Book Trailers

I absolutely love watching movie trailers. Even if I've already seen the movie, I'll watch its trailer just for fun.
With the relatively new trend of book trailers getting underway, though, trailers may have moved up a notch or two on the significance scale for writers.
I'm not saying you should be pouring time and effort and finances into producing a trailer for your book at this moment. Several publishing houses have started adding professionally-produced trailers into their marketing strategies, and I know of at least a couple of organizations that specialize in producing book trailers for writers. Until the publishing process is solidly underway for you (as in, the papers are signed and it's time for some serious and specific marketing), focus on the writing itself, building your platform, and establishing a fan base, not on making a trailer. When it is time to think about a trailer, your editor, publisher, or agent can help and advise you.

All that being said, in the meantime it sure is fun to think about those fabulous 'trailer moments' in your writing, isn't it? And there's a lot to be learned about what makes a good trailer just by watching big-budget movie trailers.
My all-time favorite movie trailer has got to be the one for The Hunt for Red October. Even though I've seen the movie itself multiple times, watching the trailer still makes me think "Oh wow, I have got to watch that movie!" Two of the best 'trailer moments' ever (in my humble opinion): the shot of the submarine rocketing out of the water, and the close-up of Captain Mancuso saying "I'm gonna blow him right to Mars."
The trailer as a whole could be a textbook on how to make a good trailer. It has a good balance of dialogue shots (giving the viewer some idea of what the story is about and who the main characters will be), voice-over (adding intrigue and filling in any problematic gaps in the viewer's understanding of the story's setup), action shots (for excitement and drama), and a few choice scenes and snippets to raise questions, confuse the viewers, and make them want answers (i.e. see the movie).
Those are the same qualifications a good book trailer should meet too. I've seen book trailers that explain the book's basic premise, but don't give any idea of who the main characters will be or of what the specific plot will be about. I've seen book trailers that explain who the characters will be and what the storyline is about, but don't intrigue me, leave me with questions, or make me want more. I've seen book trailers that show lots of cool action shots, but don't give me any idea of what the plot is about. I don't think I have to explain why all of these are problems.
Remember, the whole point of a book trailer is to make the viewer want to read your book. Therefore, it should provide them with the information they need to decide whether your book is for them or not (Is this an action/adventure story or a calm, quiet love story? Is the main character's biggest struggle with a moral decision or a world-altering war? Is there a definite Christian theme here or not?). At the same time, it shouldn't give them so much information that they know what's going to happen and give them no reason to bother reading the book.
Finally, it should be exciting! Every good story has its 'trailer moments'. You know what I'm talking about--that scene or shot or moment in your story that just makes you break out in goose bumps and want to do a happy dance just because you're the one who wrote it.
In my current WiP, my favorite trailer moment is the moment when one of my characters (who has just escaped from the enemy and is running for his life) picks up a handful of sand and throws it back towards the enemy camp. As the grains of sand leave his hand, each one becomes a spark. The sparks flare into a firewall and cut off his pursuers, leaving him free to make his escape. Does that moment tell a reader or viewer anything essential about the nature of the story? Probably not. But it's a dramatic action shot that will build excitement and get a reader or viewer 'wound up' about the book. (And yes, when the time comes to start seriously thinking about making a trailer, I plan on making sure that shot goes in it.)

What are your thoughts on the book trailer trend? Do you have a favorite movie or book trailer?
Writers, what's the best 'trailer moment' you've ever written?

Announcing Spearhead Books

I am not an e-book fan. I don't have a problem with them as a thing in themselves, and I guess being able to store a kabillion books in a half-inch-thick device is good (until said device crashes... don't get me started). It's just that personally, I would much rather stretch out in a hammock or curl up in an armchair with a book--a real book, made out of things like paper and ink and leather--than with a paper-thin electronic device. That's just a little too Trekkie, even for me.
However, no one can deny the enormous growth in the e-book market. E-books have actually started out-selling hard copy in some places. And with anyone able to self-publish their book on Amazon and new books becoming available daily, the choices for readers are literally endless.
So how does a Christian reader who wants a well-written story and godly content standards ever choose which book to read? Well, that's why I'm pleased to announce the inception of Spearhead Books:

A professional writers' guild (led by the Miller brothers, Christopher Hoppers, and Wayne Thomas Batson), dedicated to providing fiction that meets high standards in all aspects, from the skill of the writing itself to the content.
A starting point for anyone seeking quality Christian fiction amid the endless sea of e-books floating around in cyberspace.
Click Here to check out their "About Us" page and learn more about this exciting new project. Personally, I'm thrilled. I think it's a fantastic idea, and I hope God blesses this effort richly as it gets its start.

What do you think about this idea?

Publishing Contract Giveaway

The Writer's Lair is pleased to announce the launch of Rhizome Publishing's first-ever "Cultivate" publishing contest. The guidelines are wonderfully simple (and simple is always good, right?): submit your completed manuscript by Sunday, May 29, 2011. Submissions will be sorted according to genre and the best manuscript from each genre will then be sent to the editorial staff. One winner will be chosen to receive a publishing contract with Rhizome Publishing, which includes:

1) Cover design

2) Editing

3) Interior Layout

4) Publishing to all E-Book services

5) Set-up and delivery to our Book printer

6) Distribution through Ingram (which makes the book available at all retail book stores)

7) Generous royalties

8) And viral marketing

Rhizome is open to and welcoming speculative genres, as well as most other genres of fiction and non-fiction.
If you are interested in entering this giveaway, send an email to contest@rhizomepub.com; they will send you an author packet with more submission information. Meanwhile, Click Here for more information about the contest, guidelines, and Rhizome Publishing.

Let's be the change we want to see!

Writers, especially those of you just beginning your journeys, and especially those who have chosen to take your journey into the speculative realms of Christian fiction (fantasy, sci-fi, etc.), I'm sure you're painfully aware that the Christian publishing market doesn't seem to have much room for us these days.
I can't count the number of times I and one or more of my writing friends have lamented to each other that "No one seems to be publishing the kind of things we write!". It's true that the speculative genres, while growing slowly and by very small increments, are not exactly big in the Christian publishing industry right now. It's not the publishers' faults. What logical reason is there for them to spend money publishing something that only a tiny minority of people are reading?
Unfortunately, that problem is just the tip of the iceberg. In the midst of a national economic crisis, the publishing industry as a whole--Christian and secular--is facing tough times. Financial risks have gotten riskier, and no one wants to take them. Sadly, rookie writers and speculative genres are financial risks.
So what are we to do, up-and-coming writers of speculative fiction? Shall we hunker down and wait for the current crisis to blow over, hoping to emerge on the other side to find the industry more willing to gamble on us? Shall we commit that great literary sacrilege and change what we write to follow the market trends? I say: "Not on your life!"
Literary agent Rachelle Gardner has a great post up on her blog today, from guest blogger Marcus Brotherton. As well as being entertaining and humorous, his post is extremely encouraging and inspiring. Read it! He proposes that writers help the publishing industry they depend on by buying one hardback book a month in 2011. The figures he has come up with illustrating the impact this would have on the market are astounding.
But I would like to take his theory a little further than that. Writers of Christian Speculative fiction, let's take the initiative and be the change we want to see in the Christian publishing market. Let's be the ones waiting at the bookstore for the release of that new fantasy book; let's be the ones standing in line at that Christian sci-fi author's book signing; let's be the ones making speculative fiction and its authors not quite such a big risk for publishers.
It won't happen overnight, and our efforts alone won't turn the massive USS Christian Fiction around. But we can be the start, the leaders, the pebbles bouncing down the mountainside gathering speed and followers until--hopefully--they become a landslide.
What are your thoughts on the market for Christian speculative fiction and what we can do to influence it?

A breath of fresh air...

Whew! NaNo is over until next year, The Pirate Shrine is finished (topping out at roughly 55.5k), The Christmas season has begun, and I'm once again free to work on whatever I want, writing-wise. Life is good!
Honestly, in spite of the tension and stress NaNo created, I'm glad I did it. It was a great chance to push myself, practice meeting a deadline (something every writer should work on, no?), and as a bonus it really made me appreciate the freedom I have the other 11 months out of the year. It was so refreshing to open up my computer file this morning and ask myself: "Hmm... what do I want to work on today?"
Of course, my main priority is getting back to editing Son of The Shield and start writing the sequel. I'm hoping that, with the help of a few good buddies, I'll have SOTS in good enough shape to start sending out queries this next year. Another world to explore: the world of publishing and marketing!
But along that line, literary agent Rachelle Gardner has an excellent post up on her blog today, from guest blogger Mary DeMuth, discussing marketing strategy. Would you believe that, in spite of what the experts tell us, it's still okay to be you, even when it comes to getting your book and your name out there? Click Here to read the complete post--I found it incredibly encouraging!