Book trailers

Let's talk book trailers today.  You know, the absolutely MUST HAVE one or two minute blurb that EVERY writer must create in order to kick start his novel.  Videos plastered onto every video sharing site in the known universe.

Lots of questions.

Do they work?  How long should they be?  Should the images be still photos or animated?

And the sound?  What kind of a sound track should be included?  Should it be loud or soft?  Music or horses neighing?  And then there's the video sharing sites.  How many to use?  Can there be too little, or too many, one might flood their wares onto?

Questions.  Lots of questions.

Know what?  I haven't a fracken clue.  First, I'm not that sure book trailers work too well . . . although I'll readily admit, I have a ball making my own.  There's just not a whole hell of a lot of facts out there in Make Believe Land that gives you a hint on their efficacy.  I've never heard a successful writer rave about his book trailers.  Yes, I've listened to the sales pitches of promoters who are hawking their video-making skills.  THEY are quite positive a good book trailer will make or break a wannabe author.

Hmmmm . . . doubtful there, Quasimodo.  Very doubtful.

I suspect a good video of a book trailer might tickle the interest of the reader who is  teetering over whether to buy the book or not.  IF the book buyer, the book, and the video all converge on the same point at the same time.

And that's the point;  all three interests have to converge onto each other at the same time.  How many times does that happen in the grand scheme of things?

Still . . .

My problem is I can't (or haven't figured how to)  insert the trailers into a wide market base.   If these puppies have any hope of working they need to be seen by a lot of people.  And I mean a lot of people.  Five or six video sharing sites are not going to hit that sweet spot which will generate mass hysteria.  Fifty or sixty video sites might be the number needed.

So maybe . . . just maybe . . . the schlep who does these video for a living and knows the markets which will be the most successful should be the route to go.  If you can afford their services.

Questions.

The other question . . . or fascination . . . for me is the choice of background music.  A key factor, if you ask me, on the success or failure of a book trailer.  Music sets the mood for the reader.  And it's their mood that decides whether they buy the book or not.  Therefore I think one should be quite selective when it comes to the choice of music.

So let's see if I am right or not.  The last couple of days I made two trailers for the newest novel out on the market of mine.  Guilt of Innocence.  It's the newest Turner Hahn/Frank Morales novel.  I essentially used the same images for each trailer.  But text and selection of music are different.  Watch both of them and then decide for yourself which one is more effective.

Let me know what you think.