Hey Everyone!
I just returned from the most wonderful family vacation ever…a little Disney World time, and a little Hilton Head, SC time. It was busy and crazy and hot and magical and relaxing and full of fantastic family memories made with my husband, my kids, and my parents. Definitely a trip I won’t soon forget! I’m so grateful for these moments because life gets so busy sometimes… and I realize more and more all the time how important it is to spend time with the people most important to you.
I was not able to fit in any writing time at all though, but I did brainstorm a shiny new story idea on the LONG drive home. So that’s something! I also came up with the greatest non- writing idea ever—a new project and I hope you love it as much as I do!
I’m on the hunt for middle grade book trailers! I’ve created something called the Middle Grade Book Trailer Trail where I search for MG book trailers and give them a permanent home here on my website—a go-to place where you can peruse the page and watch them at your leisure .
How awesome is that?!
Many of you know how much I adore book trailers. I just can’t get enough of them. They’re the best way ever to take a peek inside the pages of a book before you actually flip open the cover. I not only love watching them in order to find out what the book is going to be about, but also to see the creative expression behind them. It doesn’t matter to me if they’re created professionally or by the author themselves. It’s just cool to see what type they put together.
Will it be dark and creepy? Will it be sad and heart-wrenching? Will it be light and airy? Will there be real actors or regular kids? Will there be actual illustrations from the book? Will there be a voice recorded over music? Will it look like a Hollywood production or will it look like the author filmed it in the woods behind her house on her phone? It doesn’t really matter to me, because I think they’re all good, in their own way—like a few minutes of book bliss set to music!
I decided to do it because I’ve had a really hard time finding MG book trailers, even on YouTube. It seems as though as soon as an author uploads one, it’s lost into the black hole of a gazillion other videos—which is such a travesty. I mean where are they all? Authors like me spend a lot of time and sometimes money planning, writing, editing, filming, and costuming to create them. We send them out into the world for readers to watch and some do. But then time goes by and well, they disappear. It’s not because they aren’t there anymore, but if a reader doesn’t know to look for your name or your book’s title, they’ll never find it. It’s frustrating because I know that librarians, teachers, parents, kids, and bloggers probably love watching them as much as I do.
So, I’ve taken matters into my own hands.
I’m reaching out to anyone and everyone on social media who is or knows of an author with a middle grade book trailer. (Email me if you are and want yours to be included!) I want to find the latest and greatest in new middle grade books, and then share their book trailers with all with you!
I started with my amazing debut author group, the Electric 18s and they were more than happy to share their trailers with me. Some of these books published earlier this year, and others will be published by the end of the year. But either way, I know you’re going to love them. They are so good! They definitely make me want to go out and buy their books or request them at the library.
I’ll be posting them as I receive them, but the first two are up already. The Mad Wolf’s Daughter (Diane Magras) and The Benefits of Being an Octopus (Ann Braden) are up first and I’ve posted them over on the MG BOOK TRAILER TRAIL page…but if you’re a YouTube kind of person, I’ve also set up a link to my YouTube channel so you can scroll through them one right after the other—like if you’re in a book trailer binging type of mood like I often am!
So click on over and take a peek. Both of these trailers are so good!
I’d love to know what you think of this book trailer hunting adventure. I know I cannot possibly be the only one who loves watching them! So, if you know any young readers, librarians, teachers, parents, or friends who might be interested in learning about new middle grade books this way, please direct them to my site or to my YouTube channel. I want them to be able to watch them too!
That’s it for today, guys. I hope you’re enjoying the summer. Keep writing, reading, and thinking up stories. The world is waiting to read them!
Have a great day…I’m off to search for more MG trailers. If you find any great ones (well, they’re all great actually!) please send them my way. I’d love to watch, and them give them a home right here!
*Hugs*
❤ Jackie
swirl and spark 