what are we fighting for?
what are we fighting for?
Riley Spicer
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"What are we fighting for?" is a collection of collage poetry and art made by Riles exploring visionary futures to inspire us as we work to create a more caring world.
18 full-color, 1/4-size pages (5.5" x 4.25"). Each chapbook is assembled by hand in the Common Meter Press studio in the Heart of Ballard. The first 50 orders will receive additional postcards with original art by Riley.






What on earth are chapbooks?
Chapbooks are fun, bite-sized books that often resemble zines (pronounced "zeens"). And while they may be small, they can pack a powerful punch. Chapbooks usually contain poetry, but may also often contain short fiction.
Our chapbooks are printed, collated, and bound by hand in our studio in the Heart of Ballard. We use high-quality, semi-gloss 32 pound interior paper and 110 lb matte cover stock. Our books feature full color pages, inside and out.
Shown: Riley Spicer's "what are we fighting for?"
Browse our shop
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Our Press
Shop the PressAt Common Meter Press, we publish zines and chapbooks by writers with whom we share an affinity for poetry and non-traditional fiction. We print, collate, and staple our in-house books and zines by hand.
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Our Book Club
Join the ClubWe want to send you snail mail! Join our first-ever Book Club to get our books in your mailbox every month. Plus, we have oodles of poetry and fiction zines in our library to share. You're bound to be surprised.
All about chapbooks
What are chapbooks?
Chapbooks are small, staple-bound or perfect-bound books, often containing poetry, usually made by hand.
Who makes all of these chapbooks?
Our chapbooks are made in-house. Although we occasionally ship out full-color projects to local printers, we collate, staple, and ship everything ourselves. We do not use SPD or store large quantities of books in warehouses. We are truly a small press.
Will there be a digital version of this chapbook available?
At this time, we do not have plans to offer our chapbooks in digital, e-Book format. While we understand the accessibility of this format, as well as the environmental impact, the joy of a chapbook is in the analog: holding something ephemeral in your hands, and experiencing the tactile nature of the poetry within.
One caveat; we may offer an audiobook at some point in the future. But those take time to plan and produce and are not available at this time.
Are your chapbooks environmentally friendly?
What eco-friendly best practices do you follow?
We eschew sourcing our paper or supplies from major corporations like those whose name rhymes with Glamazon. We work with local partners whenever necessary to reduce our carbon footprint. We use FSC-certified paper when possible for all books.
What is FSC-certified paper?
Unfortunately, the book industry is laden with practices that lead to deforestation. But an FSC-certified paper requires at least 70% of the paper to be sourced from a recycled wood or material.
Do you use bubble wrap?
As of now, we ship our packages in recylcable and recycled mailers only, and avoid the use of bubble wrap and packaging supplies made from plastics. We reuse cardboard whenever possible for backing board and stiffeners. And, in general, do our best to recycle incoming packaging.