Do Book Trailers Work?

If well done, do they compel you to buy the books? If amateurish, does it do the opposite?

I actually like looking at book trailers; there are some really fantastic, entertaining ones out there. BUT they don't influence my book buying/reading. Like book covers, if I stumble across an interesting looking one, I might pick up a book and see what it's about. I'll read the synopsis and the first page and if those hook me, then I'll go for it. Otherwise, I depend on word of mouth and book reviews to seal the deal.

I know that what turns me off is

if it's obviously low budget
if there are actors depicting the characters (I like to impose my own images on the characters)
if it's too long; it should be around a minute, two, at the most
if I see the same scene from another trailer (I've seen a lot of the same still photos, usually high school ones, in several YA adult trailers. Which makes it hard for the author's book to stand out)

Book trailers seem to lend themselves well to particular genres: thrillers, mysteries, sci/fi, fantasy, paranormal, young adult, and childrens. And those are the ones that I enjoy watching - even if I don't buy/read the book. Is an author wise to invest in something that can be very expensive to make but may not guarantee readers? Circle of Seven, for example, the first and biggest book trailer company, advertises different packages ranging from $300 to $4,000.

Publicists, according to a Publisher's Weekly article, are not uniformly enthusiastic about them.

Besides Youtube, there are sites dedicated to book trailers: Book Trailers, Book Screening, VidLit.

The book trailer industry is still relatively new. Not every book has a trailer, nor should it. I don't think it's a fad, just another tool for authors to create buzz for their books, like blog tours or giveaways. I know that most book reviewers will post a trailer, should one exist, of books they like.

Ultimately, a book's success resides between the covers. It still needs to deliver.

Here's one author whose book trailer drew a lot of attention in the blogosphere. It's longer than what I would recommend; however, the 4+ minutes are worth it. Good story + original concept + filmmaker friend = knockout book trailer.

Jeff Carlson's The Plague War



A book trailer that is so fun it's probably better than the forthcoming book its advertising:

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters



It also helps if the author is an artist, which in Maggie Stiefvert's case, results in a beautifully done, very simple and effective trailer for Shiver:



And should you have a gorgeous author who has a lively and animated presence, as well as an interesting back story to tell about her book, by all means, put her in front of the camera. Kate Morton, author of the House at Riverton and The Forgotten Garden, has the added bonus of having trained as a Shakespearean actress:



Example of a big budget, flashy trailer with an intriguing story and a great, if difficult to pronounce title:

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey




Do any of these or other book trailers make you want to read the books?