Week 9: Assignment 2

Book trailers were a foreign concept to me before this assignment.  The only thing close to this that I have seen was an appearance by James Patterson on the local morning news touting his new BookShots series.  After reading these articles and looking at some book trailers on YouTube, I still find this an unusual way to advertise for reading material.  A movie trailer typically features scenes from the movie, highlights the actors that are box-office draws, and hopefully gives the viewer a clue of what the movie is about.  Since part of the joy of reading involves using one's imagination to envision the characters and setting, it seems to me that a visual trailer would provide too much information, taking away part of that process from the reader.  A professionally produced trailer that highlights a well-known author would be more enjoyable, especially if he/she talks about the motivation behind the story, or how it ties in to their personal experiences.

For younger, less experienced readers, or for those who are more graphically oriented, book trailers may be a way to sift through many options, and pinpoint something that may be of interest.  It may be worth mentioning to a customer who is not sure of what he/she likes to read and wants to find new material.