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2010 Moby Awards

Tonight in Manhattan,  the best and worst book trailers produced in the last year will be honored at the first annual Moby Awards.

Book trailers are a relatively new way for publishers to advertise their most recent titles, and they are what they sound like -- a movie trailer for a literary work.

Jason Boog edits Mediabistro's GalleyCat blog on the publishing industry, and he's one of the judges of Thursday’s contest.

“I think its a really cool way for the author to make visual contact with their readers,” Boog said. “My hope is that someday the extra interviews and other kooky things that authors are creating to support their books can actually be included inside the book, like DVD extras inside of a digital book.”

Moby prizes are awarded in the following categories: Best Big Budget Book Trailer; Best Low Budget Book Trailer; Best Cameo in a Book Trailer; Best Author Appearance in a Book Trailer; and Trailer Least Likely to Actually Sell the Book.

Here are a few nominees:

Best Cameo In A Book Trailer: Zach Galifinakis interviews John Wray about LOWBOY.

Best Low Budget / Indie Book Trailer: Jeff Somers' THE ELECTRIC CHURCH.

Best Performance By An Author: Thomas Pinchon's voice in INHERENT VICE.