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Steve Weber
The videos usually last a few minutes, using Flash animation,
providing a razor-sharp picture. You can view company founder Liz
Dubelman‘s own explanation of how she started producing book trailers
at:
VidLit also has a more modest product called the Naked Author
Series. A four-minute question-and-answer session is recorded by
telephone with the author, who receives a disposable camera with 48
exposures. Whatever snapshots the author takes—their book, their
goldfish, a potted plant—are woven into the trailer.
Trailers for fiction books sometimes resemble movie previews. The
video for Shadow Man, a thriller about a female FBI agent, has no
dialogue at all, just images of a police raid, a distraught woman holding
her child, and a suspicious-looking man hiding in the background. You
can view this video and other award-winners at:
events/book_video/index.jsp
Skeptics point out that slick videos can confuse viewers, who might
assume they’re watching a movie clip instead of a book promotion. And
there’s the expense—firms like VidLit charge $10,000 for production of
a single video, making it beyond the reach of most first-time or niche
authors. However, for books with a marketing budget, a trailer can cost
far less than an advertisement in a trade publication, while delivering
more eyeballs.
Other trailer producers include BookShorts.com, BookWrap-
Central.com, and TeachingBooks.net, a producer of short
documentaries on books used in schools.
www.AuthorViews.com takes a leaner approach, simply taping
authors talking about their books. The premise is, authors are the best
spokespeople for their work, and readers are curious to know what their
favorite writers look and sound like. The price is certainly right—free.
The company tours major cities and provides free taping, using student
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