How to Make a Book Trailer Video

An Author’s Guide to Book Trailer Videos

If you’ve ever watched a movie trailer and have been enticed to see a film based solely on the two-minute teaser, you understand the power of visual storytelling. Books are no different than Hollywood blockbusters, and as an author, you can take your audiobook marketing to the next level with a simple but effective book video trailer that gives audiences an exciting look into your story and generates hype for your book.

What is a Book Trailer Video?

As an author, it may seem daunting to think about creating your own DIY book trailer. But, when it comes down to it, what is a book trailer, really? It’s simply a short, dynamic teaser video of your story that serves as a promotional tool to help you sell more copies of your work. Using visual storytelling techniques, book trailer videos introduce the premise, characters, and tone of your book and aim to create a sense of intrigue to hook audiences and generate sales. In our author’s guide on how to create a book trailer, we’ll show you that you don’t need to be a professional video editor to make a compelling teaser video for your book.

Why Create Book Trailer Videos?

Before we dive into the details, it’s helpful to remember why you’re learning how to make a book trailer in the first place. There are many reasons why creating book trailers is helpful, especially for authors focused on audiobook production. When you make a book trailer, you’re adding a visual element to your marketing toolkit, helping attract a broader audience. Book trailer videos also help audiences create an emotional connection with your story, not only through the use of compelling visuals but also with the addition of soundtracks, sound effects, and narration. When you create a DIY book trailer, you also help your book stand out from the competition since not all books have trailers. Plus, you can’t discount the buzz that’s generated from videos on social media, especially on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, whose algorithms are built for short teasers like book trailers. Take advantage of this and learn how to create a book trailer that will take the Internet by storm.

How to Make a Book Trailer Video – Step by Step:

First, do some initial research. Before getting started on your own book trailer video, watch other book trailers, especially ones for books in your genre, paying attention to how they craft their hooks, how they use imagery, and which moments they choose to include.
Pro Tip: Take screenshots of ideas you like and jot down notes to help guide your creation process later.
Think about your book’s target audience and what they should expect to find in your book. This will help guide the arc of your book trailer.
Make sure you have the equipment you’ll need. Depending on the type of book trailer you want to make, you may need any/all of the following: professional camera, tripod, microphone, editing software, lighting or a light ring.
Write your trailer script.
1. Pay special attention to the hook, which is the critical first few seconds of your trailer that pulls viewers in. It can be an image, an action scene, or a line of text.
  Pro Tip: Think about what is unique or compelling from your story that will create a sense of intrigue with audiences.
2. In addition to the hook, your script should include details on visuals, voiceover narration, sound effects, and music, and should end with a call-to-action to purchase your book.
3. Read the finalized script aloud and time yourself, making sure to keep it under 120 seconds.
Gather your materials.
1. You’ll need your book cover art, visuals (video or still images), background music, and voiceover narration (either from a professional narrator or your self-narrated recording).
2. The following sites can be helpful for putting together DIY book trailers:
  - Stock photos: Unsplash, Pixabay, Canva
  - Stock video: Envato, Pexels
  - Video creation: Animoto, Biteable, Canva
  - Video editing: InVideo, DaVinci Resolve
  - Royalty Free Music: Pixabay, Soundstripe
Use one of the suggested editing software programs mentioned above to create your book trailer.
Add in background music and sound effects.
- Be sure to adjust audio levels so that voice-overs are clear.
Finalize and export your high-quality (1080p or 4k resolution) book video trailer.
Pro Tip: Most software tools allow direct sharing options for YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook, so be sure to take advantage!
Promote and share your book trailer everywhere!

How to Share Your Book Trailer Video With the World:

After you’ve put so much work into creating a captivating trailer, you want to make sure it gets seen. The platforms where you’ll likely see the most success are video-focused social media sites like Instagram (especially in the BookTok community), Facebook, X, and YouTube. However, don’t forget to also share your trailer with your fans via your email newsletter list and on your author website. You can also embed your book trailer video in your book listings on major retailer sites, and you can run your trailer videos as ads on relevant websites and social media for an additional promotional boost.

Elements of Compelling Book Video Trailers:

There are all sorts of book trailer videos, and yours will match the tone and style of your story and intended audience. That being said, if you want to learn how to create a book trailer that will captivate as many people as possible, here are some key elements that all compelling book trailers share:

✓ Hook in the first 5-10 seconds

✓ 30-120 second script; each line serves a purpose

✓ Showcases the plot without revealing too much

✓ Offers a clear indication of the story’s genre & tone

✓ Sets the right mood

✓ Creates intrigue

✓ Creates an emotional connection

✓ Uses intriguing imagery that matches the book’s vibe

✓ Uses music & sound effects to enhance the story

✓ Ends with a clear call to action (how to purchase the book)

Tips for How to Make a Book Trailer That Stands Out

Before you set off to make your book trailer, take some advice from authors who have been there before. These tips for how to create a book trailer will hopefully make the process less daunting and will encourage you to make the most of this powerful book marketing tool.

Tip #1: Use a storyboard to visually plan each scene. A storyboard is basically a comic book-like series of panels that illustrates the key moments and actions in your trailer.

Tip #2: Make visuals vibrant and exciting, but keep it simple. Use color to bring appeal, but remember that you can convey a lot with even just a few visuals. Leave the rest to the audience’s imagination!

Tip #3: Be sure your audio choices enhance and don’t detract from the story. Choose a soundtrack that complements your storyline and select sound effects that add to the experience.

Tip #4: If you have quotes from advanced reviews of your book, incorporate those in the book trailer to generate more buzz.

Tip #5: Create a great hook by using a compelling quote from the book, posing an intriguing question, or showing your protagonist in a high-stakes situation.

Tip #6: End with a cliffhanger to create intrigue and suspense.

Tip #7: If you use stock images or videos, be sure they are royalty-free. If not, you will need to pay to use them.

Tip #8: Create your book trailer video in multiple formats to maximize shareability across different platforms; this includes a landscape format for YouTube and your author website, a square format for social media, and a vertical format for Instagram reels, TikTok, and Facebook.

Final Thoughts on Book Trailers

It may seem daunting to create your own book trailer, but with the help of video editing tools, stock imagery, and some guidance we’ve shared here, you can make a DIY book trailer that captivates your core audience, draws in new readers, and helps you sell more copies of your book – which in the end is what it’s all about.