Chapbooks...?

I would love to have some thoughts....but what is a chapbook? Do you mean a novella?

A chapbook is a very small print publication circulated by small press publishers. Typically it is A5 sized and made by stapling A4 pages into a booklet. They often have 30-50 pages. It is a rather 'make it yourself' format.

I am not sure major publishers would care much either way of you had put out a chapbook.

mattwaterman said:

But I wonder, would agents/publishers frown on this as it takes away from the potential impact of a debut novel or is a good showing of professioniality?

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No to both, I think. Your debut novel is still your debut novel. A chapbook isn't a novel.

A chapbook isn't any kind of hallmark of professionalism, either. The publication of your work by a fine little press known for its high standards and selectivity would probably count about as much as a publishing credit with a good magazine. Publication with a press no one's heard of would be at best neutral, and at worst a negative strike, if you come across as clueless of publishing.