Current Book trailers a dissection.

How did I ever miss this fight? Probably because I look upon book trailers with a jaundiced eye.
I feel sorry for David. His initial post seems harmless to me. So do his others. In fact the whole thing seems a bit hilarious.
I have only one question, and I'm being serious: has anyone ever sold a book as a direct result of a trailer? I mean to someone who otherwise would not have bought it.

There is no way of knowing but I strongly suspect that I haven't ... and just one of my videos received over 1,900 views. I welcome comments, good, bad or indifferent. If somepne said my bookmarks were rubbish, it wouldn't bother me any more than saying my videos are rubbish. In fact, the silence I received about the Forever Friends video (which no one but me used) told me the video was rubbish. I didn't shed a tear. I did produce two but stopped when I realised that I was the only one interested in it.

What a load of rubbish!

Why then, Shelagh, do you bother with trailers?

Dick, if I said I'd surveyed all the first chapters on this site, as a study for my own first chapter, you understand, and found them all to be lacking, and different writers responded with hurt feelings and/or anger, would you feel sorry for me? I could even list the reasons I found them lacking and what a good first chapter should do - or accomplish.

I could say:

When I read the chapters, I set out to see if they would grab my interest enough for me to keep reading. Many chapters failed...

That, to me, is obnoxious.

I happen to agree with his views on trailers, but I would never appoint myself as judge in the first place, especially on a forum where I'd hoped to belong. The only times I'd ever 'judge' someone's work is if they'd asked, and I'd only give suggestions to that person on how, in my opinion, it could be improved. I would never imply that the first chapters or videos were lacking in any way.

Trailers are no different to bookmarks. So, I will do the same as David:

I have just finished my study of the current bookmarks found on this site. I did this to find out which bookmarks work for me and which don't. These are my findings and no disrespect is intended to anyone.

Far too many are way too wordy. They try to give too much information and as a result fail to interest the reader. A deluge of info can be off putting. The better bookmarks are brief and not cluttered with extraneous verbiage.

The book cover image should draw in the reader and not be overwhelmed by reams of text. That is another reason to keep the written info brief.

The size of the book cover needs to be carefully chosen. One book cover I saw was really small to allow for the surplus text, which distracted me so much I lost sight of the images and missed the title.

When I looked at these bookmarks, I set out to see if they would grab my interest enough for me to want to buy the book. Many bookmarks failed because of the above and because, in most cases, there was way too much information.
Our readers when reading our books have to be rewarded for their efforts, readers want to be emotionally engaged with our stories and as a result entertained. Our bookmarks need to accomplish this quickly in only a few seconds or else we loose our readers and our potential buyers who will just look elsewhere. Now I have been taking notes and learning from these findings and I shall incorporate what I've learnt in my own bookmarks.

When I see a bookmark that really rocks I shall let you all know. Meanwhile, have a look at some on this site and see for yourself.

W. Lane Rogers wrote:

Why then, Shelagh, do you bother with trailers?

They can be useful. I received an inquiry on a forum from a radio presenter, who was interested in serialising Mr. Planemaker's Flying Machine. This is my response:

"Sounds great Brian! Please check out my video on youtube.com:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=N0ZV9cbyIEY"

It was useful to be able to pull up a video of me reading from the book.

http://forum.leylandtown.info/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=644&whichpage=11

How about if the wording had been as follows:

Hi!

I have quite a bit of experience with videos and have some suggestions you might want to consider if you're thinking about putting together a video book trailer:

* Less is more -- too many words make it hard to read.
* Text that moves and spins is very difficult to follow and may inhibit folks from actually reading the text.
* The book cover image should draw in the reader and not be overwhelmed by reams of text (another reason to keep the written info brief).
* The size of the book cover needs to be carefully chosen. If it's too small it will not be easily recognizable. One book cover I saw was really small to allow for the surplus text, which distracted me so much I lost sight of the images and missed the title.
* Readers who view book trailers need to be rewarded for their efforts, readers want to be emotionally engaged with our stories and as a result entertained. Our videos need to accomplish this quickly in only a few seconds or else we loose our readers and our potential buyers who will just look elsewhere.
* Here are a couple of examples of video book trailers that I believe are good examples regarding the suggestions I made above (insert a link to the trailers).

Good luck to everyone with their video book trailers!

** This is a brief overview, I didn't actually go back to the original post, I just cut/pasted from Shelagh's post above. **

This re-wording is the same message that dmondeo was trying to convey. The only difference is the way the words are presented and the tone.

I figured right from the start that this could be a dangerous thread. I caught myself just in time before replying to Brenda's question by saying, "I always feel sorry for you, Brenda." That could have created fireworks. See how easy it is to get in trouble even though your intentions are good? Boy, that was a close one.

That WAS a close one, Dick. Thank goodness you caught it in time. That trip to the Vet's helped.

Merri, that was perfect, exactly the point I was trying to make. It's nice to see someone wise enough to understand.

Why are you implying that Merri is wise and I am not? How tactless, Brenda! Shame on you.

I stayed away from here as well. I didn't see anything offensive in the post, but then I don't always get things like that. I don't think the intentions were to offend anyone.

Perhaps asking questions would have helped, like whose trailers have you viewed etc. But I'm not even sure where to view them in the first place.

And if I don't stop I'm going to get myself in trouble.

Shelagh, I loved hearing you read your book, see your space where you try to deal with all of us, and the only fault was with my computer speaker being so quiet.

My husband (and I) did a youtube presentation of Winter in the Northwoods. He put it together and added music. People were praising him on this video and someone mentioned his photography. Wait a minute! Whose photography? Now I am listed as the photographer.

Carol

Shame on me, Shelagh? And tactless? I don't think I was the tactless one here. But of course that's my opinion.

Perhaps I should say that I didn't name anyone, so I don't understand why anyone would be offended by my implication.

"That is my finding and no disrespect is intended to anyone."

I posted about this subject in another thread, which got no response, so let me post here as well.

There are some people who have not one single cell of tact in their body. They see things as black and white, true or false, and don't understand why some things, when said with an attitude of "better than you" can offend some people.

I don't think Dmondeo meant to offend anyone, he just made some observations and posted what he felt. However, his attitude came across as "I'm better than you, and this is what I say, and my word is final, and if you don't like then shove it."

Yes Shelagh, I'm quite aware that he probably didn't mean any of those things, but some of us, and I am one of them, were very put off by the manner in which his initial post was made, and we saw it completely different than some of the rest of you. I don't think some of you were bothered by it, because it's the same way you might have posted your feelings on the topic. I was bothered because it seemed to me that his attitude was very condescending and bordered on the rude. Being born and raised in the South, I expect a certain amount of what I consider courtesy, and I found little of it in the post. If you are a friend of mine, or if I think you are merely playing around, you can get by with calling me an SOB. If you are mean or offensive or if I see you as somehow insulting me by calling me an SOB, you'll have to take out a matchbook to show people your smile until you can get new teeth made,

It's been my observation that people from the Northern United States are more rude than I am accustomed to, and now it seems that people from England may be the same. That's not a hard and fast rule by any means, and I know that those of you who fit the profile think you are merely being truthful. Well, remember the second guy who thought he was just being truthful? The truth is that he probably was, but his attitude while telling the truth cost him a pop in the mouth.

Brenda detected the same thing in the original post that I did, and once again, while I think the guy was very innocent in what he said, I didn't care for the way I percieved his words.

Don, when you get to the party, be prepared for a big kiss. Your post was exactly right. Thank you.

Perceptions are what drive us, usually, and sometimes the most innocent comment can give different people different perceptions. I think none of us are immune to that, but only time will tell if that is true.

Well, here is my book trailer. That guy can critique it if he wants to. It's a freebie that I made myself just for the fun of it.

(If this is supposed to go on another thread, sorry. I couldn't find it.)



Everlasting Journey

And Don, we'll have a conversation on "people from the Northern United States" soon. I am not up to it tonight.

No, I'm not picking a fight, just a nice spirited debate between friends. =)

Have at ye, Mel, and weigh yer words carefully, fer tis a fact that the Nawthun states are renowned fer the rudeness o' their citizens.

It's well known, child, that Nawthuners are nothin' a'tall like the fair people o' the dear South, whose words indeed flow out of our lips like honey.

Please note that even though it may look like it, I did not call you "honey child."

But I will, shud I think it is called fer, but only as a term of endearment, something quite unknown in the Nawth.

And hitting someone in the mouth isn't rude?

Phil Happy-not-to-be-from-the-South Dolan

Sorry, Phil from somewhere outside the Promised Land, it's a southern thang that I doubt you'd understand. We're happy you're not from down here too, and your post proves my point, doesn't it?

See, Mel, what I was talking about?

Also LOL

made a new thread

I think I may be glad that I didn't join this forum officially. I would hate to worry that I might continually offend certain folks here as I am from the Northern United States, born and raised.

I have travelled all over the U.S. and parts of Europe, and it has been my experience that rudeness is an equal opportunity offense. And FWIW, I have met the nicest people of all in the UK. In 15 trips there I have never been disappointed in the hospitality of Her Majesty's fair citizens.

One of the problems with message boards is that it is difficult to read the facial expressions and body language of text in a browser, much less hear the tone of voice in which the words would have been spoken.

JMVHO

Yep, lovesamystery, that is one of the biggest problems with a message board, isn't it. Without them dang old facial expressions it's really hard to tell when someone is yankin' yer chain.