These days’ authors have to take an active role in marketing their books. They can’t expect their publishers and agents to do all the work for them. In addition to blogging heavily, attending book conventions, and creating Facebook groups, authors have also started to use book trailers to generate interest in their books.
There’s several different ways an author can create a book trailer. Some authors have settled for making a video of themselves reading a section of their upcoming release. Other authors have had a great deal of success with using the trailer to answer fan questions. Some of the most successful book trailers have happened when the author made arrangements with a film production company to create a spectacular trailer. These professional productions often involve actors and look like small-scale movie trailers.
When it comes to working with a film production studio to create a book trailer, there’s a few things authors need to keep in mind. The first is the type of readers who will be interested in the novel. If the book is geared towards teenage boys, a scene of the two main characters standing in a field kissing won’t be nearly as effective as the scene with a fight or speeding cars.
When the reader watches the trailer, they should have a strong feel for the book and know who the target readership is, the theme, and the basic plot. All of this needs to be conveyed quite quickly. Most film production teams wait until the publisher has officially released the cover, the colors and theme of which the production team tries to mirror.
The trailer can’t be too long. Readers want to read the book; they don’t want to see an entire movie about it. The best book trailers are under two minutes long. The longer the video, the more important it becomes for the film production team to introduce as much action as possible.
Information that needs to appear at some point during the video includes the title, the author, the release date, and the author’s web address. This information seems to be the most effective when it appears at the end of the trailer.
It’s very important that the film production team never loses sight of the fact that film looks high quality. The lighting needs to be perfect, the image clear, and the concept has to be well developed. With book trailers appearing on author blogs, websites, and even Amazon’s website, it’s more important than ever that they be the best possible quality.
Authors planning to use a book trailer as part of their promotional material shouldn’t wait until the last minute. The film production team should have completed work on the project at least 6 months before the book’s official release date.
The film production Maryland team at Business Name love taking on challenges. Book trailers provide them with the perfect opportunity to be creative.
