Friday, July 1, 2011

Fun Friday: Guest Post by Former A2Aer Lisa Schroeder

We've talked about book trailers before on Author2Author. Some of us think they help to sell books, some of us, we're not so sure. As an author, what's hard is that there really is no way to know if they affect sales. And they usually aren't cheap. Unless you do one yourself. And in that case, it still has to be good. Also, more and more, book trailers with just still photos are criticized as being boring. And some believe your trailer won't stand out if you use only still photos. But to hire someone to do a trailer with actors and actresses - you're talking a boat load of money the average mid-list author simply doesn't have to invest in one marketing tool.

I wanted a book trailer, but I didn't have want to spend the money. So, my husband and I headed to the beach for the day and we filmed some beautiful beach footage. I sent it to a friend who was kind enough to edit it for me. I love how the video turned out. Yes, it's quite simple, but in this case, I think simple works. The entire book takes place at the beach, so why not use the lure of the beach to pull people in? That's what I hope this trailer does.

Lisa Schroeder
http://lisaschroederbooks.com

[Click here to see Lisa's beautiful, intriguing trailer!]

2 comments:

Kate Fall said...

Very nice trailer, Lisa!

I just heard an editor speak about how difficult book trailers are because the best medium to tell your novel's story is, well, as a novel, not as a trailer. Or else it would already be a script. That's why trailers work so well for movies; they're already filmed and scripted. I like how your trailer is more like a commercial than a synopsis. I think that what will work best.

Emily Marshall said...

Love the trailer, Lisa. I agree sometimes simple is better and I love the images you created on the beach.

The music pulls everything together too!