WEEK 9


Assignment 1:

N.Y. Times Article "Author takes a Star Turn"

Talking head interviews of authors are rarely great. Jeannette Glass was a little more successful after her first book Glass Castle began to catch on-people wanted to see the real people described in the book. Basically all the other authors were boring and didn't excite me about reading the book.

Loved these stats:

"A mother still nursing her 8 year old : 25,864,943 views and a recent best-selling maternal memoirist: 5,124 views"

In a survey of book buyers " only 0.2 percent discovered their last book through a video trailer, and another 0.1 percent were persuaded to buy their last book that way."

"According to a 2009 online survey by Teenreads.com, 4 in 10 teenage readers said they love to see book trailers on book-related blogs and 46% watched them on YouTube. Even more startling 45% bought a book after watching the trailer."


Lowboy trailer is just sophomoric humor and has nothing to do with good book marketing.

Like the Thomas Pynchon trailer voice over--don't think it made me want to read the book but I was fascinated to hear this eccentric author read part of the intro to his book.


Chicago Tribune  "Super Sad Book Trailers"

I have to admit it isn't super easy to find book trailers on the Internet and when you do the vast majority are poorly done and uninviting. I totally agree that most of the book trailers are boring, lackluster and unimaginative. It is obvious they have very small production budgets.

Did enjoy "Packing for Mars" trailer because it is clever and humorous but really wouldn't make me think about buying the book.---which incidentally I have read and enjoyed.

As I said before ,the Pynchon video is very successful in capturing your attention.

I agree with the author that a group of innovative graphic designers and video artists should be able to crack the riddle of the book trailer. Then if you put these upgraded trailers in an easy to find location they would probably take off.



Trailers I found:

My favorite: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by John Green.  Excellent. Good professional technique. Grabbed your interest and made you want to look at this title.

Some of the teen ones I also liked:
Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson.
Clock Work Prince by Cassandra Clare
Divergent by Veronica Roth

Good Adult Suspense:
Kill Shot by Vince Flynn
Shelter by Harlan Coben


Assignment 2:

I think Book Trailers can be effective marketing but they have to be very professional, catchy short films. Mundane talking head interviews will never cut it. With the growth of social media, Book Trailers do have a future but they have to be as good as the trailers created for films based on books and that is a difficult thing to do. The standard for successful book trailers will be very high. I think the teen generation is ready for some good trailers and would respond well but will also be hard critics. The teen trailers I watched were some of the best. Would use them for RA.


Assignment 3:

What I liked and learned:
How to set up a blog, using it and then realizing that I am not a born blogger--just not comfortable with it.
Getting to know what a Prezi is
Becoming familiar with Goodreads, Early Word, Stop you're Killing Me--have used them already with customers.
Enjoyed talking with other staff about the assignments.

Suggested improvements or frustrations:
Very sad that more part time librarians did not feel that they could complete or even start the program because of schedule constraints. Program would have been very beneficial to these staff members who spend so much time on the desk. Even though I received some extra time from the branch because I am part time,  I really had to do much of the work at home. You really need dedicated chunks of time to concentrate on the writing portions.

Program is very time consuming if done completely and properly. There were weeks when assignments took too much time. It might have been wise to split the program into 2 parts and spread it out during 2 different times of a year. If splitting the program wasn't an option then assignments could have been reduced.  Having the program when SRC training /prep was happening was hard for some full time staff also handling these activities.

Program was a very positive experience for me but a large commitment of time and energy.