Do I need a book trailer?

I don't know if trailers work in terms of sales, since I have them and I don't sell well. It depends on the quality of the trailers and, most importantly, how popular the sites are that you get exposure for them on are.

Trailers are not terribly hard to do, though, and they make for something different to display on your blog, FB, etc. You can also add them to your Amazon page.

In my opinion, they are good things, but I am unsure if they result in more sales or not. I've seen awful trailers that did more harm than good, but the acceptable ones I see no harm in.

(As a consumer, I wouldn't be influenced by a trailer I don't think, though.)

Thank you, Edward and Anne.

I have never bought a book based on a trailer either, but I can see where it might influence some readers.  I would be doing my own trailer as well, Anne.

Tela

I've watched one.

I didn't buy the book.

I have never made one.

My books sell just fine.

The only book I ever bought because of a trailer is The Mirrored Heavens by David J. Williams. Here's the .

You might ask this of John Locke. He's used them for some time. He's busy, but he does eventually respond to messages.

Need? No. Nice thing to have if you have a bunch of $$ or massive amounts of video editing skill and time? Maybe.

Trailers are better suited to movies and videogames and they are well known as not being a reliable guide for how good the complete work is. How many awesome trailers have you seen only to think the movie sucked? I don't think that kind of trailer-stigma is worth the money and time it takes to produce a professional book trailer.

SP that was an awesome trailer, and Todd as you said, I certainly cannot afford a trailer like that one SP showed me.  My trailer would be one I did myself. 

Thank you!

Tela

I usually stumble across book trailers after I've already purchased (sometimes even read) the book. So it's never a deciding factor for me, but it is something that I enjoy watching after I've found a book I really enjoyed.

Edward M. Grant said:

If I ever make a book trailer I'm going to follow Joe Dante's advice and put an exploding helicopter in there even if it's a story about happy fluffy bunnies frolicking in the woods.

Click to expand...

Edward, that's funny! (scratching head wondering if I could fit an explosion into my own trailer... hmmm)

Tela

I personally wouldn't pay for a book trailer... if you can make one yourself, they are fun and it's something else to have for your book.  On my site, I have my trailers listed on the page with the book right after the purchase links and before the full description.  Has anyone purchased my books because of my trailers?  My guess is no...

I enjoy making my own trailers mostly because it's fun to write music to the video I create, but I can't see myself paying $$$$$ to make one.

-jb

I have a trailer of my novel:


Buy I´m very doubtful about it´s usefulness, since you can´t put it in the productt´s page.

Buy I´m very doubtful about it´s usefulness, since you can´t put it in the productt´s page.
[/quote]

I had wondered how to put it with my book after I complete one.

Thanks!

I have never bought a book based on a trailer, but there have been a few trailers that have made me seriously, seriously cringe. I think it's tough - video is definitely the medium we're exposed to the most, and we're used to seeing a very high level of craft. Even stuff that has crappy or stupid content usually has pretty good production values. Unfortunately that often means that anything less than professional level execution is extremely noticeable, and not in a good way.

If there's no consensus that it drives sales, I would put your energy elsewhere. You only have so many hours of the day to devote to marketing, might as well get the most bang for your buck, as it were.

genevieveaclark said:

If there's no consensus that it drives sales, I would put your energy elsewhere. You only have so many hours of the day to devote to marketing, might as well get the most bang for your buck, as it were.

Click to expand...

That's what I was wondering, exactly. If it would help in any way then ok. But as I said earlier, it would be a trailer that I put together, not one from a professional. I would spend a lot of time making it when I could be marketing or working on the 3rd in my series that's almost complete.

Thank you,
Tela