Book Trailers (tm) & Author Web Sites discussion
Book Trailer™ Information
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Submit Your Video and Help Rank Others!
We've added more videos today! (And the comments on Youtube have really increased for some authors!)
Enclosed is my video about Virtual Book Tours.http://theyppublishing.com/theauthora...
Regards,
YvonneW
Author Assistant
Thanks for posting on the video site, Janice! If you leave some stars and comments on other videos (and include your name), those authors will more than likely return the favor for your video--helping it get exposure on Youtube and on the blog.Thanks!
http://ratemybookvideo.wordpress.com
Hi MJ,I was at a computer where I couldn't leave comments/stars. (It restricted this stuff.)
I left a comment on the blog and on Youtube just now. I tried to give you stars, but I'm not sure if they are "sticking" on Youtube. (Please send me an email if you don't see any stars yet.)
Some helpful advice to earn more comments is to comment on other author videos and let them know about it. (They'll more than likely return the favor.)
-Vince
Wow! I just saw a video posted on the site that moved me to make it the video of the week! It's by Gary Ryan.Come check it out! (Click on the videos of the week tab.)
http://ratemybookvideo.wordpress.com/
Ive been checking out the videos. Well, done for everyone. Each is different and distinctive in the message, as are the books, and I think are great tools for us to use as part of our promotion. I think that videos also appeal to people who are visual who might not just pick up a book, but will after seeing a book trailer.
Mod
Thanks for posting the link to your new site.
I am moving this post to the "Book Trailer (TM)" section, so no one misses it :]
Thanks, Dee! By the way, I'd love to have your video up on the site when you find the time to post it.-Vince
http://ratemybookvideo.wordpress.com/
Mod
I am afraid that there is a curse on the creation of the video for Sons of Avalon :]
But I promise to let you know when one is finished.
Well Dee, I haven't abandoned it yet :) It's just trying to find the time to do it. Someday before the winter solstice, I vow most faithfully, thy vision will be vouchsafed :)
No worries, Dee. My trailer site will always have an open door for you whenever your video is ready to go live. :)In the meantime, come check out Meg Clayton's video for her national bestseller, The Wednesday Sisters (Random House). She posted it yesterday on the "adult fiction videos" section.
http://ratemybookvideo.wordpress.com/
-Vince
Mod
I appreciate your hard work on the SOA trailer. It is not you...it just seems that some evil force has put a curse on the trailer :]
Of course that fact that I have not been online for most of the summer has been a huge factor as well.
I know once the trailer is completed, Paul, it will be fantastic, as everything that you touch is amazing :]
Mod
How very kind and thoughtful of you, for not only saving me a spot on your site, but for promoting your fellow author's trailers :]
Hi Dee.Thanks for the constant praise despite the looooong delay.
Mod
I truly do appreciate all that you do, and I am overly thankful of your offer to create the trailer. I am very serious when I say that everything that you touch is golden!
I also feel blessed that you offered to take time out of your over-busy schedule to create the trailer.
Hey Now, maybe we can take it to Sundance or Cannes. We can start a new catagory :]
Mod
Several authors have added some great videos and links this week.Come check it out: http://ratemybookvideo.wordpress.com/...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faAuH0... This is a video Gary Val Tenuta of Night Owl Productions created for my novel-in-progress 'THE PLAN, an entry at textnovel.com (pen name Lillian Watts) I think he did a terrific job, and hope you do too.
Joan Hall Hovey
www.joanhallhovey.com
Wow! The video blog has received dozens of new videos/links for the month of October. If you haven't posted anything yet, please do. If you have, please don't forget to leave comments for your fellow authors.Thanks!
http://ratemybookvideo.wordpress.com/...
-Vince
Hi everyone.I recently finish a book trailer for my first book Post-Human..
check it out and leave comments
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4lSYR...
cheers!
The book video blog now has over 1,000 hits! Keep up the posts, people are watching them!
-Vince
http://ratemybookvideo.wordpress.com/
I recently finished my book preview for TORN and posted it on youtube and on wordpress under Young Adult Fiction. You can also view it by clicking this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stX5an...I hope you'll stop by to cast your vote! Thanks so much!
Amber
Excellent video, Amber I voted it 'awesome' 5 stars, and commented.
Our book trailer for "Lady Vernon and Her Daughter" can be viewed at:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh2UvY...
It's also on the Amazon page for our book as well as on our web site: janetility.com
Thank you, Joan. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment on my video, and I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)Amber
Wow, Vincent, it doesn't seem like it's been that long, but you're certainly establishing a useful forum. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction and for the initial feedback.I still haven't had a chance to make a second version, but hope to put one together over the weekend. I will use it to grab people's attention as they walk by my table at PhilCon.
I've been away for awhile but enjoy seeing everyone's efforts and will try to vote for everyone's videos.
Goodluck to all - Tod
Congratulations, Vicki. I enjoyed your preview. I especially liked the Victorian Paris paintings linked to the premise of the book.Well done.
Amber - Wow. I didn't expect the provocative but also interesting subject matter until I watched the preview. I have to be honest, I wouldn't typically read something like that, but the premise was interesting enough to keep my attention. It then made me curious enough to want to check out your information and your Chicago review.Congratulations! I think that's what previews are supposed to do... so it works.
Thanks, Tod! I'm glad you're enjoying the site! For all the new authors who have posted, please remember to view and leave some comments on other videos. This will help make sure there's a fair exchange of reviews/ratings.
The hits are really strong! (Probably double of what they were last month!)
http://ratemybookvideo.wordpress.com/
-Vince
Vicki wrote: "My debut fiction novel was released on 11/10/09. This is my book trailer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPcpeH...
Excellent job Vicki on the trailer! This is a wonderful promotional piece for the book. I'm not a romance reader, but you certainly got my attention. Now I'll have to see how things turn out for Miss. Rousseau.
Mike
Congratulations on your release, R. Michael.Here is my original book preview for Prince Kristian's Honor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1EX_2...
Tod wrote: "Congratulations on your release, R. Michael.Here is my original book preview for Prince Kristian's Honor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1EX_2..."
Very nicely done, Tod. The scream scared the heck out of me.
Hi, Vince,This is a terrific idea. If I may join in, here's my book excerpt video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ1Fht...
And blurb:
Prince Djetth did not expect to survive forced surgery under the scalpels of his greatest enemy. When he comes round, he finds his mouth sewn shut, and his face locked inside a rigid mask. Still groggy and immobilized from anethetic, Djetth becomes aware that he is not alone in the recovery room.
Two people are discussing ways to kill him....
Insufficient Mating Material is an outstanding sequel to Forced Mate! Cherry skillfully combines mystery, romance, and humor with a fast-paced science fiction adventure. I couldnt put it down!
~Jean, Fallen Angel Reviews
Thanks for doing this,
Rowena
Thanks, that was my oldest daughter. She loved the book and loved (even more) getting the opportunity to act out one of the characters.Tod
Thanks Todd! I'm so glad the video kept your interest and that you checked out my review. Thanks so much. That means a lot to me. :)Amber
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faAuH0... Here is the link to my Book Trailer for "The Plan" my suspense novel-in-progress, an entry in textnovel.com contest (pen name Lillian Watts) I'd love your comments. (and your vote --:)
Thanks so much.
Joan
Here is the link to my book trailor for my YA novel The Pillow Book of Lotus Lowensteinhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZItrS...
Well, after watching and reading all the wonderful things everyone here has to say about trailers I decided to jump in and make one of my own for my new book Strength of Will! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWX7pY...
Since I created it myself I'd really love feedback from anyone who cares to give me some . . . hopefully that way they'll get better and better!
Sessha,I enjoyed your video. I was especially impressed with the visual graphics and transitions.
I thought the select phrases could have revealed more about the plot and conflict. It felt like they were disjointed.
I know it's hard to get good music too ... I'm not sure your selection matches your intended mood (within the book).
Having done a trailer completely by myself ... I know how difficult they are. It's evident that you worked hard on it and I thought it was professional looking.
Hope my few minor suggestions help. Tod
Tod-I definitely appreciate your comments. I'm not happy with the music . . . but it was the best of what I had free access to (I can't spend money until I make some, the financial realities of my life, I'm afraid).
As far as the phrases, the unfinished quality was completely intentional. . . it wasn't intended as any sort of a synopsis, as most trailers I see are, rather as a tease to get people thinking and hitting my website to read the synopsis and preview chapter (which they have in record numbers). I've worked in television post-production and motion graphics for over thirty years and one lesson I've learned is the more text you present people with, the more emotionally detached they become from the spot, because they're too busy keeping up. So, I purposefully tried a different approach, looking to see what kind of results it would get.
I definitely appreciate the feedback, whenever you try a different approach from the norm it's important to see who it works for and why, as well as what people didn't like about it. The trailer I'm working on now for my second book is falling much more into the more traditional approach (although with the spoken word, rather than text . . . I don't think it takes the best advantage of the medium).
I like your comments on the use of text in video trailers. I hadn't considered it, but you're absolutely right.Are you tracking website hits via a counter, analytics or YouTube?
How did you get the word out so that a lot of people would know?
I peaked early with some initial hits, but most aren't going to find it - even with a key word search on YouTube.
I'm interested in what you've done to garner initial screenings vs. any followers/return viewers.
Also, I'd appreciate your feedback on mine.
Here's a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1EX_2...
Thanks,
Tod
To garner initial screenings I let everyone know through all the sites I post on (Live Journal, AdultFanfiction, YGallery, aarinfantasy), on my site, on you tube, on every writer's site as well as sending out a mass e-mail.I've been tracking daily hits with a cookie& IP tracking hit counter, and return visits because registration is required to read any serialized fiction (to cover my butt against under 18's accidentally reading adult material). They come back to read the serialized original and fanfiction which makes up the bulk of the material . . . the blog is merely to let feed followers know when the daily update is posted. Yes, the biggest way to get returns is posting a new chapter virtually every day in one of the on-going serial stories, that interests the subscribers in coming back so they see any updates immediately.
I also have three different web ring affiliations that drive traffic to the site, and having the trailer stickied on the main page along with the book cover and links to buy sites makes it right up front in people's faces.
There's a lot I liked about your video, the use of voice to propel it was nice, I especially liked the punctuation of the key strokes/eyeblinks morphing into gunfire. The voice needs to be more compelling if it's going to drive the piece though, it was a bit flat, which made me think you needed music or sound effects to keep the urgency going.
All in all though, I think it was interesting. Although, you might have tried included some of the draw graphics (kindle stats, etc) over the more static graphics. You might also want to send them to your site BEFORE the buy sites.
Sessha, Great feedback and info. I've not heard of kindle stats - do you mean sales rankings?I love the complexity, but practicality of your blogs and web-based stories. I'm thinking of the same thing, but am really loath to do so. It would be fun but an additional drain on my most precious resource . . . TIME.
I think the same thing about the flatness of the voice. It's mine (hey, I'm a wannabe writer - not a voice actor). I should probably look for a volunteer with some talent. Vince had also mentioned music to maintain tempo but I couldn't find anything that suited me (that was copy right free). I can definitely see using the soundtrack from Gattica or something by the Apocolyptics . . .
Thank you.
I like the idea of changing the slide order around a bit to drive people to where I want.Thanks for that idea. Hopefully, there will be a second version out soon.
I meant sales rankings . . . the graphic you had sounded impressive, highlight it, people love to think they're buying into something hot!!It does take extra time to keep up the serial stories and blogs, I admit . . . but it's a great way to get nearly instantaneous feedback from your readers. I keep the daily chapters short (4-5 pages) so I can bang them out fairly easily. Fanfiction is particularly easy to write as the characters are already developed and people are invested in the pairings. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on your point of view) time is not a huge issue for me at the moment, freelance work is hard to come by in this economy which leaves me with oodles of time for writing.
For a different voice, listen to your friends and family members read, one of them may do well . . . or check local high schools/colleges for kids interested in acting, actors always love something for their resume!!
As far as music goes, some things you might want to investigate could be a local band or musician who could use the score/spot to sell their own work (win win for both of you) or perhaps one of the 'write your own score' programs like Adobe soundbooth which lets you combine prewritten bits to create a score of any length.
Hi Everyone!Well, I wasn't completely satisfied with my first book trailer--I liked it--but I wanted to try something a little different. I'm hoping that this will appeal to a younger crowd. Anyway, if you happen to check it out,please let me know what you think. I welcome all comment, good or bad. LOL. You can view it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIoCJ-... . Hope you enjoy!
Amber :)
I've started a site where authors can exchange ratings on their videos and help them get noticed by new readers. Here is the site where you can post your book: http://ratemybookvideo.wordpress.com
Please remember to rate other authors!
-Vince