Creating a Book Trailer

If you are an author with a book in the works, chances are you have considered creating a book trailer. You might be wondering if it's worth the time and effort, and if you are tech-savvy enough to create one.

There are several good reasons to consider creating a trailer.

• A book trailer provides yet another media outlet to share your book
• It generates interest for pre-orders
• It's a good way to develop description. 
• You can embed your video on most web sites and blogs.

If you decide to take a shot at creating your own book trailer, you will need a good slideshow program. I used Adobe Elements 8. I would have used Adobe Premier 12, but it crashed both of my computers, 8 is easier to use, but Premier 12 has more options and creates a better product in the end. Please note: This is not a tutorial on how to actually create the slideshow with your program. Each program will be different and you should consult that program's guide.

You will also need to join Youtube and create your own channel. This is free and only takes a few moments.

1. Write down what you want your trailer to convey. Think of it as a back of the book blurb mixed with movie trailer. What emotions do you want to invoke? How can you get people interested in reading? 
2. Choose the music you want for your trailer. This isn't as easy as you might think. You can't just grab a song from the top 20 chart to use, you risk getting your video banned from Youtube. I found this site for free music: http://freemusicarchive.org/ but be sure you check the license information for each song. At the very least, you should give the artist credit at the end of the slideshow.
3. Choose the photos you want to place with each line of text. You can use your book cover, photos you have personally taken, or photos with Creative Commons licenses. This is a good resource: http://www.morguefile.com/. Again, always check for licenses and give credit where credit is due.
4. Make sure you always include where to purchase the book and information on when the book will be out.
5. Play your slideshow through several times to check for clarity and flow. Make sure each slide lasts long enough for relevant text to be read. 
6. Add tags to your Youtube video relevant to the book, such a genre and subject.
7. Share your trailer! Post on Facebook, your blog, website, and forums!