Top 10 Video Book Trailers

Since I started writing because of the film industry, I have always seen my books play out in my head like a movie. I have also been the kind of person who gets to a movie theater twenty minutes early so that I don't miss the previews. When I became a writer and heard about book trailers, I thought that they were a perfect match for me. Then I saw several book trailers and realized how bad most of them are. Instead of making me want to go out and buy a book to find out what happens, the trailers either tell the whole story or are so awful that they make me want to run for the hills.

The other problem with book trailers is that no one seems to know if they work or not. I went to a writing convention in Portland this year and sat in on a panel discussion about whether book trailers work or not. There were three authors there with their book trailers, and one woman who produces' book trailers for people. None of them actually knew if book trailers worked or not. They argued and argued, but no one had any data to back up their claims. Like most publicity, it's hard to tell which tactics are working and which are just costing money.

I think I will probably end up doing a book trailer at some point. Why? Because, I think that it would be fun to do and I have a lot of friends in the film community, so I think that I could do it for a fairly cheap cost. These are the reasons why you should make book trailers at this point. If you want to make one, do it because you think it would be fun and because you can afford it, not because you think you have to or because someone else tells you that it will help sell your book. It might help you or it might be a total flop, so remember this before you get too far invested in one. I knew a woman who made one in one weekend, on a shoestring budget of a thousand dollars. On the other hand, some of the big publishing houses can afford to spend fifty thousand dollars on one trailer and work on it for a month. So, do what makes sense for you.

The other thing to keep in mind is who your audience is. If you write YA paranormal romance, you have a better chance of reaching that age market with a video on the Internet, than you do for a historical non-fiction about the American revolution. Older people don't use the Internet as much, and if they do they are not usually scouring Youtube for great book trailers.

Since most trailers are pretty bad, I wanted to make a list of the top ten that I like. I am sure there are other great trailers out there, but these are the ones that I found and enjoyed. My disclaimer is that a lot of these were made my big publishing houses and were really expensive to create. If you're going to make one yourself, please don't try to compare it to these.

Elle's Top 10 Video Book Trailers

What I love about this video is that it doesn't give too much away. It sets up the story and lets us know what is going on, with ought giving us the ending. Buy Book On Kindle

 

 

What this trailer does so well, is let us know what type of girl will like this book. We may not know what the book is about per say, but by watching this trailer, we do know if it will appeal to us or not. Buy Book On Kindle

 

Since this is a trailer for a children's book, it's ok if they give away most of the book, or even all of it. Since the book is meant to be read to children, The goal is just to make you want to share it with you kids. Buy Book On Kindle

 

This is just a gorgeous trailer all around. Scott Westerfeld is such a well-known author that they put a lot of money into this trailer. What really works about this video is that it explains the somewhat intricate storyline and gives you an overall feel for the tone of the story. Since his books have pictures in them, we get the added benefit of seeing some of them here. Buy Book On KIndle

 

Not only does this work because it is hilariously funny, it also works because it lets you know that the book is going to be "campy". The book is not meant to be scary, and I think that comes across in this trailer. If you don't find the trailer funny, then you probably will not enjoy the book. Buy Book On Kindle

 

Sit up and take note, what works about this video is what they don't show you. This can work for your trailer as well. There are a lot of shadows and a people just standing in the dark. It adds to the mood of the story but also eliminates a lot of cost. Buy Book On Kindle

 

From the very beginning, we know who it is being marketed to. The other thing I like is its use of text in the trailer. Text is something most trailers use but unfortunately not very well. In this trailer, it is used flawlessly and helps to move the trailer along. Buy Book On Kindle

 

I like this video because it is short and to the point. It lets us know a little bit about the world she lives in and what her problem is, but does not give anything away. This one would be something to think about if you are hoping to make your own. Your trailer does not need to be long, to motivate people to buy the book. Buy Book On Kindle

 

)This one had me smiling the whole time. You would never think to do a trailer for a cookbook, but it works perfectly. What it does is introduce us to the chef herself, we fall in love with her and therefore, want to cook like her. The natural lighting is great, and it gives the overall feeling of fun. Buy Book On Kindle

 

As you can tell, there is not a lot ofaction here or a lot of footage that needed to be shot. A convincing narrator and a song you can bob your head to, can make all the difference. Buy Book On Kindle