Book Trailers for Readers

The Internet makes finding readers for your book more accessible. Various platforms can be used in a marketing strategy to spread the word about your new manuscript. One of those platforms is creating book trailers for readers. A book trailer is a 30 second commercial for your book that you can promote to social media, video platforms and use on the sites that sell your book. Since authors are responsible for their marketing, you can include this tool in your campaign. These trailers are used to entice your readers to purchase their copies now, so the video needs to be interesting. There are professional programs and individually licensed software that you can purchase such as iMaker to create your book’s trailer. Book trailers have to be produced well enough to keep the reader’s attention and inspire them enough to buy the book. The video should include a distinctive aspect that will lift your reader’s eyebrows. The standard length of these videos is thirty seconds. You can include music, and there are several websites that make royalty free music available. Putting these three elements together in a way that holds your audience’s attention is time-consuming. Depending on your time and budget, this marketing activity may require some training on your part or hiring someone with these skills. When your video is complete, it is time to promote it. You will upload this video file to your website, social media and video platforms. Add your book trailer if possible to all the sites that you use to sell your book. If you have speaking engagements, ask if you can play your book trailer at the event. Just as a movie trailer, book trailers can stir emotion and excitement in readers, so they are moved to purchase the book. In addition to Amazon and websites such as Goodreads, these videos, give authors another tool to connect with readers. Two benefits of book trailers are that:

• they help authors connect with their readers through visual media
• they can increase visibility about your book using a popular tool that can go viral

Once you release content on the Internet, it can have a life of its own. For this reason, use these beginning steps to communicate the benefits of reading your book with video. Whether it is funny, romantic or, a sci-fi novel, demonstrate a hint of your manuscript’s unique character to your readers with this tool.