Book trailers

One of the odd things about talk and news radio in the NYC market is (was?) the frequency of ads pushing new book releases, usually blockbuster novels. The announcer acts out a passage or reads the dust jacket copy in a dramatic voice. Can a radio buy pay for itself in book sales? I found this media mix baffling.

When I moved to DC, by contrast, the talk and news radio ads were easily understood. There seemed to be just three at the time, in endless rotation: Viagra, Mervis Diamonds, and Hummers. Sounds like a blue joke on the governing class, but it persisted from 2002-2004 and never a book ad have I heard on these airwaves. I don't miss being puzzled.

Savas Beatie is doing book trailers. The idea confuses me as much as radio ads for books. Do they work for you? How? Let me know.

Update, 4/29: Ted Savas explained them as high quality, low cost persistent advertising that provides much more value than a comparable print media ad buy in periodicals.