I’ve been working on an eBook (pdf), The Book Trailer Manual, which will be available starting August 15.
That means, of course, that I should create some book trailers. Right?
My teen fantasy, The Wayfinder, is now available for Kindle and for iPhone (StanzaApp/Smashwords). Perfect. I decided to use it as a guinea pig.
So, here are my trailers. I used the same stock images for all of these, just experimented with different programs. There’s a slideshow from Photobucket, a short trailer using Animoto.com , and a trailer made with Vegas Movie Studio HD.
Now an EBook
First, a Quick Review of the book from Booklist
Winchal Eldras is an apprentice Wayfinder, a member of an elite group of people who can locate anything or anyone. When Win’s little sister slips out of the house one foggy night, he tracks her to the edge of the Great Rift, where his fear of heights causes him to freeze, and she falls to her death. Bereft, Win retreats into himself. Then a prince of the Heartland arrives with news of a rapidly spreading plague and taps Win to journey through the Rift to find the Well of Life, whose waters are the only cure. With resignation, Win begins the arduous trek, joined by Lady Kala, a royal gazehound with her own special powers. The pair winds its way past a giant eagle, a deadly crocodile, a venomous tatzelwurm, and other dangers. The relationship between the haughty dog and the boy is handled well, growing from mutual abrasiveness to bonding. The plot is simple, but the adventures will keep readers turning the pages. –Sally Estes. Booklist
And Another Quick Review from Locus Magazine
“In this YA fantasy, a boy with special talents has to face the thing he fears most in order to find a cure for a plague that threatens his home and kingdom. This basic boy-comes-of-age quest is nicely fleshed out with details of the people and their world. Winchal has the Wayfinders talent that lets him find things, including his way in the dense fog that frequently blankets his town–a talent so useful it has its own guild. Winchal is a promising apprentice, but is terrified of heights, and is stunned to be chosen to go on a quest into the nearby Rift, with only a telepathic dog–an imperious breed owned only by royalty–for a companion. His adventures follow familiar formulas, but have a charm of their own, for a very promising first novel that holds hints of being only the first in a series.” Carolyn Cushman, 15/2000. Locus Magazine.
The Wayfinder Book Trailers
To support The Book Trailer Manual, I’ve created a series of book trailers about this novel, using a variety of programs. It will give you an idea of what you can do with different programs.
- The Wayfinder on Photobucket. Shockwave slideshow.
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The Wayfinder: Animoto.com Animated video with music.
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The Wayfinder: Vegas Movie studio, and uploaded to YouTube.com
Look for more on The Book Trailer Manual next week.
