As book trailers have become more popular, I’ve been trying to figure out what makes some more successful than others. One large factor is length. I’ve noticed that I tend to lose interest if a trailer is more than a minute or so long. Also, live action trailers can work if they’re well-done, but I don’t know if the cost of production is worth it when simpler ones seem to do just fine. It’s really just about getting creative with the resources you do have.
One other factor that I’ve been thinking about is the actual content of the trailer. I’ve heard some people say that book trailers should be a lot like movie trailers, in that they hook the audience by revealing bits of the plot. Another argument is that instead of reiterating the summary of the book that you’d find on the book jacket, the trailer should give us a taste of the writing and the mood of the book (in a sense, giving us a glimpse of the story just as reading the first page would). I’m not sure which of these is a better approach, but I think ultimately the trailers that stand out to me the most are the ones that are simple, short, and creative. Here are two examples.
The first is for Robin Wasserman’s Crashed, a sequel to Skinned. It’s brief, pared down, and very creepy. The minute I saw it, I went to Wasserman’s website to see what the book was about.
The second is for Maggie Stiefvater’s Ballad. Much like her book trailer for Shiver, Stiefvater made the trailer herself and infused it with creativity.
What I think works about it is that it really conveys a mood, one which I assume is similar to the mood you’d get from the book. Neither of these trailers spells out the plot of the book, but they give you just enough to make you want to know more.
I’ll be sure to post more interesting book trailers as I come across them.
- Categories: Books
I feel like the bar for book trailers is being raised on an hourly basis. It seems like trailers that were great a year ago are way too commonplace these days. I guess it’s up to authors to think of creative new ways to show the book.
I think you’re right. A year ago it was great if you had any kind of book trailer. Now you actually have to have one that’s good! It’s nice to see people getting creative with them, but I’ve also seen some pretty straight-forward ones that work well, so maybe you don’t need to spend a million dollars or be an amazing artist to have a successful trailer.
This was a really interesting post. I think book trailers do vary but one that is well done really can hook a reader into buying or reading a book. Good stuff to think about. I liked your samples.