Would you want to browse/flick through in a bookshop?

[pollyglot]

Would this cover tempt you to pick it up and browse in a bookshop? It's not for sale-I wrote it for my family, but would love to know whether this sort of cover has general appeal? It's a bit out of proportion because I've concealed my name...thanks for advice!

No

the title implies a book about war (ie Gallipoli and what happened there) but the picture says a biography or similar

I like the title a lot but am less keen on the cover image which doesn't quite fit the 'true story' element for me - I'd see it as having more of a fictional wartime romance vibe. If it had a photo of one or both of the people, or of a place around the time the book was set it would appeal to me more and I'd pick it up in the library or a local bookshop.

Would everyone know what an Anzac is ?
Not a good title imv - you should have asked MN. Colour a bit unusual too. But if you like Romance and some history it might be popular there.

The "Long Shadow" refers to the trauma caused by the events at Gallipoli upon my family, but that my grandparents met as a result of it. My concern was that the image and the title didn't quite match, but the blurb on the back cover makes the context clear...I can't show it because it includes names.The image was a sketch done for her by one of her patients.

No. Needs a more modern cover. What is it? Fiction or biography?

No but then it doesn’t sound like my sort of thing at all. I primarily enjoy 20th century American fiction, bit of British . Some recent 21st century books I’ve enjoyed have been Yesteryear and Slags. I bought those purely because the covers looked eye popping which forced me to read the blurb and purchase.

It looks like what it is — self-published family history, primarily of interest only to family. So most likely not.

I find it terribly sad that the word ANZAC is unknown among the modern generation.

No, it would grab my attention nor appeal to me.

Probably not OP. I don't particularly like the green colour and the image seems Mills&Boon-ish.

Looks like a data Mills and Boons book.

My first thought was I think the picture is ok, but it’s keeping with the era, although maybe the man’s uniform could look more military. However, then I read that it was drawn by a patient so that’s a nice touch.

To me, the border around the picture looks dated. I’d I assume that book was written seventy years ago, as the book covers were more like that then (thinking of the old Penguin covers). Nowadays, the picture would cover the whole book, not just be in a frame.

The title and summary is fine.

I am very interested in the war but I agree with pp that this looks like a family history that is really only relevant or interesting to the family. For broader appeal I think it needs either more emphasis on the war aspect for people like me or more emphasis on romance for people who like that sort of thing.

The man's uniform is actually "Hospital Blues", the clothing worn by patients in military hospitals in WWI.I used the image because it is authentic, not just for the period, but for the specific characters...but I take the point about Mills and Boon.If I ever sell it - because it actually is of far wider interest than a pedestrian family history, it's a pretty gritty historical novel, I would definitely change the image.It's designed for my granddaughters, who wouldn't even open it had I used the image of their gt gt grandfather in his uniform. Thanks for the feedback, it's much appreciated.

It wouldn't be something I would choose to read based on the cover. I do like reading about wars and peoples lived experiences from them, but the world wars are probably the ones that have had the most fiction and non-fiction coverage. At least in European literature. It's nice for your family to have this as a keepsake, but for other people it's unlikely to be incredibly fascinating.

OK, if you’re planning to find an agent and conventionally publish, I’d change the title and your publisher will have ideas for the cover that shift it away from Mills and Boon. The Mills and Boonishness is emphasised by the subtitle.

I watched ‘A testament of Youth’ (great film based on Vera Britain’s experiences in ww1 ) last night - this was a tragic time
I think the pic should be on the inside and a less romantic pic on the front -maybe him in Anzac uniform - and in the film people were very reserved, kissing secretly in private only

I wouldn't even give that a second glance, nothing about the title or cover interests me.

Also, not sure why you decided on two subtitles but "The true story of an ANZAC and his nurse" would sound better. I still wouldn't want to read it though.

Absolutely not, I would give it a hard swerve, although I’m really not your target audience. Not a big fan of war stories. I think if it’s factual the cover needs to be less twee, the font is also very dated and makes it look something published in the 1930’s. Most war history books have photographic covers these days, how old are your granddaughters? because they are not a good choice of primary audience, you are unlikely to get under 20’s interested regardless. I would be more inclined to pick up a book that had a photograph of a man in uniform on the front than the painting. For context I’m late 40’s and do like history! 🙂

It's not a word, though. It's an obscure acronym from the early 1900s, from a part of the world where their history isn't really taught in our schools.

I would say with some confidence that many, if not the majority, of people wouldn't know what an ANZAC is. The fact the image looks like he is wearing a business suit would further confuse me, once I googled what it meant.

It looks very old fashioned to me. Kristen Hannah writes historical, fact based fiction (I know that sounds like a contradiction) and that’s the sort of genre I’d be comparing it to. Give some of her books a google - The Nightingale, The women etc.

Agree with this, but I thought that it might have been because I am Scandinavian and we learnt next to no history from that part of the world in our history lessons, nor anything about their involvement in WW1. Perhaps the book would be more popular in the ANZAC countries?

The cover of the book doesn’t sell the story, which now you’ve explained it, sounds really interesting and is something I’d like to read.

However, as I’m not familiar with ‘hospital blues’ or ANZAC the cover wouldn’t make me want to pick the book up.

I looked up what ANZAC is and rightly or wrongly, it’s not something that I’ve ever heard about in the UK.

The picture used on the cover has a lovely story behind it but would be better placed on the inside back cover which a reader would appreciate after they’ve read your book.

I don’t mind the title but the subhead makes no sense to me and as others have said, it all feels very Mills and Boon-ish, which I’m not interested in. Personally, I don’t think you should need a subhead on the cover to explain the story. The ‘true story’ line is enough.

It would make sense to make the cover the ‘hospital blues’ colour and use imagery that shows when and where the story is set (Australia? 1940s?).

The cover doesn’t reflect anything that you’ve said the book is about. I’m sure a publisher/ graphic designer could help you. As it stands it looks like you’ve created a lovely memoir for your family and you should be very proud of that. A more dynamic cover could open it up to an external market.

I would have thought ANZAC was well within the ambit of normal general knowledge, and I’m neither British nor an Australian/New Zealander.

Sorry op but it doesn’t grab me.