This is super interesting! From an author's perspective, whenever I see a book trailer that has been well made, I think 'Oh, this author has a budget behind them' and rightly or wrongly, it's likely to spike my interest. On an algorithm point of view, trailers are more likely to reach eyes, right, generally speaking? I really like the ones where the cover design has lots of little details and the trailer brings them all together, so I guess it's turning something static into an experience that is interesting, in the same vein as artists who film their paintings coming together.
I come from a background in visuals and video, so it was a natural fit for me to have a book trailer. Will it move the needle on sales? Probably not, but since the novel is a middle-grade fantasy, it's definitely worth showing at school presentations and in-store signings. How to Kidnap a Mermaid will be published on August 20th (as will the trailer) but here's a sneak peek: https://vimeo.com/995732068/5ef6fee8cb?share=copy
Thank you! I have a friend who’s an amazing artist and animator, and we did a skill swap. I created a video for his business and he created a trailer for my book. It was a wonderful way for the both of us to get high quality content with no money changing hands. For my trailer, he used a combination of Adobe After Effects and 3D animation software.
I also have been around long enough to remember the early days of book trailers, and produced/contributed to a few $$$ of them that I'm proud of that got lots of views, and... probably didn't sell many books on their own.
I've noticed that the Trailer of the Day in PW is most often from small houses and self-produced. Bless.
But, while old-school trailers aren't what they once were (if they ever were) the core strategy is still sound
- Create compelling video content that supports your book
- Have a plan and platform to promote it
- Use it to create a connection between the creator and their audience
- Fun, funny, quirky is just as effective as a slick production
- Put the appropriate amount of effort into it. (I used to say, "Is the juice worth the squeeze?" around the office all of the time. A trailer/piece of video content is a fine addition to the toolbox, but don't squeeze too hard)
Isn't it amazing? The author worked in advertising and called in some favors. TRIVIA: The original name of the book was "Maggie Meatloaf" and I made them change it.
Ha ha ha Maggie Meatloaf. MORE TRIVIA: I was getting review copies of books at that time, and after I emailed you telling you that it was my favorite book of the year, you sent me a MAGGIE MAYFIELD FOR PRESIDENT pin which I still have on my bag.
I did create some simple book trailers years ago for my two “Gidion Keep, Vampire Hunter” novels (for the second one, I did four!), but when my adult fantasy novel WEST OF APOCALYPSE came out last year, I didn’t bother with it. The most I did was create some minimalist graphics to do a six day countdown to the book’s release. I used to play the trailers on my laptop (and now my iPad) when I’m at a table selling my books, but these days, I simply let my iPad run through a montage of the graphics I created for the trailers and the countdown for WoA. I find their real use is at these events, because the moving images draws the attention of passersby and creates an opportunity for eye contact and then conversation that can lead to selling a book.
I'm planning to make one myself for the book I'm writing now that'll come out next year. I'm not doing it because I think it'll be a great marketing tool, I just think it'll be fun and I want to do it. I made for my first book and enjoyed it. What is interesting is that now TikTok exists. So I'll probably cut one for YouTube and a shorter one for TikTok. I'm still trying to think of a series of videos for TikTok, and that'll be one of them.
So I think it's worth having even if it doesn't make a huge difference. What that means for anybody else is, if you have the ability (and my ability is to be sure DIY) then go ahead and do it, if you don't or don't want to, don't it's not going to hurt you.
Right. I think it's fine if you temper your expectations. This is more about publishers spending money on them when there are other things they could pay for.
I always make a book trailer, mostly because it's a tangible thing I can do in those anxious weeks before a book comes out, and also because I truly like doing them. I like doing something immersive and creative for a book that I haven't been creatively immersed in for years. I don't count on them to sell books, but view them as a fun promotional thing I can do. If I hated doing them, it wouldn't be worth it! But I went to a farm for my last one, since it was a farm book (https://youtu.be/-aFS8f3OB-U?feature=shared) and I'm interviewing dogs at the animal shelter for my next one. (Huh, maybe I just use them as an excuse to meet animals?)
I’ve only seen one book trailer. They clearly worked hard on it, and yet… it was cringe-inducing. It featured the author talking about his book, and he came off as just trying too hard to seem cool and mysterious. I had already bought the book and was excited to read it (and it was very good). But the trailer instilled doubts that hadn’t existed before. My take-away is that book trailers probably don’t help much; in fact, they can actually hurt.
I'm just waiting for my final book trailer to be completed by Book Brush. I will use it to create some buzz on my limited social media platform. In additional based on Bill's idea, I will have it playing at my book events. For me as a debut author with an independent publisher, I thought it lends credibility to my marketing efforts.
I actually made two book trailers (DIY stop motion animation) for authors from Seal Press! It was years ago - maybe 2013 ish? And I do think they, esp the first one, helped build some buzz for the books. But that was before the rise of instagram and TikTok and I can’t imagine them having the same impact now, sadly.
I'm not a video person (I like to read!) but my spouse loves video and he definitely will watch a book trailer. They are less splashy than a movie trailer of course, but I do think in this era of Instagram reels and Tiktoks that a short form video content does have its audience. The issue then becomes more about cost and effort. There are already so many things that an author may be tasked with doing or coordinating with their publicist that I can see something like a book trailer being somewhat low priority. That said, a friend of mine who consults on Amazon ads notes that the video ads (which use book trailers) are doing well right now.
When my last book came out instead of doing a trailer, I did a mini documentary. I find that book trailers tend to be not as well received as they were years ago and a longer tail social media strategy using reels is better these days due to people’s attention span.
I know one author who believes her book trailer made a significant difference in preorders (she got over 1000!) - but she is the only one. I completely agree that for most people, the juice isn't worth the squeeze! We decided not to do one for the launch of HUNGRY AUTHORS.
I’m cutting a trailer for my upcoming release, but because the story is about my adventures producing indie films in the 90’s and 00’s, I get to include some fun video from behind-the-scenes. The plan is to use it as a marketing tool to attract more podcasts etc - people might be more inclined to click on a 3 min trailer link than read 3 paras.
Sometimes they are worth it. Most of the time they're kind of boring with bad music. I do like the Christine Feehan trailers for her Shadow series. But to be fair, I would buy these books with or without a trailer.
THANK YOU. Someone said it. I remember the original tizzy about book trailers, and everyone "had to have one" but honestly, it'd be a rare day when any of those YouTube videos had more than a handful of views. To me, this "strategy" was just another way for writers to get themselves out there (and another source of marketing anxiety), but of all the available tools in the toolbox, it has never made much sense to me. Especially now in the video landscape that's dominated by TikTok and Reels. I have never advised an author to go all out for a book trailer.
This is super interesting! From an author's perspective, whenever I see a book trailer that has been well made, I think 'Oh, this author has a budget behind them' and rightly or wrongly, it's likely to spike my interest. On an algorithm point of view, trailers are more likely to reach eyes, right, generally speaking? I really like the ones where the cover design has lots of little details and the trailer brings them all together, so I guess it's turning something static into an experience that is interesting, in the same vein as artists who film their paintings coming together.
I come from a background in visuals and video, so it was a natural fit for me to have a book trailer. Will it move the needle on sales? Probably not, but since the novel is a middle-grade fantasy, it's definitely worth showing at school presentations and in-store signings. How to Kidnap a Mermaid will be published on August 20th (as will the trailer) but here's a sneak peek: https://vimeo.com/995732068/5ef6fee8cb?share=copy
Okay that was really amazing!
That was really great, Andy
What a fun trailer! I was curious what app you used to make it with. :)
Thank you! I have a friend who’s an amazing artist and animator, and we did a skill swap. I created a video for his business and he created a trailer for my book. It was a wonderful way for the both of us to get high quality content with no money changing hands. For my trailer, he used a combination of Adobe After Effects and 3D animation software.
What a great idea to do a skill swap! And thanks for letting me know about the software.
The visuals are spectacular! I couldn't hear any sound. Will there be music and a voiceover?
Yup! Just music…I need to find something adventurous.
I also have been around long enough to remember the early days of book trailers, and produced/contributed to a few $$$ of them that I'm proud of that got lots of views, and... probably didn't sell many books on their own.
I've noticed that the Trailer of the Day in PW is most often from small houses and self-produced. Bless.
But, while old-school trailers aren't what they once were (if they ever were) the core strategy is still sound
- Create compelling video content that supports your book
- Have a plan and platform to promote it
- Use it to create a connection between the creator and their audience
- Fun, funny, quirky is just as effective as a slick production
- Put the appropriate amount of effort into it. (I used to say, "Is the juice worth the squeeze?" around the office all of the time. A trailer/piece of video content is a fine addition to the toolbox, but don't squeeze too hard)
A few of the ones I worked on back in the day...
Press Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj81KC-Gm64
Chloe Instead
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTCibnoCndk
The Meaning of Maggie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxxRdVbByTE
Ivy & Bean: Doomed to Dance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke-Sx-AYxcc
Wow, Lara, these are fantastic. I used to give my daughter Press Here when she was little!
I STILL think about The Meaning of Maggie trailer and how great it is, years after seeing it.
Isn't it amazing? The author worked in advertising and called in some favors. TRIVIA: The original name of the book was "Maggie Meatloaf" and I made them change it.
Ha ha ha Maggie Meatloaf. MORE TRIVIA: I was getting review copies of books at that time, and after I emailed you telling you that it was my favorite book of the year, you sent me a MAGGIE MAYFIELD FOR PRESIDENT pin which I still have on my bag.
These are great! I used to read Press Here to my son when he was little. I love that book.
Thank you! Press Here really is magic!
I did create some simple book trailers years ago for my two “Gidion Keep, Vampire Hunter” novels (for the second one, I did four!), but when my adult fantasy novel WEST OF APOCALYPSE came out last year, I didn’t bother with it. The most I did was create some minimalist graphics to do a six day countdown to the book’s release. I used to play the trailers on my laptop (and now my iPad) when I’m at a table selling my books, but these days, I simply let my iPad run through a montage of the graphics I created for the trailers and the countdown for WoA. I find their real use is at these events, because the moving images draws the attention of passersby and creates an opportunity for eye contact and then conversation that can lead to selling a book.
What a great idea to have the trailer playing at my table. I hadn't thought of that.
I'm planning to make one myself for the book I'm writing now that'll come out next year. I'm not doing it because I think it'll be a great marketing tool, I just think it'll be fun and I want to do it. I made for my first book and enjoyed it. What is interesting is that now TikTok exists. So I'll probably cut one for YouTube and a shorter one for TikTok. I'm still trying to think of a series of videos for TikTok, and that'll be one of them.
So I think it's worth having even if it doesn't make a huge difference. What that means for anybody else is, if you have the ability (and my ability is to be sure DIY) then go ahead and do it, if you don't or don't want to, don't it's not going to hurt you.
Right. I think it's fine if you temper your expectations. This is more about publishers spending money on them when there are other things they could pay for.
I always make a book trailer, mostly because it's a tangible thing I can do in those anxious weeks before a book comes out, and also because I truly like doing them. I like doing something immersive and creative for a book that I haven't been creatively immersed in for years. I don't count on them to sell books, but view them as a fun promotional thing I can do. If I hated doing them, it wouldn't be worth it! But I went to a farm for my last one, since it was a farm book (https://youtu.be/-aFS8f3OB-U?feature=shared) and I'm interviewing dogs at the animal shelter for my next one. (Huh, maybe I just use them as an excuse to meet animals?)
I loved this! I could totally see it on TikTok.
Thank you! (I think? I still don't understand TikTok. Ha, wait, yes, thank you.)
I’ve only seen one book trailer. They clearly worked hard on it, and yet… it was cringe-inducing. It featured the author talking about his book, and he came off as just trying too hard to seem cool and mysterious. I had already bought the book and was excited to read it (and it was very good). But the trailer instilled doubts that hadn’t existed before. My take-away is that book trailers probably don’t help much; in fact, they can actually hurt.
I've seen ones like that, too. They are a mistake IMO.
Weirdly, I can't remember any book trailer I've ever seen---so I guess my answer would be no.
I'm just waiting for my final book trailer to be completed by Book Brush. I will use it to create some buzz on my limited social media platform. In additional based on Bill's idea, I will have it playing at my book events. For me as a debut author with an independent publisher, I thought it lends credibility to my marketing efforts.
I wouldn't say you need it to add credibility to your marketing efforts, but it does add to your branding.
I actually made two book trailers (DIY stop motion animation) for authors from Seal Press! It was years ago - maybe 2013 ish? And I do think they, esp the first one, helped build some buzz for the books. But that was before the rise of instagram and TikTok and I can’t imagine them having the same impact now, sadly.
We are in such a different time now!
I'm not a video person (I like to read!) but my spouse loves video and he definitely will watch a book trailer. They are less splashy than a movie trailer of course, but I do think in this era of Instagram reels and Tiktoks that a short form video content does have its audience. The issue then becomes more about cost and effort. There are already so many things that an author may be tasked with doing or coordinating with their publicist that I can see something like a book trailer being somewhat low priority. That said, a friend of mine who consults on Amazon ads notes that the video ads (which use book trailers) are doing well right now.
When my last book came out instead of doing a trailer, I did a mini documentary. I find that book trailers tend to be not as well received as they were years ago and a longer tail social media strategy using reels is better these days due to people’s attention span.
I know one author who believes her book trailer made a significant difference in preorders (she got over 1000!) - but she is the only one. I completely agree that for most people, the juice isn't worth the squeeze! We decided not to do one for the launch of HUNGRY AUTHORS.
I’m cutting a trailer for my upcoming release, but because the story is about my adventures producing indie films in the 90’s and 00’s, I get to include some fun video from behind-the-scenes. The plan is to use it as a marketing tool to attract more podcasts etc - people might be more inclined to click on a 3 min trailer link than read 3 paras.
Sometimes they are worth it. Most of the time they're kind of boring with bad music. I do like the Christine Feehan trailers for her Shadow series. But to be fair, I would buy these books with or without a trailer.
THANK YOU. Someone said it. I remember the original tizzy about book trailers, and everyone "had to have one" but honestly, it'd be a rare day when any of those YouTube videos had more than a handful of views. To me, this "strategy" was just another way for writers to get themselves out there (and another source of marketing anxiety), but of all the available tools in the toolbox, it has never made much sense to me. Especially now in the video landscape that's dominated by TikTok and Reels. I have never advised an author to go all out for a book trailer.