The charity for our Facebook Anthology, Fandemonium: Selected Short Stories & Poems From Talented Facebook Writers, has been determined via a public vote by you, our blog readers and Facebook fans.
Royalty proceeds from the sale of Fandemonium will benefit the American Red Cross. Thank you to everyone who voted and to everyone who has participated so far in our social networking publishing project. There is still time to submit your poem or short story or excerpt on our Facebook Page. Just open a comment and submit something for possible free inclusion in Fandemonium!
Now it’s time for you to determine what the cover of Fandemonium is going to look like. Here are the four choices. Use the ballot box below to vote for your choice. We’ll be accepting votes through this weekend so be sure to share the voting process with your own Facebook friends and on your own Twitter account, especially if you’ve submitted content and want your cover preference to win!
(It’s too small to see in these samples, but the Gold Seal notifies buyers that proceeds benefit the American Red Cross.)
 Cover 1 |
 Cover 2 |
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When you publish your own book at Outskirts Press and select our Custom Cover option, you will receive 2 different concepts to choose from and further modify, just like this. The concepts can either be based upon your specific directions, or can be left up to the talents of our designers. It’s your choice.
Start publishing with the Diamond or full-color Pearl package today to get $300 of spending money for options of your choice. That’s like getting a FREE professional custom cover design. Click here for the promotion details and promotion code.
Laura McGaffey
January 18, 2011 at 8:56 pm
My husband is not a writer but he is a voracious reader. I told him about the anthology of poems and stories by writers on Facebook. Then I showed him the covers and asked him to choose. He instantly (and I mean instantly!) pointed to number 3. [ No, I wasn't pointing at #3 while he chose.
) ]
Food for thought: Is this book being offered by writers to other writers; i.e. is it just a venue for a mutual admiration society? Or is to be sold to the public at large?
nora george
January 18, 2011 at 8:02 am
good cover goes with a good truthful man i like what i read and see i see you are the best in your doings on this wonderful book<<fr your real advice <<
Clyde Washington
January 17, 2011 at 9:37 pm
# 2 is my choice- the different approach to ethnic diversity is what caught my eye.
Jeffrey Lee
January 16, 2011 at 10:15 pm
Cover three said it all and does not have does not have the harsh colors and looks interesting to want to pick it up and read it.
Rsoemarie Quintal
January 16, 2011 at 4:53 pm
Cover #1 seems to reflect the American Red Cross, thumbs up for emergency medical care!
Rsoemarie Quintal
January 16, 2011 at 4:52 pm
Cover No. 1 seems to best fit the American Red Cross, thumbs up for nurseand doctor and hospital care
AM Chartrand
January 16, 2011 at 12:16 pm
I vote for #2. I is more details and tells the viewer what the event is about. The others are just to cryptic and not very appealing artistically.
Francis Leye
January 16, 2011 at 8:55 am
As a graphic artist and writer, i like cover 4 in all its ramifications. It tells everything a marketable cover should posses.
outskirtspress
January 16, 2011 at 10:31 am
Hi Francis,
Nearly 50% of the voters appear to agree with you so far, Francis. Great choice, and thank you for voting.
Outskirts Press
nora george
January 18, 2011 at 7:49 am
walk the talk ,and talk the talk and for real do whats right in any saying and doing brings heaven close to all of us<<amean
nora george
January 18, 2011 at 7:57 am
keep up the good work in all your truthfulness in your books and doings take care form the one and only<<amen n amean<<<so jan. the 16 you stated good truthfulinees to me and others<<<
Lynne Burke
January 16, 2011 at 1:26 am
I like #2 The rest look like text books, Good luck with choosing.
outskirtspress
January 16, 2011 at 10:32 am
Hi Lynne,
What specifically do you like about #2? Is there anything about #2 that you dislike, if we were to try to improve upon it?
Outskirts Press
Toni McKain
January 19, 2011 at 1:41 am
I choose #2. I agree with Lynn, it’s more personable with actual people, diverse people, because fans are real people.
Toni MCK
Avzi Cipuri
January 15, 2011 at 11:06 pm
In #-s 1,3 and 4 you only get the feeling of coldness contrary to the inspiration that poetry is supposed to impose on you. # 2 has at least a bit of warm colors and encouraging feeling to prepare you for the reading of the poems you expect to read in the book.
outskirtspress
January 16, 2011 at 10:32 am
Hi Avzi,
You’re right, #2 is the “warmest” of the bunch. Great comment.
Outskirts Press
Steve Braxton
January 15, 2011 at 9:56 pm
Cover # 4 -is the best one to reflect the notice of the title and cover images. Here hoping and praying this is the winner.
Dipak Sen Gupta
January 16, 2011 at 1:38 am
No. 4 ofcourse
outskirtspress
January 16, 2011 at 10:33 am
Hi Steve,
The majority seems to agree with you, Steve. I think you may have picked our winner. Thanks for voting.
Outskirts Press
Laura McGaffey
January 15, 2011 at 7:33 pm
Hmmm. I’m more fascinated by everyone else’s responses than the covers themselves. But here’s my two cents worth anyway.
I like #1 and #3, but settled on #3. This book is not just another anthology, but an anthology of work contributed by writers via an online social network, i.e. Facebook. Cover #1 uses the ubiquitous online graphic for “like”, as in “I LIKE it”. Unfortunately, the overall effect, with the too small text at the bottom, is vague about just what the fans are in a pandemonium over.
#3, is the best, with the large text near the top and the graphic representation of a network (well-known in the engineering world from whence I come).
Number 2 is far too chaotic and hard on the eye, and forces the potential reader to spend way too much time sifting through the cover to figure out what the book might be about.
Number 4 is out for two reasons.
First, it could be any crowd anywhere cheering for anything. A pack of hooligans at a soccer game, for instance. If I were looking at that cover in my local book store, I would think it was a non-fiction book about someone’s investigation into law enforcement crowd control procedures or the escalating violence of crowds at various venues or the rise in idolatrous worship of celebrities while church attendance declines.
Second, has nobody else noticed that in the upper right side of the graphic, just below the gold star, one of the prominently raised hands seems to be pointing a GUN at the gold star????
outskirtspress
January 16, 2011 at 10:30 am
Hi Laura,
Great comments, thank you. It’s too small to see on these samples, but that prominent hand is actually holding a book, but we should make it clearer, especially since people see “small” cover images before they see the larger ones. Great eye.
Outskirts Press
Gideon Cecil
January 15, 2011 at 6:57 pm
The cover is very captivating to the eyes,that inspires the soul and compels the mind.
Patricia Grand
January 15, 2011 at 4:17 pm
In a retail shelf full of books it would be apparent that the Picture matches the Title. #4 is the strongest message screaming out from the others ( nobody has a chance to try to translate from the cover) This usually indicates it will read this way as well…confusing 1,2 and 3 are smart, but too complicated. I value a strong cover and and a smart read. I agree with Kip Coon Patti
outskirtspress
January 16, 2011 at 10:35 am
Hi Patricia,
Many of the voters appear to agree with you and Kip Coon, as well. Thank you for participating in the voting.
Outskirts Press
Randi Levin
January 15, 2011 at 3:10 pm
#4 depicts the message and subject more clearly then the other 3. It show fans applauding for a word well written, whereas the others do not illsutrate the message so fresh and direct as #4.
outskirtspress
January 16, 2011 at 10:36 am
Hi Randi,
You’re right – great comments about #4. Thank you for voting.
Outskirts Press
John Szarko
January 15, 2011 at 2:50 pm
Cover #1 looks like a jigsaw puzzle.
Cover #2 looks like the back cover to the book.
Cover #3 looks like a page out of a computer magazine.
Cover #4 is simple, clean and easy-to-read. (Simplicity is the essence of all beauty.)
outskirtspress
January 16, 2011 at 10:36 am
Hi John,
Great comments and feedback. Nearly 50% of the voters appear to agree with you. Great eye!
Outskirts Press
Ingrid Kern
January 15, 2011 at 2:44 pm
I prefer #2 – may be without the background.
outskirtspress
January 16, 2011 at 10:38 am
Hi Ingrid,
You’re right, removing the background might improve this version considerably. Hmm… we may need to have a “vote-off” once we apply some of these excellent suggestions to the cover concepts. Thank you for participating.
Outskirts Press
Paul R Drewfs
January 15, 2011 at 2:38 pm
Cover 1 is eerie crude cold yet formally conceived. Most importantly, it tells the tale at a glance; ‘fan turbulence is a corrupting wind spin engorges all in its wake.’ Cover 1 is not pretty — it’s effective.
outskirtspress
January 16, 2011 at 10:40 am
Hi Paul,
You’re right, it says what it is. We particularly liked that the “like” thumb icon in some manner resembled “talking balloons” from cartoons — kind of a visual representation that a lot of different voices were within the pages of the anthology. Maybe too esoteric for a cover, though? It doesn’t look like #1 is going to make it. Thanks for the great comment.
Outskirts Press
Kip Coon
January 15, 2011 at 2:18 pm
The best cover in my opinion is none of the 4, but the small box itself found in cover number 2. Get rid of the eye busy leaves, laptop – the horrible picture as the base of cover number 2 – and just use the inserted box as the cover. It says all you need it to say and it’s visually appealing.
outskirtspress
January 16, 2011 at 10:42 am
Hi Kip,
Many people agree with you regarding #4. And you’ve pinpointed an excellent way to improve #2. We may have to apply some of this feedback and have a “vote-off.” Stay tuned. Thanks for the great comments.
Outskirts Press
Nancy
January 15, 2011 at 2:17 pm
I do not really like any of them, however I think 2 is the best of the four options.
Andrea Stavros
January 15, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Cover #2 is a little quirky and colorful and draws you in – it focuses on images of a various kinds of writers – and catches your eye and imagination.
Cover #4 is a classic layout, but could be music fans. So #2 is the one for me!
Mary Smith
January 15, 2011 at 4:19 pm
Ny sentiments exactly! Well said!
Linda Hzelwood
January 15, 2011 at 4:19 pm
Have you ever been to a convention (writers, actors, astronauts, animae, sci-fi, etc.)? This crowd easily depicts the fans of any of those groups. Believe me, music fans aren’t the only ones who can make up raucous crowds.
outskirtspress
January 16, 2011 at 10:44 am
Hi Linda,
You’re right. We writers can be rowdy from time to time, can’t we?
Outskirts Press
outskirtspress
January 16, 2011 at 10:43 am
Hi Andrea and Mary — #2 is still well within the running! Tell your Facebook friends to vote on it. You could turn the tide of the voting…
Outskirts Press
Shani Dowdell
January 15, 2011 at 1:50 pm
I like #2, but #4 speaks more to the theme of the anthology – Facebook Writers.
Leslie Ray
January 15, 2011 at 12:54 pm
I don’t really care for any of the covers, but # 2 is the best of the four.
Raymond Girard
January 15, 2011 at 12:29 pm
Good cover, very eye catching!
Raymond Girard
January 15, 2011 at 12:27 pm
Good Cover, very eye catching.