a loved one, good friend, or someone who has inspired or supported you in your work. Normally a dedication does not begin with “Dedicated to…” as it is simply stated as “to…” or "for...". You may add quotes or more about to whom the book is dedicated to.

  Acknowledgements:

The purpose of an acknowledgement page is to express gratitude to those who inspired your works, helped you in some way, etc. such as a writing group, close friends, relatives, and others, and is totally optional. This is not an extension of the dedication page, but rather a page to brag on the people you most care for or encouraged the collection within. An acknowledgement can cite previous publications, especially if a published poem or short story appears within the chapbook. Normally this section appears at the beginning of a chapbook, but can be placed in the back if the author chooses, but will take up one page of your content.

  About the Author:

An about the author/artist page may be added to a chapbook in several different places: the beginning, end, or even on the back cover. This section is an excellent place to tell your readers a little bit about yourself, your family, where you were born, your education, who has had a great influence in your life, why you got started in your craft, any awards you’ve received, groups you belong to, your hopes and dreams, etc. Always write this section in 3rd person and don’t date items such as stating you are twenty-one with a two-year-old son, because years down the line, the chapbook will not be accurate anymore. Adding a picture of yourself enhances the personal relationship you build with your reader. This section does not need to be very long, and the text is usually justified.

  Table of Contents:

A Table of Contents, complete listing of all the content which makes up the chapbook for reader to have easy access to certain material, is usually added to a chapbook unless it not needed due to being a short story or the author requests there not be one. Formats options can contain a list with dots or no dots leading over the the page numbers, have divided sections, or other options should there be too many titles to list onto two pages.

  Page Headers:

Page headers are the small strips at the top of each page where the page numbers are displayed. There are several formats Shadow Poetry offers from plain to decorative (i.e. featuring just numbers, numbers with decorative designs, numbers with the chapbook title and author name, etc.). (Shadow Poetry does not place page numbers at the bottom of the page due alignment and formatting variances in each published work.) Please refer to the Shadows Ink Guide to Chapbook Publishing for page header designs.