The NYT takes on book trailers and offers up some stats to back up what a lot of us have been saying for a long time. Book trailers aren't a great selling tool unless they are really extraordinary and you really get some viral luck.
"According to a June survey of 7,561 book buyers by the Codex Group, a marketing research firm, only 0.2 percent discovered their last book through a video book trailer, and another 0.1 percent were persuaded to buy their last book that way."
I know the owner of Codex and he said that what works better than a video and he said an excerpt. People want to read what they are going to read - not see a filmed version of it.
This article in the Times suggests teens might be more trailer oriented but the real message in the article is if the video isn't special enough - either funny or heartfelt - to take off. The medium just isn't delivering the message yet.
I don't a book trailer as the central focus for marketing, nor easily found on the net when produced, but I do see it as a tool, more like a visual business card. Instead of trying to explain the plot of my latest novel called "Captain Cooked" which is not a one genre word but where the story includes: mystery, thriller, romance, travel, and yes, even recipes, all set in Hawai'i. It is easier for me to say, go to YouTube and search "Captain Cooked." People like short attention span answers that attract their attention, hence TV over books. With my trailer, it is a quick explanation letting the watcher make a quick decision if they want more. One further comment. In watching costs, I challenged a 14 year old computer guru to create the book trailer and offered to pay him $100. I think you will find I got my money's worth. Not Hollywood, but still entertainment. Book Trailers, here to stay, destined to improve, are just another tool in the marketing bag.
S.P. Grogan
Posted by: Stephen Grogan | July 13, 2010 at 01:28 PM