Why Do I Do Book Trailers?

I am an avid music lover, so it just makes sense to have a book trailer for each title I release. Television commercials are used nonstop for different products, so why not books? We are a very visual society. I say that based on the power of the book cover (which is another post by itself). However, once I found out the going price of a professional trailer, I quickly realized it wasn't in my budget. I then did some research. (If I can't climb the mountain, I'll go around it thinking!) I watched some tutorials, learned the basics, and downloaded video creator software on my laptop.

To this day, I have created six trailers and I'm hooked. I love the idea of presenting my books, in my own way, to the reader. Should trailers be your only avenue for marketing? Absolutely not! It takes a mix of old and new to reach today's reader, but trailers allow me another way to express myself and my books. I see my stories as exciting, action-packed, and full of romance, so that's how I want them to come across.

Here's a few tips I've learned along the way: There are plenty of free image as well as video segment download sites, trailers shouldn't be longer than two minutes or you run the chance of losing your watcher/reader's interest, and music has copyright/licensing rules just like anything else, so be very careful. You don't want to be a bestseller only to have a portion of your royalties seized by a music artist. This goes for any product you are trying to sell. Most video software comes with several music selections for a reason, so use them. There are also royalty-free music sites to find that perfect tune!

I do not use voice overs in my trailers. Although I have no problem with them, I made the decision based on who I'm trying to reach, or my audience-the romance reader. The key word in the previous sentence is "reader." A professional voice also costs more money!

These are just a few tips I've learned along the way in the creation process. I find the end result highly satisfying and it has become a regular part of my marketing campaign for each book. I cannot say if book trailers increase sales, but they have increased interest. I've also received some positive feedback because of them. I am by no way an expert on book trailers, but I'm learning as I go, and wanted to share the things I've learned. Good luck if you decide to go for it and please share any tips!

Here's my YouTube link if you're curious!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1CwONvZkbiKG2MS4Ygiqvg?view_as=subscriber