What do you think of book trailers?
Omnific Publishing has made a trailer for my debut novel Life, Liberty, and Pursuit. Not only is it GORGEOUS (ok, I may be a little biased, you can judge for yourself), but the music is an original work by Don Cannon (from the group Fake Uncle Jack), composed just for my trailer. How awesome is that?
More than anything I love the mood that the trailer gives. It accurately reflects the novel, the feel of the characters, their essential conflict.
When I watch a book trailer, I look for that feeling. Is it spooky or thrilling? Funny or serious? If I wasn’t already intrigued by the cover or the title, I probably wouldn’t bother viewing the trailer, so I’m not sure if a trailer closes the deal and leads to more sales. Then again, it’s one more marketing tool, so I think it can’t hurt.
Unless it’s done badly.
Thank the heavens Omnific made the trailer for me, because I have no artistic ability and wouldn’t have dared to make one on my own. And there is no way in heck I would be making a trailer that featured ME*, rather than the book. Lord help me if anyone ever asks me to do that.
According to the NY Times, less than 0.1% of people buy books because of trailers, but that number zooms to 45% of teens buying a book after viewing a trailer. So are trailers just starting to break out, with online teens leading the way? Or are they a passing fad?
Do you watch book trailers? Do they make you more or less likely to buy the book?
*Thanks to Nate B. for the link.
I don't know. I've heard other authors (who keep track of such things) say that the only significant bump in sales came from when they wrote an old book (i.e. new readers liking the new book and buying their backlist).
Yet I will admit to one trailer helped influence me towards the book. But mostly I don't pay them much attention.
Lately, the idea of book trailers is growing on me. I never bothered to watch them before, but if I really don't know what a book is about the trailer can be informative. I agree that a bad trailer, or one that doesn't look like much time and effort has been put into it, would be a turn-off. If I was buying a book online and the trailer happened to be right there on the site, I'd probably watch it, and it would probably affect my decision.
@Adam And, as I recall, you ended up very much enjoying the book. That's certainly a well done trailer, the kind I like at least, that is about the story, not the author.
I became aware of book trailers in the last year, and only because I'm in the business. I think your average reader has never heard of them.
@Davin You make an excellent point about accessibility! If the trailer is available at the point-of-sale, then it probably has more impact. Maybe B&N should run trailers on a big screen TV inside the store, like Blockbuster does! Or Amazon could make them available on the book page? Hmmm…
hey, congrats on the trailer–very nice! But I still like your niece Jenny's trailer best… 😀
@LTM LOL! Yes, Jenny's was the best! 🙂
I began reading The mortal instruments based of fanvids that I viewed on Youtube a few years ago. I've made fanvideos in the past and viewers have told me that they read stories based on viewing the trailers.
I think it is dependant on the quality of the video. I love yours BTW.
I love your book trailer, can't wait until my copy of your book arrives!
@carol That's a great example of different media reaching differnent markets! The people who view fanvids are a different subset from the reading population at large, probably more inclined to be online, plugged in. Thanks for the great example of how this is changing the market!
@KarenG ME TOO! Still pinching myself that I won your contest! 🙂
*clap*clap*clap* Congratulations on your fabulous new trailer!
I must admit I'm fairly new to them, but I'm also fairly new to the realm of social media in general. Teens are definitely the early adopters of this stuff, but I think a broader audience will come around–look at all the adults on Facebook now after teens had been networking similarly on MySpace years earlier!
I myself am drawn to the added sensory appeal of a video and think they're a useful extra tool to have when it's so easy to drop the link on (or embed it in) various online channels. Yours turned out so well, so promote away with it!
@monkey Thanks! I uploaded it to Amazon, on my author page, and sent Amazon a little nudge, asking why they didn't put trailers right next to the "buy" button. I'm sure they'll listen to me! (LOL)
Well school librarians make great use of book trailers. I embed them on the book blog I use with the kids (read by a 1000 kids and their parents regularly) and I show them at school when I'm giving live booktalks – a multi-media approach the kids really enjoy.
The biggest problem is the posting of book trailers on youtube. Youtube is filtered at most public schools in the U.S. due to federal regulation. I can't use them at school and I can't embed them because the kids can't access them at school. I can use them if they are housed at author or publisher website or on any of the several alternate video sites like teachertube, schooltube or kidlitbooktrailers. It's very frustrating when the only source is youtube.
As authors and publishers I'd really like to encourage you all to use alternative sites to youtube. If anyone could suggest to me a way to get this message out there, I'd appreciate it.
@Jan That's fascinating that you use it so much to reach kids! Awesome! Have you tried http://www.Jacketflap.com? I just recently discovered it, and it's a fantastic resource for kidlit books (from pictures books to YA) – all the information about a book (reviews, blog posts, trailers, etc), is all gathered together in one spot. I posted my trailer up there and submitted it to the "book trailer" listing that they have.
Go you, for using media to hook kids into books!
You know, trailers have gotten some flack from folks in the last few years. I've read some comments either way, that they're too non-traditional, too flashy, or that they're cutting edge, they're in keeping with the times, etc. I have to agree with the latter, myself. This is an age where people want a well-rounded experience, and what is more all-encompassing than an audio and visual to go along with a nove? I love them, I'll keep making new ones for my books, and I love yours, Susan!
Also, @Jan, what an awesome argument for trailers. If they can encourage kids to read, if they can demonstrate the kind of emotions that a book can evoke with a little imagination added into the mix, who can argue?
Jen
I love book trailers! They are an addiction for me. I believe they are a great marketing tool for books and when placed on the internet they stick around – forever. Yep, forever 😀 Best money you can spend is on a decent trailer to immortalize your book.
BTW, I love yours. I'm such a romantic.
@Jen Thanks for stopping by! And I agree, especially with "content added" by way of e-books in the future, I think a "more rounded" experience, as you say, is in store.
@LM I hadn't thought about the eternity-factor of trailers! Hmmm… but I do see that as something that is a positive about e-books, though. They are available as long as people want them: they don't get pulled from bookshelves if sales drop; they don't get remaindered.
And thanks for your sweet words! I didn't know you were a romantic! 🙂
I'm guessing book trailers are a new thing and teens being more plugged in that your average adult are the biggest part of the audience. I didn't know what a book trailer was 3 months ago, and I'm sure no one in my family does which is probably why there's such a huge gap in the statistics.
Love the trailer by the way!
I sometimes watch book trailers when I like the author or the book and have spare time, but I've never watched a trailer for a book I didn't intend to buy!
beth-project52.blogspot.com
@Vicki I think you've nailed it. And thanks!! 🙂
@Beth That's about the way I approach it too!
About a year ago at ALA I listened to David Levithan, Scholastic super author-editor, talk about the importance of multi-platforming books for kids. Of course he is deeply involved in presenting that multi-format juggernaut of 39 Clues, Skeleton Creek, etc. But he's right at the core – this new generation is surfing and sampling all the time. To ignore the importance of video trailers and website enhancement is to ignore the very kids who are your readers. I embed video and use links to author/publisher websites, free first chapters online, or free audio samplers because this is their world.
Kids watch book and movie trailers on the time at school. One kid finds a cool one and like fire it spreads through the kids in the library or the computer lab. The go looking for author websites, especially for series books. Kids always know when we can expect the next book in a series and ask me if I'll have it and can they put their name on it.
My own twenty-something kids live in this new world and constantly send me links to cool things they find online. It's a whole new world where my son checks out DIGG to find out the news of the day rather than a newspaper and shares the news of his life on Facebook. To quote the past – be there or be square.
@Jan So, so true. And the kids, especially MG kids, are mad about series. I pitched a six-book series to my kids the other day (because I always run my ideas past them first) and they were wild about it. And naturally decided to tell me how the story should end – about 10 different ways, in fact!
Thanks so much for sharing and validating that the way forward is so much different than the "status quo" we see in adult reading today.
Good point about teens being more inclined to watch trailers. I think adults are less patient for loading times (especially with slow connections).
I came across an interesting "hybrid" today. It's a website with an animated banner that gives the one-sentence summary of the book. I think this is what I might do–someday!
http://www.estevanvega.com/bio/