Welcome Guest Blogger Chris Green!
The Anatomy of a Stubborn Book Trailer
Greetings!
My name is Chris Marie Green (AKA Crystal Green), and while trying to decide on a topic for a guest stint here, I decided I wanted to talk about an aspect of marketing that more of us are dealing with year after year.
Book trailers.
If you click on this link, you’re going to see a trailer for Break of Dawn, my third Vampire Babylon book (September, 2009), and since this article is about constructing it, I highly recommend a viewing. J
Thanks to COS Productions, it’s a fairly painless process to create one of these, even though I write the scripts. I don’t have to, because COS offers to do the script for me, but what can I say? I’m a control freak. In fact, I’d written scripts for my two previous Vampire Babylon books, so you’d think it wouldn’t be a problem to hammer one out for my newest release. But, when I actually sat down to do it, I was stuck.
Really, really stuck.
Why? I mean, the trailer for book one had been so dang simple. I just thought about what might draw people into Night Rising: the mystery of a movie star who’d died eleven years ago under very curious circumstances. The story’s “noir” tone. The tried-and-true hook of vampires in general.
I decided that I would script the actual first chapter of Night Rising, which I had, after all, written in the hopes of providing just the type of hook I wanted to capture with the trailer.
Piece of cake!
The second trailer proved to be a little more challenging because the story took up where the first had left off—I had to attract new readers as well as please the returning ones. I found that using the same hooks from the first video felt a bit trite, so I put on my thinking cap in the hopes of switching things up a little.
I realized that, for Midnight Reign, the “romantic element” of our burgeoning vampire hunter, Dawn Madison, and her enigmatic boss, The Voice, might work. And, of course, I needed to mention the ongoing high-stakes cat-and-mouse games with the vampires in the L.A. Underground. But I thought I should include the “creepy factor” from the first trailer, so I added the feeling of Dawn being watched and coveted. BTW, you can see previous trailers if you click here.
COS Productions provided a sort of grainy scary-mini-movie, and I was really happy with the results. So was Ace, who publishes my books. Both times, they featured my trailers on the Penguin Web site, and this, in and of itself, justified my making these videos in the first place, IMHO. I didn’t want to disappoint them with the third one.
So I sat my buns down to think about it again. And think. And…think.
How could I make this one even more different, avoiding what I’d already touched on in the other two videos?
What were the daggone hooks???
Then I realized that since book three ties up a lot of mythology and character arcs, I needed to make this one more visceral than the others, more urgent. So I went with the idea of a countdown, hopefully whipping up a sense of expectancy for a showdown. And since this is the book where Dawn Madison takes it upon herself to investigate the mysterious Voice on her own, I needed to cover that, too.
Mystery. Urgency. Closure.
I wanted to concentrate on those while introducing some uncertainty about where Dawn’s character was headed, hence leaving the teaser on a cliffhanger, which I think makes for a good video. After all, look at some effective movie previews…. For me, the coolest ones play their cards close to their chests and leave you with a feeling of “oh, no.” And if they’re a part of a series, they include something that reaches into the viewer/reader and accesses a strong memory. (Right now, I’m thinking about the Terminator: Salvation trailer, which uses the menacing, thumping BAH-DA-DUM-DA-DUM refrain from the soundtracks and leaves us with a shot of a very intimidating THING behind John Connor as the screen blanks to black.)
I’m learning as I go along, but I have to admit it’s a lot of fun to boil one of my books down to its essence, then recreate it in a fraction of the time it takes to read it. And as for the future of book trailers? Well, as long as Ace wants to give me “free” advertising on their Web site that I normally would not get without a trailer, I’m doing them. Yet if you ask other authors, I’m going to guess that they’re not as sure about how effective trailers are for marketing.
But what do you think? Have book trailers become too played out? What turns you off when you see one? What turns you on?
Anyone who comments here will be eligible to win a signed copy of Midnight Reign, Vampire Babylon, Book Two, by the end of the day. In fact, I’ll be giving away two copies to two different winners, but you must be registered here at Cigars to be eligible to win.
Good luck, thank you, and have a great rest-of-the summer!
great job..
I cant wait to be able to read your book.. I will have to look one up.. i am an avid reader going through at least one book a day more if I can.. I am sure that I will really enjoy your book.. keep up the good work!!! good myspace page as well..
you never really know what you had till you loose it...
Thank you!
Thank you, CLoonat! I love days when I can just read. And just to make things easier, the first book is NIGHT RISING. I appreciate your kindness. :)
Sorry about that....
Have a good one!
Chris
Awesome book trailers! COS
Awesome book trailers! COS always does a great job!
A couple of things I look for when I watch a book trailer: 1) does it have a storyline? 2) does the video tell more about the book? I have seen some book videos that had absolutely nothing to do with the book it was supposed to be selling. MAJOR turn off for me! If they don't make the video to tell you about the story that is actually found between the covers of that book, what's the point in even buying the book? Right or wrong, it has turned me off of a couple of new to me writers. And I agree with you about ending it with a cliffhanger...makes the potential reader WANT to find out what happens!
Jean
Hey, Jean!
I'm really happy with COS--they're always really timely and give me a product of great quality. : )
Good feedback--and, wow, I'm surprised that some trailers don't address the story. Did they pitch a different story altogether or were they just so vague that they didn't resemble the story at all?
Thanks so much, and have a great one!
One that I was referring to
One that I was referring to mostly had a bunch of random shots of couples with lots of skin showing and sexy clenches but they had absolutely NOTHING to do with the script running in the video. My thing is, if I am taking the time to watch your video, it's to see if I might be interested in your book. If your video has nothing to do with the script running, you aren't showing me anything about the book. Makes me think there really isn't much to the story. ~Jean
Ah-ha
Gotcha, Jean. And I agree that it *is* a commitment for anyone to stop and watch a book trailer. There are so many other things going on and so little time to do it in that you do have to make a viewing worth someone's while!
A trailer is about an initial impression, and that impression doesn't go away very easily if what's conveyed is a misfire....
Hey Chris
Sorry I'm slow with the welcomes today (and I fixed your links, so took the URLS out of your post, hope that's okay), but it's just been a busy week -- I decided to spend the first week of my vacation repainting our bedroom and also avoiding the computer as much as possible, and so I didn't see the problem right away, but it's fixed now.
And Chris will be letting her blog run and picking a winner on Saturday morning, so you all have time to come and play, and check out her trailers!
I haven't done trailers for my romance novels, though I can see why you might do one for a ST -- although I'll also confess I don't watch them. I never seek them out, and always skip any moving parts on a website, and usually have sound muted on my laptop, LOL. I tend to like basic website stuff, get in, get out, don't like to wait for stuff to load. I think having them on YouTube is a great idea though, and I'll take a peek at your trailers later. :)
Back to painting,
Sam
I very seldom pay attention
I very seldom pay attention to trailers.
If I watch one, it is not the reason I buy the book. I prefer to shop by author and recommendation.
Sam and Estella!
Hey, you two! Sam, thank you for coming in and saving the links! Have a great time on your vacay. ;)
Also, a few years ago, I did only one trailer for a category (BAITED), but it was a Bombshell. There were a few reasons I did it:
1. I was introduced to the concept at RT and I was creatively inspired, LOL (nothing like burning money just for that reason!).
2. I was genuinely curious to see how it would play out in the market. If it worked, I was going to continue, but only with my Ace Vampire Babylon books, which stay on the shelves much, much longer.
3. At the time, I had very high hopes for Bombshell and I wanted the powers that be to see it was worth investing in. (Oh, well, LOL.)
Truthfully, since my category books aren't out there for long, I'm not sure it's worth the investment of time and money. And if Penguin didn't feature the trailer on their site, I would really do a pro-con list before making one....
Estella!!! Great feedback. I always do wonder how many people really are drawn to trailers. It's interesting to think about whether they could ever have the same impact that trailers for movies have. (Previews are probably my favorite part of the movie, unless it's a film that blows me away, so that's why I love this whole thing.) Thank you, Estella. :)
You know what? Just for fun, I'll be back with a cut-and-paste to the BAITED trailer if anyone's interested. This was a trailer I based on a prologue, like NIGHT RISING.
I still enjoy viewing book
I still enjoy viewing book trailers, more for the fun factor, than whether or not I read a book. Really liked the music and grapics for Night Rising and Midnight Reign.
Cathy M
Hey, Cathy! Thank you. (And I love how the NR trailer had that sort of "noir" type music whereas they used what I like to think of as "Hammer B-movie" music for MR.)
You all, here's a cut-and-paste to BAITED, just in case:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAjGv3LMb2c
WOW
I think trailers, if they are well done, can be such a great marketing tool for authors. The quality of the trailers is constantly improving. I find that this can be especially helpful for authors who are epubbed and are just starting out.
Your book trailer was unbelievable. The hook was fabulous, and I now have a new name to add to my authors to read list...
Thanks for sharing the information.
Moira
Wow right back--thank you! I'm so happy it worked, Moira (and that you're adding my name to your list). :)
Waving to Crystal!!! Wanted
Waving to Crystal!!! Wanted to come by to say a huge hello!! I'm soon digging into your Babylon book (2). So can't wait!
Oh I remember one time that a site had a contest for people to make a trailer. No matter how I tried to understand, I got too frustrated. I'm one who does simple things and techy stuff is so not me! But I promised myself I'd give it a try!
I do enjoy watching trailers! I do find them for those who haven't read the author or that book and think its a great promo. More people catch things by watching than reading them (even though the goal is to have them read the book). So it can also be a way to get those who don't read or read enough to get into it from finding something through watching a trailer. As a reader, and knowing the authors or publisher, I like to watch them because its exciting to see what is put together for the book and too its a great way to find a blurb with the pictures on it. I really recommend that its not a voice trailer, meaning that someone talks, not just because I'm deaf and will miss out on it, but others told me that sometimes it can be hard understanding them. I'm all for them otherwise. I think they are another great promo idea and the newer promos like this should be a go! So far it hasn't been too much. I mostly watch what I'm interested in.
I agree with Caffey
I've noticed from other discussions that more readers tend to not base their purchase on the videos made for them. They are old school and base it on the blurbs, author reputations and recommendations. (that's where I fall in, too) I think the trailers are more for the "younger generation"--the ones that can't seem to function without techy stuff. If you can capture their attention with the videos (just like they do with movie trailers) and get them to actually pick up a book, even an e-book, and read it--you have just acomplished something major!
~Jean
Jean
Oh, sing it, Jean! I used to be a teacher, and while there are still 8th graders out there who read up a storm, there are also ones who would rather be listening to music or finding another form of sustenance and entertainment. :)
Caffey
Hey, there, Cathie! Thank you so much. ; )
I'm not sure I could ever create my own trailer. Gah! Me and the computer? We do not get along so well outside of word processing, and even that is iffy, LOL. You've got a great point about the "voice trailer," and I'm so glad you brought that up.
Have a great one!
Hi Chris!!!
Since I create trailers for novels, lol, I definitely think they're effective.
I have a deep abiding love for movie trailers. Especially great trailers for bad movies--Jason in Space, Lost Boys 2, lol--because man, you practically need popcorn just for them. So a great trailer for a great project is that much more effective, esp if they're where viewers can see them.
Also, living with non-readers, I know that trailers can attract them by giving them a visual cue that might pull them into the story enough to take a look at the book.
Plus, I think it's great that you put so much effort into your trailers. A designer relies greatly on the vision of the author to give a trailer that conveys the story in it's best light.
Big hugs!
Dee
Trailers
Hi Chris,
I love the covers to your books! I really enjoyed this post - it's not something I generally think about. And I have to admit... I'm not the biggest fan of book trailers. I think when they first came on the scene they were... *whispers* low budget? Just- not that great, so I just got a bad impression of them. Recently, however, I've been seeing some great ones, and am very impressed. Loved yours! :D
Dee and Aliquis
Dee, how's it going, girl? It looks like you're doing great. :)
I love cheesy movie trailers, too--but the longer ones puzzle because it's as the marketing team has no concept that they should have left some scenes to be discovered in the actual movie, LOL. I just saw a trailer for the remake of IT'S ALIVE, and that puppy was over 3 minutes. Yes--3 minutes!!! And, truthfully, the original trailer (vintage) was waaaaay more effective. (For those of you who aren't old timers, the original had this eerie baby music and showed a slowly rotating cradle, and by the time you got to the front of it, you see this BIG HUGE CLAW! It was geektastic.)
Oh, and the teasers for GOSSIP GIRL? B-movie, crazy-teen-on-the-loose genius.
Aliquis, welcome and thank you! I count my lucky stars for those Vampire Babylon covers. I got a peek of the one for book four, and it blew me away--my favorite one yet (but I said that about all the covers, LOL).
Hope you all have a great weekend, and we'll see who the winners are tomorrow!
Book Trailers
I LOVE book trailers...I love to watch them as a teaser to which book I want to buy, and a peek at what it will be about, what genre, etc...they are alot of FUN and I enjoy them very much. This book trailer was great by the way.
Semet
Book Trailers
I love to watch book trailers. They kind of give me an idea of what the book is about. Sometimes a visual aid adds to the sale of a book. So bring on the book trailers, we love them.
Love your books!
Chris, your books are totally fantastic! And of course I love the trailer!! ;-)
This blog is so fun! It's like getting a "behind the scenes" look into your world!
Semet, lead bottom, Sheila
Hey, you all!
Thank you so much! Glad to hear the enthusiasm for the trailers, and I really appreciate your commenting. : )
Sheila, thanks for the kudos! I do wish my "behind the scenes" were more exciting, though, with lots of fancy dinners and limo rides, LOL. I just wear my pajamas to my job!
Announcement of the Winners....
And the two signed copies of MIDNIGHT REIGN, Vampire Babylon, Book Two, go to....
Jean and Cathy M.!
I've contacted both already, and I just want to thank everyone for reading and commenting. I run a monthly contest on my other site at www.crystal-green.com (which is down until early next week), so there's more to be won over there.
Have a fun, safe summer, and Happy Hunting!
Thanks so much Chris. I
Thanks so much Chris. I just finished the first book and can't wait to read Midnight Reign. Big congrats to Jean!
You're Welcome, Cathy!
Thank you for reading the first book and wanting to go on to the second! LOL. I appreciate it a lot. : )
Awesome!
BIG thanks to Chris for doing the blog and for giving me a new author to follow! And congrats to you too, Cathy!
~Jean