This is not a proper blog post but more a request for HELP and CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM.
I've been working on the cover for the Catalonia Is Not Spain book over the weekend and here's the result. The picture is La Diada by Joan Abelló and the Abelló Museum in Mollet del Vallès have kindly given me permission to use the painting that the great Catalan artist produced after the Catalan National Day in 1977, the first after the death of Franco.
One of the big difficulties is getting the blurb text right. Here it is :-
"How much does the world know about Catalonia and its role as a great medieval empire and one of Europe's first nation-states?
In Catalonia Is Not Spain: A Historical Perspective, author Simon Harris takes the reader through 1,000 years of Catalan history focusing on the Principality's often difficult relationship with Castile-dominated Spain.
Assimilation attempts by the Catholic Kings and Habsburgs, the siege of Barcelona and annexation by the Bourbons and 300 years of absolutist monarchs and repressive dictatorships have brought Catalonia and Spain to where they are today.
This insightful and balanced history gives an insider's background to the current political situation and explains why Catalans believe that Catalonia is not Spain".
I appreciate that many of you won't agree with the content and if that's the case please refrain from commenting. A blurb has a very limited amount of space and you have to get key information across in a limited number of words.
The text inside, although from a Catalan point of view, is actually much more balanced and in the preface I make the point that Catalonia Is Spain and that the phrase Catalonia Is Not Spain is used on signs and placards as part of the independence campaign.
The title, cover and blurb are designed to provoke the reader, create interest and encourage them to buy the book.
I'd be grateful if you could answer the following questions
1. Can the text be improved in any way?
2. Would this cover encourage you to buy the book? Why/why not?
Any other constructive criticism would be much appreciated.
If the answer the Question 2 is YES, you've still get time until October 13th to help me reach the crowdfund target, I have created to publish the book.
Click on the image below, make a pledge and not only will you receive an early copy but also your name will appear in the credits.