The awesome co-hosts for the the September 2 posting of the IWSG will be Julie Flanders, Murees Dupé, Dolorah at Book Lover,Christine Rains, and Heather Gardner!
My heart felt appreciation to everyone who visits and comments is only dwarfed by my unswerving gratitude for our awesome leader, Ninja Captain, Alex Cavanaugh. Every month I try to visit as many beautiful blogs as possible. This month will be a challenge. Hubby and I are house hunting, specifically for a humble abode that accommodates seniors. Yep, I’m finished with cutting grass and shoveling snow. My main requirement is a lovely deck upon which I can sip wine and read.
Book Trailer Black Hole
I’m falling into a black hole. For a year I’ve agonized over the final version of Forbidden’s book trailer. Some of my most trusted advisers have provided sound advice. And yet, with each edit of the one minute fifty two second video, I’m not getting that, that “ah ha” feeling. You know what I mean? Knowing that you’ve reached the pinnacle of perfection.
So far, all edits get scraped and flushed into oblivion.
NOTE: Video images will be purchased once the draft is finalized.
Now, I’ve also heard via the cyber grape vine that book trailers are passe. I suspect that has a smidgen of reality. But then, why not put every effort possible that gets a book in front of readers. Stir up their senses. Hell, make them so enraptured with teasers that they can’t help but hit the ‘order’ button.
FORBIDDEN – Book Trailer Draft
Comments and suggestions are welcome.
- If you read suspense/thriller/romance genre, would this trailer entice you to buy the book?
- Do the images and text give away too much; not enough?
- Are the messages confusing?
- Fail to hint at the characters’ dilemma, plot?
Synopsis
Year 2047, war torn city of Samarra, Republic of Islamic Provinces & Territories
Witness to a monstrous crime, Eliza MacKay is trapped in a Middle East government cover-up. Survival depends upon her skill and courage to dodge CIA detection, harness her PTSD triggers, and obey a ruthless cop by the name of Captain Hashim Sharif. There is no hope for rescue. No one is looking for the impetuous and insane MacKay woman.
Captain Sharif’s world plunges into a lethal abyss when he’s becomes the keeper of MacKay. Conflicted by his devotion to Allah and the need to prove his loyalty to his corrupt superiors, Sharif faces an impossible choice. When his family disappears, he becomes the beast his enemies dread.
Sharif and Eliza are immersed into the shadowy world of espionage, murder, and kidnapping. From shabby back alleys, a crumbling mosque, mountain caves, to the splendor of the marble columns in the federal building, Captain Sharif hunts for the killers. When he discovers the truth, he and Eliza become the hunted. Compelled to trust each other, they hold back feelings they’ve considered forbidden.
Feather Stone takes you on a richly textured epic adventure through stunning landscape and into the minds of desperate men. She delivers a taste of the beautiful Islamic culture. A strong cast of characters will grab and hurl you into a plot full of treachery, and passion that refuses to be silenced.
Romance Under Fire 
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with trying every method out there to get your book in front of potential readers. If you want to try a book trailer, go for it. After all, no one can say for sure what makes a book a super success. For you, the book trailer can absolutely work. Don’t stop trying. Hoping it all comes together for you.
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Thank you, Murees. I wonder if there’s a time, when a person needs to put aside a notion that perfection is worth the time and cost. A life lesson, perhaps?
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So enticing, both your introduction and the excerpt you shared during the WEP. I’ll be a buyer for sure. Love the premise and your writing is excellent!
I say go for it with the trailer, noting is really off limits if it gets your work in front of the readers, except the ‘buy my book’ tweets or FB pushes. So go for it!
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Hi Yolanda: I so agree that pushing the book with the ‘buy me’s’ sends the wrong message. There is such a thing as overdone. And perhaps, I’m over thinking the details in the book trailer draft. Thanks for stopping by. And I’m wishing you and Angela great success with the One Stop For Writers project.. I’m so excited to be one of the first to see the process of its birth. Yahoo!
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The video was locked, so I couldn’t watch it.
I still think trailers are cool. As long as they aren’t too long, they still function as a good marketing tool.
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Locked? Oh no. I thought I was keeping it private so only people with links could view it. Didn’t want the public thinking I was using istock images for my benefit without first purchasing them. I’ll go back and fix the lock if I can. Thanks
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Book trailers have never been my thing, and I’ve heard mixed responses from authors on whether they sell books. If you like doing them and you see an audience for it, why not? I think authors trying to break out need to try a variety of options and see what works. Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you, Stephanie. I think the human brain is very oriented to visual stimuli so book trailers should work. The key is to encourage the viewer to tell two friends, who will tell two friends,…. LOL
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Fantastically put together trailer. You got the characters’ dilemmas and there was great tension. A perfect music choice to add to that too. I waffle back and forth about trailers. I don’t see them as often anymore, but I agree that using everything at your disposal to help sell your book is a good thing.
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Thank you for the positive review. I really needed to hear that I’m on the right track. Blessings.
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The book trailer is worth it if it’s fun for you – though it sounds like the black hole you’ve fallen into isn’t very fun. I’ve been there, just overthinking everything. At some point, just pull the trigger and get it out there.
The trailer does a great job building intrigue. My only suggestion would be to cut it down to under a minute, if that’s possible, simply to accommodate short attention spans. But DON’T let this comment send you further into the black hole — what follows are just my quickie thoughts on how to chop it down: the beginning of the trailer is especially gripping – right up through the first time Sharif is mentioned, at the 31 second mark. After that, I’d keep it to one slide about his struggle between following orders and following his faith and then give a brief hint that they’ve become the hunted. I really liked the ending line about trust/whisper.
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You’re comments are excellent and I don’t feel like I’m back in the black hole. I had suspicions that the trailer was too long. I know now what to do. Thanks a million, Nicki.
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Nikki had some great suggestions. What I hear over and over is that people are visual, especially on the internet (and that their attention spans are short). A 1 minute trailer should cater to both of these. The book definitely sounds exciting.
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