Book Trailers

I doubt that book trailers will ever get the same attention that movie or TV trailers do. Just look at The Hunger Games: the movie trailer has gotten over 4.6 million views on YouTube, while its book counterpart has only gotten 1,700. But I'll admit that more than once a book trailer has pushed me to get a book that I was previously on the fence about reading. Yes, some of them are terribly boring or have nothing to do with the book, but there are also some great ones out there that deserve some recognition.
So when I came across Melville House Books' Moby Awards for the best (and worst) book trailers, I was delighted. You can check out some of last year's hits—and MAJOR misses—on their website, but here are some of their picks, as well as some of my own favorites.



It's a Book by Lane Smith


This is such a great book, and I love how the trailer makes the illustrations come alive.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
 

Wonderstruck's illustrations are beautifully intricate, and this trailer not only shows that, in an interesting 3-dimensional way, but it also allows viewers to hear about the book from Selznick himself as he walks in and out of the sketches.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
 

The typography and silent-film feel of this trailer are what attracted me to it. It's only text, but it still manages to be more appealing than other trailers with hired actors.

Room by Emma Donoghue
 

The concept of this trailer is so simple, and yet it perfectly captures the narrative voice of the book.

Press Here by Herve Tullet


It's hard to understand the brilliance of this book by just looking at the cover. The trailer captures its unique interactive quality that most people wouldn't think possible for a print book.

Going West by Maurice Gee


Breathtakingly beautiful. Enough said.

The Templeton Twins Have an Idea by Ellis Weiner


This trailer is just so visually interesting and the colors are wonderful. It does a great job of showcasing the illustrations while still telling viewers a lot about the plot of the book.


If anyone else has a favorite book trailer, don't forget to share it!