How to self-publish a chapbook

Lay out the pages so they impose correctly for folding, print on a riso, photocopier or print-on-demand service, fold and saddle-stitch, and distribute by hand, by mail and at readings. No gatekeeper required.

Three ways to hold a chapbook together. Saddle stitch is the default for short runs; perfect binding starts to make sense past about sixty pages.

Impose the pages

A chapbook is folded, so the pages do not print in reading order. A sixteen-page chapbook prints on four sheets, and page 1 shares a sheet with page 16. Layout software or a free imposition tool handles this; getting it wrong is the most common first mistake.

Choose how to print

Print options for a self-published chapbook
Method	Best for	Feel
Photocopier	Cheapest short runs	Utilitarian, honest
Risograph	Two-colour art chapbooks	The classic chapbook look
Print-on-demand	No upfront run, ISBN option	Cleaner, less handmade

Fold, stitch, trim

Fold the signatures, staple twice on the spine for saddle stitch, and trim the fore-edge flush. A long-arm stapler helps.

Distribute

Sell at readings, trade with other writers, mail to a small list, and consign a few to a sympathetic bookshop. See also publishing on Amazon if you want a listing.