Book trailers

[Lexi Revellian]

I've just made a book trailer, and I've been planting it about the internet. I noticed that on Crimespace, it's only had two views, and those are both from me. It's done rather better elsewhere.

My question to authors and readers is, do you think book trailers help to sell a book? Have you ever bought a book because it had an irresistible trailer? And how do you promote the trailer so that it gets a chance to promote your book?

[I. J. Parker]

I've just heard that THE GLOBE AND MAIL no longer does reviews. I used to like Margaret Cannon.

[Robert Christopher]

You can if you understand you are making a trailer for a book and not a movie.

[Robert Christopher]

Promotion is promotion!

The more people who know about your book the better it is for you.

Trailers don't sell books. But they can make people more aware that it exists!

[Erich R. Sysak]

I just recently uploaded a trailer for my new book coming out in a few weeks at my website and Youtube....A former student offered to produce it and I thought it would be fun to have and might help sales a little, if at all. If I had to dig up 10k I wouldn't have pursued it, but since it was so inexpensive and a chance to work with a former student...You can see it here: www.ersbooks.net

[K Barrett]

Musta worked 'cause I watched it and passed your blog on to other mystery fans. I'm so easily led, *G*

[Jack Getze]

I liked Erich's trailer as well. I'd like to read the first few pages ... so maybe it works. Not sure. I'd definitely pick it up and read the opening if I saw it a book store now. But I won't buy it based on the trailer.

[Jack Getze]

If you do a trailer, do a good one. If it looks homemade, like so many of these self-published books people keep advertising here, then I think it's a deterrent to sales. I wouldn't touch anything that looks like those covers I keep seeing people put up here.

[Yolanda Lewis]

To anyone who is interested in having one done for cheap, I found a wonderful website that offers video production of book trailers for a reasonable price. Very professional service and a high quality product!
http://www.ivideoproductions.com

[Brian Kavanagh]

I use book trailers but I keep them fresh and updated. It seems to me that they work as a promotional item and I think that younger people are attracted to short, sharp imagery. I make my own and believe them to be an economic and additional way to get the readers attention. Backing them up with book extracts and reviews helps.
I notice too, that book trailers on this site get few viewings, but on other sites the numbers are high.

[Robert Christopher]

What other sites have you posted your trailer to?

[Brian Kavanagh]

Wherever I can. On You Tube of course and a number of other video sites: Veoh, My Space, Webs.com, Red Room etc., On my web-page. On Google book groups. On 61 Yahoo book groups. Flickr plus their book groups. On my publisher's website. Facebook and Twitter. On Smashwords. On Amazon. Promotional giveaway DVD's left at bookshop and other public noticeboard sites. Attachments on emails. All of which is free (other than the DVD cost which is minimal).

[Robert Christopher]

Oh okay. yeah you stated the obvious ones. But the way you phrased how you were getting soo many more hits on other "sites." I thought that there was some magical site where book trailers got noticed!! LOL :)