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• 1 2015-06-15T11:40:51-07:00 Book Trailers: What Works? 36 By Warren Marshall, Kyle McGee, & Jason Wendland plain 2015-06-17T22:01:22-07:00

  By Warren Marshall, Kyle McGee, & Jason Wendland

  Introduction

  It is difficult to say what works when creating a book trailer, because every book is different. However, an effective book trailer should capture what the book is about and get potential audiences interested in it. Much like any piece of marketing, the author should consider whether money for marketing the book would be better spent on another marketing avenue. One advantage to utilizing a trailer within the marketing of a book is that it gives the potential audience the chance to get an idea of the tone and genre of the book in the same way that a traditional book cover sets the tone and genre. The book trailer can almost be perceived as the extension of the book cover. The trailer is a visual representation of what the reader should expect with an added benefit of providing more of a narrative context than simply showing an evocative image.

  A book trailer can create a professional appearance for a book, as well as for its publisher and author, that can make it stand out from other books. However, book trailers are not entirely without their own set of problems. The biggest drawback to book trailers is that not many people view trailers for just any book. It has been said that readers are only really inclined to view trailers for authors they already like, and therefore will probably already buy the book. According to a Wall Street Journal article, "[no] one knows where the publishing revolution will end, but the odds are that the book trailer will come to be seen as a relic of our nervous transitional era" (Shea). With that in mind, one needs to consider whether or not a trailer is even beneficial, considering the cost. According to a 2011 article on the subject of book trailers, "[pay] $400 for a 30 stop blog tour, and even if each stop only gets 50 views because they're all little, new blogs... you're still getting 1500 people, reading about you and your work" (Do Book). Compare that to a similar investment on the production of a book trailer. An author or publisher would spend money on the development of the trailer, and then they would have to find an avenue to plug it, costing even more money. Videos can be produced cheaply and place on Youtube, but like many facets of advertising, a cheap-looking ad will not garner much faith in the advertised product. In an article concerning the uses of book trailers, it claims that if a book trailer is "done poorly or if done cheaply they do very little to impress a potential reader"(Laube). So one should consider if a trailer would really sell the book better than traditional advertisements.

  It may seem appealing to utilize book trailers, since it is a new concept. However, just because something is new does not necessarily mean it is better. Authors and publishers should experiment with marketing their books. There is nothing that suggests that a bad book trailer will hurt a book's chances of selling, it just may not help it.

  Elements of an effective book trailer

  Book trailers are a good way to spread awareness and publicity for an upcoming book. The trailer should be premiered up to several months before the release of the book. A book trailer should include the title, author, and general plot-line or purpose of the book. Book trailers can be made up of several different forms of content. These may range from images, text, scene reenactments, animations, interviews, author readings, personal introduction from the author etc. Depending on the type of book, some forms may be more appropriate or effective than others.

  For example, if the book is a novel or story of some sort, then either an animation or video reenactment could be created. This would give the audience an idea of what the book is about and engage their interest without spoiling the plot-line, as with most movie trailers. Below, are successful examples of trailers: one with high-production values, similar to a movie trailer, and one that has a more low-fi or do-it-yourself aesthetic.

  This is a good example of a simple book trailer, which is individually made, and not particularly high quality. The author created a few slides along with his own narration, which explains the book. With free movie-making software on most computers these days, it is an easier way for a small press to create their own book trailer without needing the access or finances to larger resources.
  

  Opposite to the first one, this trailer displays high production values. It includes a large cast, a great deal of animation and graphics, cinematography, costume design, etc. These are all things, which are more typical of a higher budget production similar to those of a TV series or movie.

  
  The book trailer for this publication includes a variety of images which showcase the production process of our project with behind-the-scenes photos of the creators in the lab. We believe that the video captures an important aspect of this publication: that it is a collaboration of students.

  Why book trailers should be used

  The ultimate purpose of a book trailer is to publicize an author's book and get it in the minds of potential readers in an effective way. Overall, if this process proves to be effective, one could say that a video is keeping book publishing alive rather than ruining it. Joanna Penn brings up a valid point stating that "online video is a huge growth market with millions of views daily. 80% of internet users are watching videos so you have a huge audience you can reach through video." (Penn 2010) With such a large audience watching videos in today's world, it comes to no surprise that more and more authors are utilizing book trailers to further publicize their books. If the masses require moving images to get excited and curious about a book, why fight it?

  Summary

  Main points

  Pros

  • Sets the tone of book
  • Additional marketing strategy
  • Can create appeal for the book

  Cons

  • Can be expensive
  • Can fail to reach targeted audience
  • Cheaply made trailers appear unprofessional

  Sources

  "Do Book Trailers Work? - Rock Your Writing." Rock Your Writing. N.p., 08 Aug. 2011. Web. 12 June 2015. http://www.rockyourwriting.com/2011/08/do-book-trailers-work/.

  Laube, Steve. "Book Trailers: Vital or Wasteful? - The Steve Laube Agency." The Steve Laube Agency. N.p., 17 Feb. 2011. Web. 12 June 2015. http://www.stevelaube.com/book-trailers-vital-or-wasteful/.

  Shea, Christopher. "The Insane World of Book Trailers." Blogs.wsj.com. The Wall Street Journal, 3 June 2011. Web. 12 June 2015. http://blogs.wsj.com/ideas-market/2011/06/03/the-insane-world-of-book-trailers/.

  http://therumpus.net/2013/06/fantastic-book-trailers-and-the-reasons-theyre-so-good/

  Penn, Joanna. "How To Use Book Trailers Effectively. Interview With Darcy Pattison." The Creative Penn. 3 Sept. 2010. Web. 12 June 2015. http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2010/09/03/how-to-use-book-trailers-e