| Book trailers are one of the newest promotional | | | | good timing-almost an acting skill. Many book trailers |
| tools on the book marketing scene. Like a movie | | | | rely only on text that appears across the photos or |
| trailer or TV commercial, it provides an audiovisual | | | | video clips to narrate the video, but voice narration |
| bite to entice an audience to your product. Once | | | | can be more powerful. You may do the narration |
| made, your booktrailer can be loaded onto YouTube, | | | | yourself or enlist the help of a friend with a good |
| MySpace or onto your own website. Put a link to it in | | | | reading voice. Use a script. Whether using text or |
| your blog and in your email signature. Dorothy | | | | voice narration, have music playing in the background. |
| Thompson, author and book marketing expert, says, | | | | Remember, a book trailer is a commercial endeavor |
| "One thing we all must keep in mind when marketing | | | | and you must generally pay royalties for music used |
| our books is that visual sells." | | | | unless you have created it yourself. Search online for |
| To create a good book trailer, keep the trailer short | | | | sites offering royalty free music or music in the public |
| (one to two minutes), somewhat dramatic, and just | | | | domain. Likewise, search for free stock images or |
| hint at the characters and plot so that viewers will be | | | | royalty-free photos, or get written permission from |
| intrigued enough to visit your website, which will | | | | photographers. |
| hopefully create a sale for you. Unlike with movie | | | | MS Windows comes with a free, easy-to-use |
| trailers, book readers may prefer not to be shown | | | | program called Windows Movie Maker. Search for it in |
| clear photos of a novel's characters, particularly | | | | your Programs list. Movie Maker has a nice Help |
| faces, as they may enjoy envisioning the characters | | | | function to assist you in learning the ropes. By |
| themselves through the written words. Other readers | | | | importing still photos (at low resolution for web |
| don't seem to mind. Some readers like to hear or see | | | | viewing), mp3 audio files, or video loaded from your |
| a few snippets of the actual text, although it may be | | | | own digital videocam, all using simple click and drag, |
| difficult to find a short bit of text that is meaningful | | | | you can create your own movie clip. Using Movie |
| on its own; in any case, the book trailer should lead | | | | Maker's tools, you can choose from various |
| viewers to your website and the excerpts there | | | | transitions between photos and from different |
| (you DO have excerpts, don't you?). It may take a | | | | effects-just don't overwhelm your audience using all |
| little more creativity to make an exciting book trailer | | | | the effects you can. You may add text and |
| for a nonfiction book; the key will be to tell the | | | | narration, titles and credits. Be sure to include a photo |
| viewer why he needs the book and what makes it | | | | of the cover of your book near the beginning and |
| special without getting too detailed. With any type of | | | | the end of your video. |
| book, all photos should relate to the book and should | | | | Hiring a company to create a trailer for you is |
| generally play for at least five seconds, long enough | | | | expensive, but generally gets you a |
| to register with viewers and to allow the narrator | | | | professional-looking product. You must decide if it is |
| time to speak through it. | | | | worth the price. By viewing other trailers and taking |
| All book trailers need audio to help capture the spirit | | | | notes of what you liked and what you didn't, you |
| of the book. You may add music or narration, | | | | can create your own trailer with a little research and |
| preferably both. Narration requires a calm, firm voice | | | | a little practice on Windows Movie Maker. Don't be |
| in an appropriate tone for the book, and it requires | | | | surprised if you love the experience. |