As a post-script to my blog about book trailers I'd like you to take a look at what a book trailer could be (provided the author has $30,000-$50,000 minimum, to spend on a trailer). This is a trailer for Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles. Kudos to Simone and the production studio. This is truly awesome.
HOWEVER something like this is not practical for most authors, and (disclaimer here--I have not read this book or the first one in this series) I would worry that the trailer would eclipse the book itself. (No, I'm not bitter that I don't have a full camera crew, location scout, Hollywood actors, and the host of extra hands that went into making this trailer.)
So what do you think of this trailer? Is it too much, or is it what a generation raised on high quality, big budget, special effects stuffed productions expects to see?
I think it's too much! Most of the comments from readers on Simone's agent's page said they wanted to see the MOVIE!!
ReplyDeleteI feel like a trailer like this is just setting the reader up for disappointment: can a book, which generally has a completely different style of pacing than a movie (often slower, with more build-up), live up to a movie-trailer-style setup and the inherent movie-style pacing that's implied with it?
I don't think so.
Plus, what was left out? So so so much was given away in the trailer, why would I bother reading the book? And, worse, because so many movies--especially YA movies and chick-flicks and romantic comedies--tend to follow predictable paths, I started assuming the book would too--just because of the trailer.
It's a great idea to see what CAN be done, but I wonder if it will work in the long run. I'll be following up to see if the book's sales (and royalties) will be able to pay for that fancy-schmancy trailer.
Thanks Val, I agree and will be following up too. Because I produce book trailers, I am VERY interested in what they actually do to boost sales.
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