I started working on a trailer for my soon-to-be-released kidlit novel, RUPERT STARBRIGHT: THE DOOR TO FAR-MYST. Yep- a trailer for a book. Hey- I've made film trailers before but I confess this is new to me. I think the idea makes sense—creating a movie-like ad for a book to get people excited about reading it.
But then a thought struck me. I have watched a couple of book trailers in my life and found most of them are pretty bad. I also realized I have never actually bought a book for a trailer I have watched!
As I begin the difficult task of generating the 3D graphics (which will take days to render) I wonder, IS THIS A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME?
I wonder if anyone other than fellow authors will watch it and will it have any impact on book sales. So I ask you:
Have you ever seen a trailer for a book and if so did it help push you to buying it? While on the subject, what DOES get you to read a book?
1. Book trailers
2. Familiarity with author
3. Recommendation from friend
4. The cover
5. The back cover blurb
6. A review
7. Bribe by author
8. Facebook posts
9. To shut up an annoying, begging starving writer
So I'll get back to work on my trailer please give me some feedback. WHY DO YOU READ A SPECIFIC BOOK?
As always, please LIKE and SHARE this blog.
But then a thought struck me. I have watched a couple of book trailers in my life and found most of them are pretty bad. I also realized I have never actually bought a book for a trailer I have watched!
As I begin the difficult task of generating the 3D graphics (which will take days to render) I wonder, IS THIS A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME?
I wonder if anyone other than fellow authors will watch it and will it have any impact on book sales. So I ask you:
Have you ever seen a trailer for a book and if so did it help push you to buying it? While on the subject, what DOES get you to read a book?
1. Book trailers
2. Familiarity with author
3. Recommendation from friend
4. The cover
5. The back cover blurb
6. A review
7. Bribe by author
8. Facebook posts
9. To shut up an annoying, begging starving writer
So I'll get back to work on my trailer please give me some feedback. WHY DO YOU READ A SPECIFIC BOOK?
As always, please LIKE and SHARE this blog.
I use my book trailers when I do school visits - kids love them, and book signings. I also put it as a link for my twitter teases as well as when requesting arc reviews. They are useful - any tool that's well put together and free to promote works to spread the word.
ReplyDeleteBook trailers usually bore me to death. I've seen a few and really don't enjoy them. I also could care less about movie traielrs. One sees them all the time. Maybe I'm wrong but a good review or a bad review will intrigue me more about a book. Also reading the first 400 to thousand words of the book will interest me. One of my publishers has done trailers for three of my books. I looked at them once and shrugged, though people who are into trailers think they're well done.
ReplyDeleteI don't watch book trailers either. Word of mouth gets me to read a book. Or simply good cover art and picking up the book. A good back cover blurb, a good inside excerpt, plays a huge part in my buying a book. I don't base much on reviews because they are subjective. I've loved books that got panned by reviewers, and vice versa.
ReplyDeleteI like trailers, but am not really influenced to buy a book because of a good one. I go with authors I've read and enjoy. The cover will attract me but it's what's inside that counts. A good blurb on the cover, reading the first chapter help me decide. Oh, and maybe to shut up a starving writer. Don't want them to go hungry. :) Good questions here.
ReplyDeleteIf a book trailer grabs me, I'll buy the book. I use book trailers because I'm not with a traditional publisher and any way I can get word out on my books is a plus.
ReplyDeleteI was a guest speaker and I shared my book trailers with other writers. All of them were very excited and wanted to make their own too. Also I've had good feedback on both of mine. I even had a teen make the one for CROSSED OUT.
Kim Baccellia