Comments on: Book trailers might be overkill http://www.electricalphabet.net/2008/05/19/book-trailers-might-be-overkill/ Writing and publishing in the digital near-future Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:49:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Fiction Notes | Book trailer http://www.electricalphabet.net/2008/05/19/book-trailers-might-be-overkill/comment-page-1/#comment-275 Fiction Notes | Book trailer Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:19:13 +0000 http://electricalphabet.wordpress.com/?p=56#comment-275 [...] Book trailers might be overkill. 2009 post: How do you make your video stand out? It’s about finding interesting ways to tell a story. [...] [...] Book trailers might be overkill. 2009 post: How do you make your video stand out? It’s about finding interesting ways to tell a story. [...]

]]> By: 43 Book Trailers Sites to Inspire, Instruct, and Share http://www.electricalphabet.net/2008/05/19/book-trailers-might-be-overkill/comment-page-1/#comment-274 43 Book Trailers Sites to Inspire, Instruct, and Share Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:09:45 +0000 http://electricalphabet.wordpress.com/?p=56#comment-274 [...] Book trailers might be overkill. 2009 post: How do you make your video stand out? It’s about finding interesting ways to tell a story. [...] [...] Book trailers might be overkill. 2009 post: How do you make your video stand out? It’s about finding interesting ways to tell a story. [...]

]]> By: Mark http://www.electricalphabet.net/2008/05/19/book-trailers-might-be-overkill/comment-page-1/#comment-73 Mark Mon, 02 Jun 2008 04:20:29 +0000 http://electricalphabet.wordpress.com/?p=56#comment-73 That Miranda July thing is awesome. I hadn't seen it before. It just reminded me to recommend July's book to someone I thought would like it. I guess you can say it worked. Before now the one and only book trailer that has worked on me was Johnny Bunko -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtRNiMZsTro I bought the book after viewing this trailer. The costs associated with these efforts couldn't be more different, but I would suggest $300 per finished minute as a good guideline for spend. That Miranda July thing is awesome. I hadn’t seen it before. It just reminded me to recommend July’s book to someone I thought would like it. I guess you can say it worked.

Before now the one and only book trailer that has worked on me was Johnny Bunko — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtRNiMZsTro
I bought the book after viewing this trailer.

The costs associated with these efforts couldn’t be more different, but I would suggest $300 per finished minute as a good guideline for spend.

]]> By: Gary Kemble http://www.electricalphabet.net/2008/05/19/book-trailers-might-be-overkill/comment-page-1/#comment-72 Gary Kemble Wed, 28 May 2008 02:50:28 +0000 http://electricalphabet.wordpress.com/?p=56#comment-72 I find it hard to believe people are spending $3,000 on a book trailer. Didn't the guys behind Blair Witch Project make a whole film for $7,000? I think creativity is the key, as well as tapping friends on the shoulder for a bit of technical exchange. If you do decide to make a trailer, I think the best you can hope for is that the trailer is popular -- the trailer needs to work as an artistic creation in and of itself. Beyond that, do ads in general make us buy stuff? They make us aware of stuff, I guess, but Miranda's HTML presentation, while amusing for the first few clicks, didn't inspire me to buy the book. Nothing beats word of mouth, in my opinion. I find it hard to believe people are spending $3,000 on a book trailer.

Didn’t the guys behind Blair Witch Project make a whole film for $7,000?

I think creativity is the key, as well as tapping friends on the shoulder for a bit of technical exchange.

If you do decide to make a trailer, I think the best you can hope for is that the trailer is popular — the trailer needs to work as an artistic creation in and of itself.

Beyond that, do ads in general make us buy stuff? They make us aware of stuff, I guess, but Miranda’s HTML presentation, while amusing for the first few clicks, didn’t inspire me to buy the book.

Nothing beats word of mouth, in my opinion.

]]> By: Sheila http://www.electricalphabet.net/2008/05/19/book-trailers-might-be-overkill/comment-page-1/#comment-71 Sheila Tue, 20 May 2008 04:00:16 +0000 http://electricalphabet.wordpress.com/?p=56#comment-71 I hear a lot about the cost of book trailers and having a great trailer and that's all well and fine, but the effectiveness of the trailer is really what matters here. There's an old saying that 50% of all marketing works, you just don't know which 50%. A trailer can get your hundreds of thousands of views. They're taken by booksellers and libraries. They can go viral. There's definite worth to that. I do think that a bad trailer is a bad idea, but "bad" is subjective, as noted by the numerous good and bad reviews that a single book may get. I think any author needs to identify their goal before forking over money for ANY kind of promo. Then try to identify a way to identify if that goal was met. I hear a lot about the cost of book trailers and having a great trailer and that’s all well and fine, but the effectiveness of the trailer is really what matters here.
There’s an old saying that 50% of all marketing works, you just don’t know which 50%.
A trailer can get your hundreds of thousands of views. They’re taken by booksellers and libraries. They can go viral. There’s definite worth to that.
I do think that a bad trailer is a bad idea, but “bad” is subjective, as noted by the numerous good and bad reviews that a single book may get.
I think any author needs to identify their goal before forking over money for ANY kind of promo. Then try to identify a way to identify if that goal was met.

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