Chapbooks may be published in 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, and 40 pages (not including introduction pages). The page number will vary to the volume of material the writer/artist has to publish. The number of pages chosen will not affect the ending price of publication, so publish as much as you can at once!

Unlike some chapbook publishers who only publish poetry and short stories, Shadow Poetry will publish the following: poetry, short stories, flash stories, haibun, personal journals, essays, quotes/sayings, cookbooks for your favorite recipes, song lyrics, address books and holiday gift lists, or a collection of sketches from an artist. We are also open to any other chapbook publication requests or needs. Some of the selections above make excellent fundraising ideas, gifts, etc., so you see, chapbooks may be used for a variety of purposes. Poetic collaborations of two or more poets or anthologies from various writers and artists are welcome. Please inquire on release forms if you wish to publish a collection of more than three authors/artists.

Keep in mind that a chapbook is only 5.5” X 8.5”; therefore, line lengths and widths are important matters to remember when considering certain material for your book. Shadow Poetry prefers one poem per page if publishing a collection of poetry though alternative formatting options are considered and available. This would normally allow for a title and a poem of 32 lines in length (including line/stanza spacing) or less. Should your poem be longer than 32 lines, it may run over onto additional pages. Please remember this when collecting your poetry for publication. Poems consisting of lines longer than 65 characters (including spaces) may run over onto the next line. It is important to keep your poems as “skinny” as possible to prevent line drops during formatting. If you want more than two poems per page, inquire about alternative formatting or purchase some sample copies of our chapbooks available in Shadow Poetry’s online bookstore.

Dedications are welcomed. It is always a wonderful gesture to dedicate a collection or other works to a loved one, good friend, or someone who has inspired you in your writing.

About the Author (Bio) - An about the author/artist page may be added to the front or back page of a chapbook. This would be an excellent place to tell your readers a little bit about yourself, who has had a great influence in your life, why you got started in your craft, etc. A photo of yourself may be added here as well.

Acknowledgements - An acknowledgements page is necessary if you have previously published, won a poetry contest, etc. with one or more poems contained within your chapbook.

Table of Contents - A table of contents will be added to each chapbook unless noted otherwise. This will allow for a complete listing of all the content that makes up the chapbook, and for your reader to have easy access to certain material.

Graphical Material - Photos, graphics, and sketches may be added to your chapbook anywhere you wish. These forms of art may be sent to Shadow Poetry by mail, on disk, or transmitted through email. If submitting photos, which need to be scanned, there will be an additional fee to process these for your chapbook.

Shadow Poetry highly recommends all of the chapbooks below as excellent examples of the different formats we can offer our clients. Click on the links to order sample copies from the Shadow Poetry Online Bookstore.

Single authored chapbooks, one poem per page:

      • Timeless Without Time by Timothy McNeal
      • Infinite Space by Michelle Barnette
      • The Fearless Tattoo by Beth Cagle Burt
      • Cow Tippers by Linda Simone

Single authored chapbooks, two or more poems per page:

      • Arcadian Dreams by Eddie Radomsky
      • Confetti Leaves by Sally Ann Roberts
      • For the Love of Etheree by Andrea Dietrich

Graphically filled single authored chapbooks, one or more poems per page:

      • Kaleidoscope by Mary L. Ports
      • Catch A Butterfly by Herbert Mandel
      • Purple Petals of Poetry by Floria Kelderhouse
      • Yielding Desire to Fate by Dan Tharp
      • Dreaming the Unicorn by Andrea Dietrich
      • Island Creations by Connie Marcum Wong
      • Expressions in Fur by CarrieAnn Thunell

Chapbook collection by two authors, one or more poems per page:

      • Friendship Garden by Andrea Dietrich & Floria Kelderhouse
      • Along the River and Through Flowered Fields by Stacy Smith & Betty Lou Hebert
      • The Eternal Waltz of Seasons by Dawn Thompson & Monty Cartwright

Chapbook Anthologies (multiple authors):

      • An Array of Triolet - The Poets Respond
      • Dreaming Tomorrow - The Member Collection - 2005
      • Shadows Ink Chapbook - Series 2, Volume 4

Chapbook of quotes/sayings:

      • Kemosabe Kitty Says by Robert M. Wilson
      • Contradoxes by Robert M. Wilson
      • Contradoxes II by Robert M. Wilson

Chapbooks with divided sections:

      • Chortle Blossoms by Deborah P. Cooper
      • Feline/Canine by Debby Cooper
      • Pizza for Breakfast by Debby Cooper
      • Looking Back, Facing Forward by Maralee Gerke

Chapbook containing a collection of essays/haibun:

      • The Ties That Bind by Emily Romano
      • Thresholds to Haiku by Emily Romano

Chapbook collection of recipes:

      • A Poet's Cookbook - Recipes from the Shadow Poets

Haiku collection:

      • Persimmons by Bret Wooldridge
      • Blue-gray Currents... by CarrieAnn Thunell
      • Shadows and Light by Jerry Gill