Dithering Chaps
Independent Poetry Publishers
Small Press, Big Heart
Who we are
Dithering Chaps is an independent UK poetry chapbook publisher, specialising in beautifully crafted poetry chapbooks by contemporary poets.
The National Poetry Library lists Dithering Chaps as an independent UK poetry chapbook publisher on their website and holds a copy of every chapbook we publish. We are a great choice for poets who want their work treated with care, curiosity, and genuine attention.
What we publish
We’re a small independent poetry press with a big heart. We publish a handful of carefully chosen poetry chapbooks each year because we want to give each manuscript the time, thought, and affection it deserves.
We usually publish poetry sequences of between 30 and 60 pages — the sweet spot between pamphlets (generally under 30 pages) and full collections (often 80 pages or more). However, we’re flexible, and we’re happy to consider slightly longer or shorter curations of your poetry too.
How we work
We read carefully. We edit collaboratively. We design with intention.
Yes, there is dithering — mostly over the small details that make a book feel right in the hand: the texture of the paper, the spacing between lines and poems, the quiet architecture of the page. Large presses don’t have the time to dither; we consider it part of our craft. Our aim is simple: to bring new and exciting poetry to a wider audience by making chapbooks that feel both beautifully crafted and deeply human.
This is a labour of love for us - contact us here.
Submissions
We are open for submissions all year round. When you submit your work, we provide personalised feedback, whether we choose to publish you or not. That’s how committed we are to poetry, to publishing, and to the people we meet in this process.
When you contact us, you’ll get a personal response — not a standard email. We’re not trying to be a big press. We just want to be a good one.
If you’d like to join us on our journey, you’ll find our submission requirements here. Before you submit, we recommend you check out our current publications, to get an idea of our aesthetics and editorial approach.
Dithering Chaps Press — an independent UK poetry chapbook publisher
We publish exciting contemporary poetry chapbooks in small, carefully-curated editions
We are proud to introduce our small, but beautifully-formed, team.
We are, quite literally, a family business …
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David’s primary role is founder and lead editor of Dithering Chaps, championing contemporary poetry and choosing the most exciting voices to bring to a wider audience.
As a widely-published poet himself, he provides personalised feedback on every submission with insight and expert skill. You can read more about his own work here.
Along with Gena, our Associate Editor, David has the ambition to make Dithering Chaps the home for excellent new poetry, changing the world one chapbook at a time!
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Gena graduated from the University of Aberystwyth with a Joint Honours degree in English and Librarianship, so books are her passion!She will be thrilled to read your work and looks forward to receiving submissions.
In addition to being associate editor, Gena produces our marketing material, and provides the voiceover for many of our posts on social media.
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Jamie has been responsible for designing our covers ever since we fell in love with their work for Helen Kay’s collection, It Was Never About the Kingfisher. You can see our work on their website, here.
We really enjoy meeting up with them over a coffee, when they thrill us by amending covers on the fly, responding to the feedback from our chosen poets and coming up with the perfect cover. Thank you, Jamie!
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Who do we call when we need an IT expert? It has to be Lawrence. He’s a genius with technology, as well as being very cool. His super-power is staying calm in the face of technical obstacles, which keeps us calm, too.
Thanks, Lawrence!
“Your feedback was so informative that I think it will really help me to improve and grow as a poet.
I have been unsure where I was ‘going wrong’, so to speak. Your insightful and valuable response has given me a focus.”
(From a poet who had received feedback on their submission.)
