Kim’s Spyglass - Affairs of the Heart: Desert Heat and Cabin Fever
Posted By Kim McDougall on September 6, 2009
Kim McDougall, Author and Owner of Blazing Trailers
by Kim McDougall
1st Turning Point Columnist
Copyright © 2009 Kim McDougall
Affairs of the Heart: Desert Heat and Cabin Fever (Collector’s Edition)
Kim’s Rating
3.5 Parrots
| Affairs of the Heart: Desert Heat and Cabin Fever (Collector’s Edition) by Kristie Leigh Maguire Publisher: Star Publish LLC ISBN: 978-1932993677 Release Date: Jan 2007 |
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Kim’s Comments:
Kristie Leigh Maguire has chosen a different market for her erotic romance: men. I appreciated this unique approach. “Who needs Viagra when you have a Kristie Leigh Maguire novel to read?” she candidly asks. And the trailer is true to this market. The models are all beautiful women (rather than the usual hunky guys) and the music is upbeat and modern.
I don’t usually like music with lyrics along with on-screen text, because I can’t concentrate on both the voice and the text at once. Even though the music to this trailer had lyrics (and even after several viewings, I couldn’t tell you what they were) it didn’t bother me. The voice was soft and added to the ambience rather than taking away from the experience.
Here are some other things I liked about this trailer. It was short (1 minute, 28 seconds). It gave me enough info to know what kind of book it is and a brief outline, but didn’t drag on past that. I really liked the dark photos that seemed to peek out from the shadows. Those were very ambient and effective.
I have 2 suggestions to improve this trailer. First, the typewriter-style text midway through, is nearly impossible to read. I went cross-eyed trying to read as it typed. So I waited until the scrolling was complete, but it only stays onscreen for a split second. Even after 4 viewings, I still struggled with these screens. This is the text that relates the gist of the story. I suspect most viewers wouldn’t be patient enough to watch it over and over and so will not know the storyline.
Second, all the images in this trailer are static. By adding simple movement to the photos (panning or zooming) the trailer could have been more exciting. Also, there are more text screens than images. Adding the text over images could have shortened the trailer or left room for more images. Here’s a trick I like to employ that incorporates these last two suggestions: Start zoomed in on an image (perhaps a tight zoom on the subject’s face, eyes or lips). Hold it for a second or two. Then zoom out to the whole picture. At this point, add the text over the image. Make sure it stays on-screen long enough to read.
All in all, with a bit of minor tweaking this trailer will be an effective promotional tool.
Back Cover Blurb
Desert Heat and Cabin Fever together under one cover in a collector’s edition. From the blistering sands of California’s Mojave Desert to the glittering neon lights of Las Vegas, Marcie Treyhorne sweeps you away into a world of sex and passion in Desert Heat. Marcie’s adventures continue in the mountains of northern Nevada in Cabin Fever. Enter Marcie’s world…if you dare!
To submit your book video for review, send the following information to crowsnest@1stturningpoint.com with VIDEO REVIEW in the Subject line and the following information in the body of the email:
Title
Author
Publisher
ISBN
Buy Link
Release Date
Word Count (40k minimum)
Cover Blurb
YouTube URL of video
Book cover jpg
Thanks so much for reviewing and rating my video book trailer, Kim. I not only appreciate the good things you had to say about it but also the ways that you pointed out to make it an even better trailer!
Kristie Leigh Maguire
You’re welcome! Good luck with the book!
What a great, specific review for all of us still learning this marketing tool, Kim. Thanks!
:}Amber
For when my books come out, good ideas about building trailers. Thank you, Kim.