This is a post that has been in my head for a while and I never see anyone addressing this subject so maybe it is just me…. but I am going to get on my little soap box anyway and see what conversation can be started around this topic.
I am curious if readers enjoy watching book trailers. Book trailers are used to promote book much like movie trailers promote movies. On the pro side, I have heard that the book trailer can motivate reluctant readers to decide to read a book. It is said that librarians and teachers give a shout out that they love them…
So why don’t I?
Lets start with Movie Trailers. I love them. If I hear about a movie I think I would like to see I actively seek out the movie trailer. What I see on the movie trailer is what I will see on the big screen… the actors, the action, the dialogue… Nothing changes from the trailer to the movie.
However, a book to me is a world hidden within the pages. There is a reason this blog is called Book Jour n e y. Books are journeys… tickets to other countries, to other worlds, forward and backward in time and space. Within the world of a book that the author has developed – I still hold a little creative license with it. While the characters may be well described, we still all get a chance to create him or her in our mind. I love it when the author breathes life into the characters. We as readers develop the character in our mind as the author gives us details, height, age, hair color, attitude.. the same goes for the development of the space in which this character lives – home, town, state, country…
When I see a book trailer, the trailer puts images in my mind that I carry throughout the book. Now I have an idea of what the character looks like or the place he/she lives because of what I have seen in the trailer. That image has now overridden what I would have hoped to discover for myself within the book.
Last fall I read a book I enjoyed very much. After reading and reviewing the book I came across a book trailer for that same book and thought I would give it a viewing. When they brought out the male character, he was nothing like the description of the man in the book. He looked too young to be who I had just read about, and he was shorter than the book had described…. and suddenly this was now the character that over shadowed the one I had envisioned.
Yes, you could say, “But Sheila…. wouldn’t that happen anyway if the book becomes a movie?”
Absolutely – that could happen. I don’t have all the answers here… I an just chatting. 😛
I personally discover books I want to read by reading reviews, stalking my favorite authors online, book sites, and from book lovers I know personally in my day to day life. If someone gushes about a book… that interests me.
I am not saying book trailers are bad, I am just curious what other readers think of them. I can see where they may help the reluctant reader to pick up a book but do you think that a visual book trailer is more powerful than a friends raving?
As readers, what do you think? Do you enjoy seeing a book trailer? Does it motivate you to want to read the book? Has a book trailer ever turned you off from a book?
I would be curious to hear from authors too…. do book trailers enhance sales? What advice would you say is a must if you are going to provide a book trailer for your book?
(*Please do not mention specific trailers in a negative way, however feel free to use positive examples – this post is not to bash book trailers but to gather thoughts about them in general. I am offering my thoughts here and am not aiming at any trailers personally. I am basing this post as more conversational, and I am open to your opinions on this topic.) 😀
Book Journey 
I’m not a fan of them, like you I like to create the characters in my head, and it seems kind of weird to have a visual trailer for something that is read. I’ve never been sure why some just have text in them, though, because it’s often the blurb you can get from the back of the book.
A movie trailer is very different, and you’re seeing what you will see anyway. I’ve often had a visual in mind if I’ve seen a movie trailer for a book I read after seeing the trailer/full movie, but I generally try to read the book first, in which case I consider the movie a different take on the book, which it’s always going to be because it’s someone else’s feelings about it.
I hadn’t thought of it encouraging non-readers. I’m not sure if it would help, but it’s an interesting way to go about it.
The book trailers, encouraging, I mean. Movies themselves seem to get lots of people reading, depending on the story and fame.
And good point Charlie about the movies themselves getting people to read – I have done that myself….
I am curious about that too Charlie and really hoping my friend Reagan (a teacher) will chime in here with her two cents on if book trailers encourage students who are not avid readers to read.
I avoid them until after reading the book. Some are silly, some are cool. BUT, my reluctant reader son saw one the other day and and is now reading the book (Room if you want to know) and so it appears to work for that particular purpose!
That is great to know Suey that a book trailer did encourage your son to read.
ROOM is a fantastic read and I don;t know if I have heard any male thoughts on this one yet, I would be curious as to what he thinks of it.
i agree with you that sometimes book trailers can mess up your image of a character, which is why I don’t always watch book trailers as they can sometimes really mess it up. I could see how publishers and authors want to generate traffic, but maybe they should do it without using people in it, if that makes sense. Great discussion today!
Paula that is a thought I had too…. much like I really don’t like people on book covers (I keep referring to them while I read… I don’t know why but I keep checking to see if they line up with what the book is saying..)
If they leave something to the imagination – that may make a difference.
this is very true for some reason publishers I think like to have people on the cover I guess it sells more, but I am more drawn to a book without a pretty face so to speak. I like the scenic covers better there are some that are just beautiful and draw you in.
I usually do not watch book trailers. I did like Maggie Stiefvater’s trailer for Linger but it was more artistic and didn’t give images of characters or anything. I watched the movie trailer for a YA book once and then when I read the book, I pictured the actors even though I didn’t think the girl fit her description either. I think if a book trailer uses quotes from the book and symbolic images, it can be a good thing to generate interest.
I guess in the long run if it convinces someone to read a book, it is a positive thing even if that isn’t the reason I pick up books myself.
Thanks Christina, good thoughts here!
I have seen very few book trailers that I like. I don’t typically like the ones where people find stock photos that look like their characters and set it to music. It comes off unprofessional to me.
I have seen some really awesome trailers though. One by Tessa Dare used toys. How creative!
http://www.edgyinspirationalromance.com/2010/05/one-hysterical-book-trailer_21.html
Another one by Ted Dekker really made me want to read the book:
http://www.edgyinspirationalromance.com/2010/08/did-ted-dekker-write-romance.html
And this one by Jamie Carie was more like a compliataion of all her stories and I thought it was really well done:
http://www.edgyinspirationalromance.com/2011/02/happy-valentines-day-from-jamie-carie.html
Thanks for the links Joy!
Personally I am not a fan of book trailers, I just don’t get them. It makes no sense to me to promote the written word the same way one would promote a movie. I would much rather read a review/description or look at a beautiful cover.
That’s the way I lean Bonnie. When authors or publishers offer them up to me to add to my reviews I usually decline. I hope I can review a book well enough that I do not need the bonus trailer, and they certainly could check it out for themselves if they wanted by going to the You Tube or the authors website.
I like book trailers when they are advertised on TV. It gives the reading world a little bit better exposure to those constantly glued to their TV’s and maybe get more people reading, which is a great thing in my book 🙂
I don’t like when someone makes a trailer without taking into account the descriptions from the book. I’m not sure why they would even bother. Great post!
Thanks Jackie! 😀
I’ve never ever heard of a book trailer. But I guess that is because we are way behind here in Denmark. It is not something authors or publishers are doing here, but if it is big in the English speaking countries, surely it will be here sooner or later. I think I would feel like you, but I don’t know….and am I right in that a book trailler is like a mini movie of the book? Not just some person telling about the book?
Louise – yes. A book trailer is like a movie trailer. Some are done pretty well, and some – not so much….
They are like a two minute description of the book meant to excite you about reading the book.
Book trailers don’t really work for me – I can’t think of a book that I’ve added to my to-read list because of the trailer. But I can see their benefits when it comes to catching the eye of someone who goes to movies a lot but doesn’t read much. So when I think of book trailers, I always think of the non-reader as being the target audience for them!
That is a good point Belle – a non reader would probably be interested in a book trailer. Thanks! 🙂
I’m not a huge fan of book trailers. Mainly, I don’t care about them one way or the other, they rarely influence me about a book, either for or against. There is a big difference, sometimes, in how we as readers envision characters, though, and how they’re portrayed, and that’s not fun. I especially dislike when a book cover contradicts the book’s characterization! :p
Hannah that drives me nuts too! 😀
I will constantly flip to the cover as they flush out the main character and I have had some experiences where it is really bad – they will describe her short crop cut blond hair and the cover lady will have long brunette hair.
I prefer covers without people – but actually really like the one that is on Sarah Pekkanen’s new book where the main character is on the cover – but facing away from the reader.
I agree, I prefer covers without people, but especially without faces.
I have only watched one or two book trailers, and obviously wasn’t impressed, as I no longer do.
I like to read other readers’ reviews, even more than the publicist’s ones.
I haven’t created any book trailers for my books for the reason that, if I don’t watch them, perhaps others don’t either, and why spend the money?
I do like to conjure up my own images….
I am with you there Laurel – i prefer reviews from fellow bloggers that I trust. I think we keep it real and when I gush about a book – you can bet I loved it. 😀
I have never watched a book trailer, I do not want to know anything, I want to be the one to form them. In fairness I pay little to no attention to movie trailers. As for books being made into movies- I rarely watch those. I did watch Stieg Larsson’s trilogy, as I wanted to see the original Swedish version. I do like when classical literature is brought to life in a well made movie. I a quite fond of Sense and Sensibility (Emma Thompson version).
Back to book trailers, I honestly do not see the point.
I agree on the book trailers Jennifer – I want the book to be fresh for me and not any opinions formed going in. 🙂
I do however pursue movies to books I have loved just to see what they do with them. I am usually disappointed but occasionally they come through 😀
For me, it depends on the trailer. If it is simply an atmospheric representation of setting and some text or narrative about the plot – even quotes from the book – set to music, then it might intrigue me enough to pick up the book. If it has people in it acting out the characters, however, i don’t like it. I recently made the mistake of watching a trailer for a book that is number four in a series I’m reading – and none of the characters looked like I saw them in my head.
That’s what bugs me too Carrie – when the characters you have created in your head do not match the ones in the trailer. I just avoid the trailers so that does not happen 🙂
Movie trailers I like because they give you an idea of what a film is about. Where as a synopsis gives me an idea what a book is about… I won’t see it in film-format so I’ve never bothered to watch a book trailer… I don’t see how it would give me a feel for a book.
I LOVE movie trailers Nikki-ann! 😀 And good point that it will probably not give you any thing more to the book.
I love movie trailers too, although I haven’t been to the cinema in months… I really should find time to go SOON!
I just don’t have time – I would rather spend that time reading a book or a review.
Good point Constance. 🙂
Book trailers don’t do much for me really. I don’t like or dislike them. I don’t think they really show them on TV over here, though I can’t be sure as I don’t watch much TV anyway and when I do it’s usually BBC – no advertising. That would be the best place for book trailers. I usually come across them online and to me they don’t usually add anything to the cover – I don’t learn anything that isn’t on the book blurb anyway.
Katie I do not recall if I have seen a book trailer on tv, but I do not watch a lot of tv so I may not have seen them.
Good of you to resurrect this topic again – I never tire of it..
I dont watch Book Trialers and I dont believe in them… There is even an award dedicated to them now – can’t remember the name of it, but if you trawl Weekly Geeks you will find a few of the topics about book trailers there..
My reasons for not watching them..
1 – Words are fluid and there is no scenario or person that can be used or mocked up to be a true reflection of what the author’s main protag looks like.. This totally put a damper on my own imaginings of what the characters “should” look like. .
2 – There is no concrete statistic that book trailers actually help a book sell. At least none that I have seen yet that the same figure could not be achieved through better marketing without a book trailer.
3- The few I have watch in the very early days are all low rent productions – things and times have changes so probably the 2-3 minutes are now filled with more CGI to make it a worthwhile use of 2-3 minutes of your time.. The book “Shiver” book trailer had alot of good things said about it – but I never got it to be honest….
4 – Book trailers are for me the authors POV of what they what us the readers to get from the book – written reviews from a handfull of trusted reviewers do a better job for me and for the most part give me a more objective look at the book…
5- As constance mention – I dont have the time, patience nor do I even want to make the time to watch one either…
Cool topic ….
E.H>
Thanks E.H.! This is a good list. You mention Shiver and someone else mentioned Linger as being well done Book Trailers – having never seen either, I do believe I may actively seek them out now that i have safely read both. 😀
I almost never watch book trailers. Even movie previews I like to see once and then try to ignore. With movies I feel like if all the best parts are in the preview going to see the movie feels anticlimatic. For books, no one is going to be the characters as they will be in my mind and I want my image of them. Once I see someone else in the role it is hard to find the image I created on my own.
Jill that bugs me when movie trailers do that – show everything that is awesome and then you watch it and yeah… that was pretty much it.
Occasionally I will read a book where the character will remind me of a actor and I will think – if they make a movie this is totally this person. 😀
What a great post! Honestly, I don’t ‘get’ the book trailer! It’s not a movie. I love movie trailers. But books are meant to be imagined. Who really clicks on these things other then the people they are sent to? I also wonder if they actually increase sales.
I am curious too Amused if book sales are tracked with this method of advertising. I am also curious who their target audience is.
I’m not a huge fan of book trailers (and I hate movie trailers), but I have bought books because I saw the trailer and liked it.
That is a good and positive take! Now I am curious which trailers inspired a book purchase. 😀
Count me among those who aren’t much of a fan of book trailers either. They just don’t do much for me, for many of the reasons other people articulated. I’ve only watched a few, and they were for books I would have read anyway. I suppose they could be encouraging for a non-reader, but they have no sway over me at all.
I have really only seen trailers to books I am reading or reviewing Melissa because the author/publisher will link me to them. When I first started blogging I even would post them with my reviews…. now I don’t because I know that for me they are a take away…. and I do want that to be the case for the person reading my review. 🙂
Great discussion! I’m not a fan of book trailers either, as I prefer to envision the characters in my head and not have an image forced on me. I’ve seen some pretty cool trailers, but those were all artistic and were more to set the mood than anything else. So my vote would be no trailers, as it’s a book, not a movie.
Thanks for your thoughts Terry! 😀
i felt exactly like this and did not expect to like my book trailer but ended up really liking the simplicity of it. it is just historical images, bits of text from the book and music. i did not want anyone to have a specific image of nell (even if it was historically accurate) so i showed a couple from different periods in history. i agree that once an image gets into your head it is difficult to dislodge it!
I am so glad you commented Priya. I want to read your book badly and now I am curious about your book trailer. Thank you for your input! 🙂
I think that I am enthralled with some book trailers but they do not factor into choosing that book to read. In fact…I hate reading books after they have been turned into a movie…does that make sense? I think what I am getting to is that book trailers fascinate me but don’t sway me…
I prefer to read the book before movie Patty and in some cases have still not seen great movies because I want to read the book first 🙂
I could never see what the appeal is with book trailers. I know many enjoy them, but try as I may, me and the trailers never get along.
Thats me too Aths 🙂
I posted pretty much the same feelings a couple of weeks ago:
http://annettesbookspot.blogspot.com/2011/01/book-trailers-why.html
I have to read your post Annette! I was looking on line to see if anyone else had thoughts on this but could not find any…. I thought maybe I was the only one who did not prefer them. 🙂
I think book trailers can be a great selling tool. I saw one recently that did not really show the characters, more their silhouette, so I was still allowed to form those characters within my own imagination (which I prefer to do). If used properly, the book trailer can entice a reader to read the book. Music, text, lighting effects, etc. all contribute to making a book trailer that succeeds in drawing in the readers/buyers.
Thanks Shirley, do you remember the one that you seen that you liked so much? I would like to check it out.
Those are the ones I like, that don’t give too much away!
I personally do not like them and think they are a waste of time and money. I have only watched a few of them though. They did not influence my reading one way or the other. 🙂
I do not really watch them anymore Brittanie because the ones I did just didn’t do anything for my liking a book.
I’m not much of a movie person anyways, so book trailers don’t do much for me. Besides, I want to use my own imagination.
OOH I love movies Jill…. total addict and sucker for a good flick, but yes I agree on the books – I want to use my imagination when it comes to reading 🙂
I’m not a big fan of book trailers either, and after watching a few that really didn’t do anything for me I haven’t watched any more. I should qualify that statement though – that’s only for adult books.
I love book trailers for kids books, like the one for Cat Secrets by Jef Czekaj. My kids really liked that one too.
I like to read about things in print even when it comes to movies. I will watch the trailer and then go look for a written plot summary (especially with movie trailers that don’t really tell you anything about the movie whatsoever).
I have not seen any book trailers for kids Alyce. Like you, after seeing a few book trailers I stopped watching them.
Very interesting post, if I had ever watched something like this it would I am positive spoil the book for me. I never see a film before reading the book! However I do sometimes include author interview videos in my blog, or watch such videos which I feel can be a useful insight into the background behind the novel. I do not include spoilers in my reviews that I am aware of. I dislike knowing too much before reading a book so no book trailers that show characters not for me thankyou.
I am that way too… I do not read reviews that tell the whole books story…. if I see someone saying too much on a blog I just leave it so as not to spoil anything for myself in the event tat i think the book sounds good. 🙂
I love book trailers but they can sometimes be misleading. For example, I won a copy of a book and I had entered a TON of contests for it because the book trailer was so cool…. and very misleading. I couldn’t even finish it and I felt so bad because I wanted to like it so much. For the most part book trailers just flash some graphics at you while reiterating what’s on the back cover of the book though.
Bummer about the book you won – that reminds me of movie trailers that look so good and then the movie is “meh” 🙂
I am still on the fence on the trailers. I really enjoyed them at first, especially for mysteries, but I do see your point too, that’s why my tagline is “escape into a good book”, it is sometimes harder to escape when you have the setting and characters already set in my mind because of the trailer. I really hate the trailers that tell the whole story leaving no reason to read the book.
I have put some on my blog, but preview carefully so they build interest not giveaway the whole story. I would really like to see the sales numbers based on the trailers and what authors think.
I’m with you and also wondered why no one ever talks about this new phenomenon. I’m not a big fan of book trailers – it seems incongruous to me. Like you, I enjoy reading in part because my mind gets to help create the scenes – seeing someone else’s idea of what it should look like just rubs me the wrong way…especially before I read the book. I’d much rather read a review. But I suppose we live in a visual world now and I’m old-fashioned!
Sue