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Book Trailers

Addison

Auror
As someone who loves books and movies, I thought this is a pretty creative marketing method. I've seen a lot of them and a few are good enough to be movie trailers.

The book trailer is kind of like the log line. You show the who, what, where and why a reader should care. There's a choice of using actual actors like the trailer for "Five Kingdoms, Sky Raiders" with choice reviews and comments sprinkled between. These trailers are like movie trailers, they include choice dialogue and pieces of scenes.

The second type is more like CGI and art working together to both illustrate the book and hold up the reviews and such, like the trailer for "The School for Good and Evil".

I'm not sure how cheap or expensive it is to make a trailer, I guess it depends on who you go to and maybe the way you choose to make it.
 

Foah

Troubadour
A book trailer has always been on the top of my list when it comes to promoting my novel whenever it's to be released. With the tendencies of the web today, and how videos spread easier than blurbs of text (also stretching the lines of your intended demographics a bit), I feel a book trailer, a GREAT book trailer, can net you some valuable followers and profit.

Regarding pricing, hm. It depends on what you'll settle for really, and how professional you want it to be. Never forget that audio has nearly as much impact on the viewer as the video itself, so when you're looking for someone to make you a book trailer always check credentials and what they've already got in their portfolios. I'd imagine a decent book trailer (if you know the exact way you want it already) would cost you some $250-$500. Obviously you could find lower, but you'd have to expect less than adequate results as a direct consequence.
 

Devor

Fiery Keeper of the Hat
Moderator
The question is whether you can get anyone to watch it. Does anyone know an outlet where you can go to watch book trailers? There's probably a youtube channel for it, but it'd be interesting to see how many subscribers it has.
 
I've just made a book trailer for Straight Jacket. I didn't want it to be the standard hard sell advertising - I wanted to create a stand alone piece of art that worked by itself without direct reference to the book. I've no idea how successful it's been (or may prove) but it didn't cost much. That's because I wrote it myself, directed it myself, wrote and performed the music (with help), used my niece and nephew as actors and did the male half of the voice-over myself. All the money was spent on the cinematographer/editor who is a professional, but did it for mate's rates.

For those interested it can be seen just here...

Adrian Deans
 

TWErvin2

Auror
The general notion among authors I know is that book trailers are not a big driver of gaining readership.

My experience is that it is just another tool that can help a reader decide, but not a decisive factor. I only know of a handful of instances where a reader has actually indicated that the book trailers are what 'sold' them.

It certainly depends on the quality, as they vary all over the board. I created a two for my first novel. One for the novel and one for the audiobook. I might do another for my second novel, but it takes time.

I am not sure of if it's worth the expense to hire someone to create a book trailer.

I would classify mine as okay examples: Flank Hawk Book Trailer and Flank Hawk Audiobook Trailer
 
Honestly, unless you're Stephen King or GRRM, it seems to me the cost would be prohibitive. And a cheaply-done trailer would, it seems to me, be worse than no trailer at all. I honestly can't see how they would be helpful unless you're at the point where you don't need them. Yeah, they would be "cool," but cool don't pay the bills.
 

Devor

Fiery Keeper of the Hat
Moderator
Honestly, unless you're Stephen King or GRRM, it seems to me the cost would be prohibitive. And a cheaply-done trailer would, it seems to me, be worse than no trailer at all. I honestly can't see how they would be helpful unless you're at the point where you don't need them. Yeah, they would be "cool," but cool don't pay the bills.

It's not that hard. I think we sometimes mystify things we don't have any experience with. But I'm pretty sure you could head to Fiverr, put together a few gigs, and come up with a trailer for under a $100, maybe well under that.

I would also say that "cool" is exactly what does pay the bills when you're talking about sales in entertainment. But there's also a lot of people who like to see a personal side to an author, and a trailer could do that.

My only question is whether anyone would watch it. If you're looking to read a book, I'm not sure you care about a visual / audio trailer. And I'm not aware of any place that publishes trailers, so it wouldn't bring new people to your site.

I think it would bring in much more sales than the cost if you're doing everything right. But it's not just price, it's time, it's your "planning energy," it's the opportunity cost because there's so many things tugging at you. I think it's worth doing, but it's kind of a big thing sitting low on your priority list. Do it if you get that far through your priorities.
 

CupofJoe

Myth Weaver
I'd never heard of book trailers before this thread, if you exclude the summer block-buster TV adverts.
They really won't feature in my choices of what to read.
And I have to say that giving characters from a story a face of an actor, kind of destroys some of the fun of reading. I want to build the character in my head and not have them handed to me.
Yes, some video trailers can be made for little cost. I know some one that makes their own music videos from stock film and home made cam-corder footage. They've even used a run through a driving game filmed off a CRT. Add on a few hours editing and visual effects and they look great. But they tell a story and support a complete narrative [in 2-3 minutes].
For a book teaser-trailer, I would guess you are limited to 90-120s or less to build character, tension, setting and introduce plot. All without giving too much away... that is a tall order
But I still think the cool factor is with the author and not the reader... it's another "look at what I've done" - "look at how clever I am"
As others have said I think the cost benefit ratio is not the best...
 

Devor

Fiery Keeper of the Hat
Moderator
And I have to say that giving characters from a story a face of an actor, kind of destroys some of the fun of reading. I want to build the character in my head and not have them handed to me.

The few book trailers I've seen from Googling it the last time we talked about it are basically another way of presenting the information in the book blurb, and a few quotes, with a voice over. I haven't seen one that used live actors.
 

CupofJoe

Myth Weaver
The few book trailers I've seen from Googling it the last time we talked about it are basically another way of presenting the information in the book blurb, and a few quotes, with a voice over. I haven't seen one that used live actors.
May be you are right but I've only seen two trailers and this was one of them...
For those interested it can be seen just here...
Adrian Deans
Nothing wrong with it, just that I like making up the character's appearance myself...
 

TWErvin2

Auror
The few book trailers I've seen from Googling it the last time we talked about it are basically another way of presenting the information in the book blurb, and a few quotes, with a voice over. I haven't seen one that used live actors.

Here is a book trailer with live actors: Maker of Angels

Here is one with digital animation and live voices: Outlaws
 
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