A Trailer to Promote a Children’s Book — What a Great Idea!
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So, upcoming movies get their own coming attraction trailers, why shouldn’t upcoming children’s books?
I’ll admit, it never occurred to me before, but having seen this video by author Laurel Snyder promoting her book Up and Down the Scratchy Mountain I’m amazed there aren’t such trailers all over the web.
Get a camcorder, some images from your book and some music and you’ve got yourself a potentially viral video that can help sell your book. Smart, smart, smart.
[Update: I've been taken to task by another blogger for being "behind the times" in the crafting of this post. Yes, book trailers have been around for a while, but I was speaking in the context of children's books, where it's a technique that hasn't really taken off. So when I say "it never occurred to me before", what I meant to say -- I sound like a politician now! -- is that it hadn't occurred to me to use these for a children's book. Laurel's trailer opened my eyes to the possibility, although I'm still not fully sold that a book trailer will be as effective in selling a kids book to a parent as a trailer for, say, a mystery would be in selling it to an adult end-user, but it's worth a shot.
In general, please remember that this is a blog about children's lit, and my observations are crafted through that prism, not through the prism of the adult lit market, which is a very different beast.]
October 10th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Oh, yeah! Book trailers are my favorite thing to make! My publisher posts my book trailers on their website, blog, and in their e-release of a new book. The Old Schoolhouse Store puts them on their site. I put them on the sidebar of my blog(s), also. Other bloggers are free to grab the code and “spread the word.” When I have a new trailer, I send the YouTube link out to my e-mail list. It’s simply great fun. Who knows how much it results in sales, but every little promotional thing helps. I also just heard this week of book trailers now finding their way onto amazon and CBD (Christian Book Distributors).
October 19th, 2008 at 12:34 am
As I wait for my book to be published by Dutton, it was just pushed back to 2011! I started doing promotional pieces on myself at BEA and SCBWI events. One thing led to another and I been doing trailers for friends then it led to being hired. Mostly kid books, but I also have been doing a few adult books. My editor and former editor LOVE IT!! If you own a MAC go to the apple store and take a lesson. If you have a PC try photo to movie. Most trailers are really a slide show. Be sure to use royalty free music to make it legal. It is fun and it gives me something to e-mail my editor about, They love any additional promotion that you can do.
November 19th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
I think children book trailers are a great idea. Mine can be seen at YouTube and other website under “Grandma’s First Computer”. This is my debut children’s book about a grandma who purchases a computer only to find herself in a perplexing situation; she knows nothing about computers.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:04 am
Hi,
I had been thinking of creating a dvd of my story for my kids where each page is presented as a still image with me narrating and music. I also do some animation and thought certain scenes would be good to animate. The idea of putting a trailer on youtube would be great.
Check out my 2 stories at these links.
The first is called “Mrs. Postikit and the Waffle Emergencies” and can be read here:
http://www.postikit.com/waffle/waffle.html
The other is called “Mr. Postikit and the Mouse in the Wall” and can be read here:
http://www.postikit.com/mouse/mouse.html
Thanks for the tip!
Stephen