The publishing world has changed a lot in the last couple decades. From the introduction of e-readers, and the migration of books to digital, and the rebirth of audiobooks in that new format, plus a tsunami of indie authors, the changes have come fast and furious.

For the indie author, promoting your book can be intimidating.

How do you stand out in the digital crowd? Content comes at light speed, and attention spans are short. And there are a great many authors on the scene, whether in your genre or others. 

One of the better ways to promote your opus is in a video book trailer. Is it going to take time, and maybe some money to make? Sure, but this is a great method to connect the storied medium of writing with your modern age reader. The more crowded the marketplace gets, the more of a challenge it is to snare someone’s attention.

SIX REASONS TO USE VIDEO TO MARKET YOUR BOOK

You may hesitate with this idea because of course one of your best tools is the imagination of a reader. Wouldn’t a video spoil that? The possibility of that should be weighed against the potential benefits. And you’re in complete control over the type and style of the video–you don’t have to make this look like a movie trailer and show direct action from the story! This could be you reading from or talking about the book, video clips, illustrations or anything at all to connect your story to the eyes and ears of the reader. Below are six reasons to make yourself a trailer for this or any of your stories.

1. Video is everywhere: The statistics back it up, video is the format of the now. By adding visual stimulation to your promotion package in the form of a video you’re increasing your findable links, and also giving people an easy way to make a connection with your work on more than one level. Statistically, people are more likely to purchase something after watching a video, and most people will watch a video to help them make a decision if one is available.
2. Professional quality says great things about you: Making a good trailer will give other people a great first impression of you as an author and about your work in general. (in addition to the specific book, of course.) We all know how important those initial impressions are and how people are prone to make very quick judgements based on what they see and hear. The number of seconds people will stay on a piece of content is shrinking every year it seems, and you want to put your best video forward to catch those eyeballs. With professional editing and voicing, your work will stand out far more clearly in the sea of content. There are far more bad book trailers than good ones, and making professional choices is just as important for your editing and cover art as it is for this. 
3. Easily shareable: “Going viral” is a dream of any content producer, but it’s far easier for people to share a video than a pdf or copy paste from a blurb. Most people these days browse on their phones and video sharing is just a couple taps away through all the social networks that the viewer is a part of. For email lists, most programs offer share buttons as a feature when you send out the new content to make sure you make it as easy as possible for your readers.
4. Improves your website: People tend to stay on webpages longer when they have videos available. Not only can these videos benefit your current book, but are also a great addition to the permanent landscape of your website. However you choose to feature them, these videos can only help you long term.
5. Text doesn’t always work with mobile browsers: Since most people are on mobile these days, it’s important to remember that whatever you choose to display needs to be as easy as possible for them to see. Sometimes the different ways that websites display on mobile browsers can render your text too small, distorted, or otherwise difficult to read. There are a lot of ways to view the internet on your phone, and they can all alter your text. Frustration and those short attention spans then kick in. And when people are frustrated, they’re a lot more likely to choose to move onto the next thing, no matter how good your book is. 
6. It’s forever: you can’t really know how much ROI or conversions will happen with this video, but the more good stuff you put out there, the bigger your online “footprint” will be, and the more find-able, and noticeable you will be. Someone who comes upon an author with a stable of well produced clear videos is going to get a great impression of that author and have lots of good stuff to choose from. Plus, it’s easy to find an earlier video later, and have something that didn’t strike a chord the first time swing around and make a much bigger impact later.

HOW TO MAKE A BOOK TRAILER

So if you wanted to make a trailer, how would you go about it? Here are a couple bedrock level tips to get you started on your journey.

• Target audience: Authors are often told to think about their ideal reader, their target audience. This is important for videos as well. You may be able to pull in a slightly different segment of the population with a video than with a blurb, and consider how that can possibly impact and benefit your reach. 
• Length: Keep it short and sweet. The longer the trailer the more likely someone is to page away in the middle of it. 60-90 seconds is ideal. It might be hard to make your trailer bite sized, but it’s important to consider the viewer as the most important part of this equation and what they’re most likely to look at and enjoy. 
• Call to action: Like in all sales pitches, you need to encourage people to take that next step when they finish your video. Make sure you include a clear direction for your viewers to move in, and leave them excited for your book! With accompanying text you can include your websites, other books, email sign ups, and anything else you’d like to connect your viewer to. 
• Medium change: Keep in mind there is a distinct difference between the movie trailer idea and a book trailer. Movie trailers are showing a small piece of the whole, building up anticipation for the later viewing, whereas book trailers don’t necessarily have to do so. More important is showcasing a glimpse into your book and creating a standalone piece of enticing art. You don’t have to build up to something suspenseful, you can hook your viewer right at the start, and let them get a feel for you and the worlds that you create. You can share as much or as little of the actual content as you want, but the sense of anticipation and interest you can pique is unlimited. 

The single most important benefit of a book trailer is increasing your digital footprint. No matter how well the individual video does, you’re increasing your visibility in a crowded, complex, and constantly changing  marketplace.