Did Ernest Hemingway record the world’s first ever book trailer?

Posted by Sherrie Wilkolaski
Published On Sep 27, 2014

by John Warner

Book trailers are all the rage these days, but a recording from the late 1950s suggests Ernest Hemingway might have been the first person to give the medium a try. The 9-minute audio recording was designed to promote his new book Across the River and Into the Trees. Hemingway’s delivery is certainly rather odd and stilted, leading some to suggest he might have had a few drinks before he got started.

The audio was apparently recorded in a bar and is titled, appropriately enough, In Harry’s Bar in Venice. Hemingway rambles somewhat, and perhaps proves that A.E. Hotchner was right when he once claimed Hemingway’s greatest enemy was “the microphone”. The recording has been knocking around for a while and is included on the (now somewhat hard to get hold of) collection Hemingway Reads Hemingway.

Anyone who has been toying with the idea of recording a book trailer, or an introduction of some sort, should take heart from Hemingway’s attempt. It’s far from polished and even in the 1950s must have seemed rather odd and stilted. It’ll be interesting to see if anyone can find a ‘book trailer’ that predates Hemingway’s effort.

This blog post was orignially published at indiebookspot.com.  Infinity Publishing authors and independent authors everywhere should take note, that Hemingway was once an unknown author. Hemingway even has an Amazon Author Central page.  Do you have an Amazon Author page?  Learn more here.  How about a book trailer video? Contact an Author Advocate if you need a book trailer video.  

Topics: book trailer video, ernest hemingway, infinity publishing, book marketing, self publishing, self publishing companies, independent publishing

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