HarperCollins is sponsoring a contest for the best video book trailer that promotes Elmore Leonard's forthcoming novel Road Dogs. The publisher is seeking a video between thirty seconds and two minutes "that captures the spirit" of the novel. "It should have intrigue, edge, and energy." And, of course, it shouldn't give away the ending, which is why HarperCollins has made only the first eight chapters of the book available to readers on Entertainment Weekly's Web site. The novel is being published by HarperCollins next month.
The winner will receive an Amazon Kindle loaded with all of Leanord's books, including nearly forty novels dating back to the early 1950s, and a signed copy of Road Dogs. Four runners-up will also receive a copy of the new book. The winning video will be featured on the Web sites of the publisher, author, and Entertainment Weekly.
The deadline is May 1. For more information, visit the HarperCollins Web site; for tips on how to use video as a promotional tool, read Sarah Weinman's article "Book Trailers: The Key to Successful Video Marketing" in the November/December 2008 issue of Poets & Writers Magazine.
