Ask the Publicist: Book Trailers

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Does anyone know if book trailers drive sales? Maybe. And maybe not. Some publishers now have their own You Tube channels, so it certainly is the nifty new marketing idea. My best advice -- if your publisher is footing the bill, I think a trailer is a flat out fabulous idea. If you have to produce and pay for it, I'd make certain that this is going to be the best use of your publicity dollars.

Who's had experience with a trailer and did you feel it led to book sales?

Comments

Joni Rodgers said…
I think a well made book trailer definitely does sell books -- based on the fact that I've bought books because the trailer either made me like the author (like the trailer for "No One Belongs Here More Than You" by Miranda July) or it did what good flap copy does -- intrigued me (like the trailer for "The Third Rail" by Michael Harvey.)
10:24 PM
Darcy Pattison said…
Of course, the effectiveness of a book trailer depends on many things.
For teen books, you MUST have a trailer because 99% of librarians think they are effective in getting a kid to read a book:
http://booktrailermanual.com/survey-34-school-librarians-use-book-trailers/

For other genres, it may depend on where you post, the quality, and the aesthetics of the video (http://booktrailermanual.com/3-aesthetics/). Basically, you need to match all of these things to the book's potential readers. Target!

Darcy Pattison
9:51 AM
Valerie said…
Tucker Capps made a film trailer for my book that seems to me a work of art in its own realm, a companion to the book rather than an ad. I love it! This new form, with its glancing camera and its suggestiveness, seems uniquely fitted to the short story.

http://vimeo.com/19612404
7:41 PM
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