Book trailers are mechanically related to film and television teasers, providing an excellent platform for promoting your book.
They aim to persuade the audience to purchase and use a product personally.
However, unlike film trailers, which create the expectations of millions of viewers months in advance, that sensation and scale of universal joyful excitement are uncommon in the world of books.
However, the fact that most book trailers are incorrect may have much to do with it.
It’s not only that they don’t successfully communicate their marketing message.
Some people do. However, book trailers are seldom well-produced or developed, and as a result, they come off as uncomfortable low-budget snippets.
The good news is that several high-level, professional film firms specialize in creating fantastic book trailers these days.
So, today, we’re following in their footsteps and finding out how to build book trailers that sparkle!
Whereas Many Book Trailers Fail
Let’s be clear: Even if some excellent book trailers are available, consumers aren’t accustomed to looking for them. They don’t expect them to exist!
Another prevalent problem with many book trailers is their idea and execution. You should first realize that book trailers may learn much from their movie counterparts, but their objectives differ!
Book Trailers are designed to promote a concept rather than a commodity.
That will be explained when we look at how to manage them properly. But, for the time being, we must abandon the assumption that trailers are just a kind of advertising!
How do you make a book trailer?
We’re all aware that book trailers are the newest craze. They increase book sales, impress publishers (if they seem professional), and connect with audiences (especially young audiences).
However, if you don’t create them yourself, the cost of $200 and higher is difficult to justify. It doesn’t matter whether you end up hiring an expert or not; the more you plan, the less it will cost you.
- Remove the desire to create a movie trailer from your head. The end outcome will always seem unprofessional (even if you enlist the help of your nephew, who majored in the film).
Seeking a would be beneficial reachable aesthetic.
The nature of this aesthetic will vary depending on your work, your readership, and the skill set you (or those aiding you) have to draw on, but the first step is to articulate it clearly to yourself.
Your book trailer should be simple and attractive rather than opulent and tacky. The more visual, audio, and verbal aspects you provide, the more likely your trailer will be chaos. Although your book is a novel, your trailer should be poetry.
- Work on the writing. Don’t rely just on the jacket copy. We absorb text considerably differently when we watch a movie than when we browse a bookshop.
The hand must be significantly pared down, crystal clear, and deliberately connected with the images.
- I don’t think you have to describe the story. It may be okay to relate the tale (depending on the book and target audience), but consider a more impressionistic approach that expresses the book’s style while merely hinting at plot details.
- Using amateur/non-actors to portray your characters might lead to problems. You don’t want your protagonist’s rich psyche to be prosaic with lousy acting and shooting.
Using actors may also choke creative space (illustrated images are less likely to cause this problem).
If you utilize photographs, make sure they don’t reveal people, don’t show genuine characters, or don’t display the actual characters’ faces too clearly.
- Make your book cover, blurbs, and publisher information shown after the trailer rather than scattered throughout. Separate from the promotional stuff, have the meat of your trailer be an evocation of the book itself.
GENERATING THE STORY FOR YOUR BOOK TRAILER
You already know how to tell a good tale if you’re making a book trailer for one of your books.
So, before you begin creating your film, make some notes regarding the plot of your book trailer.
- There ought to be an introduction, body, and conclusion. “A book trailer, like a movie trailer, requires a plot,” the author explains.
Set the scene by introducing characters, then add a twist and let readers know where they can purchase your book.
- Be succinct. Keep your book trailer brief to capture and retain the interest of viewers.
We recommend that you keep your trailer under a minute long. If you’re creating a screenplay, leave out everything but what’s necessary to convey your tale.
- Match your book’s tone. The style of your book trailer should be consistent with the kind of your book.
Consider the what-you-see-is-what-you-get method. People should not feel distant from your writing and the promotional elements you utilize.
Can you make a book in PowerPoint?
A book is a collection of paper sheets usually bound together at one end and encased in a cover with printing and text.
Microsoft PowerPoint is presentation software.
What if a user wishes to display their exhibition in PowerPoint utilizing a book?
This may seem strange, but you can create a book with Powerpoint! So, when does it become superior to Word?
Determine the kind of book you are creating.
For those of you who learn best via visuals, create a book with numerous photos, write in style, and make it enjoyable, Powerpoint is the most incredible tool for you.
- Are you looking for a decent cover? Worry no more since you can also insert and rearrange photos without affecting the formatting of your text.
- Text can be moved about in the same manner that images can.
- Write and design simultaneously.
- You have the option of saving it in PDF format.
Note: Powerpoint isn’t the way to go if you create a text-heavy book.
Your content will not “flow” to the next page. Instead, you can only create inside the page, and each formatting is carried over to the next.
The Fundamentals of Starting a Book
1. Start up Microsoft Powerpoint. It will begin with a Title Page in landscape mode.
2. The first step is to modify the paper arrangement. Everything is accessible through the menu bar. Page Setup > Design A new window will appear.
Select Letter Paper or A4 from the drop-down menu; Slides sized for (depends on you).
Tick Portrait in addition to Orientation. Select OK.
3. It is best to begin with, a blank page. Blank > Home > Layout
4. You may begin working immediately. Go to Insert in the menu bar to discover a variety of choices to work with.
Picture – will take you to your gallery. You may save specific photographs from the internet.
The clip art is a kind of picture that Microsoft keeps on hand.
If you have downloaded specific clip art extension files, your collection will be different: arrows, lines, callouts, flowcharts, stars, and banners – forms of various sizes.
Begin with the cursor and drag to the desired length.
You may later adjust it and modify the colors by going to Drawing Tools > Format.
Insert a text box and press the Enter key. You may begin writing your book.
Header & Footer – Use this to place labels such as the book’s title in the header and pages in the footer.
Wordart – This section contains typical word designs in primary forms that may be colored
5. Go to the left side of the window for consistency, and if you want the following page to be the same as the previous one.
Duplicate the slide you wish to duplicate by left-clicking it. Another method is to tick the decrease, copy, and paste (Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V).
6. To begin working on the following page, go to Insert > New Slide.
7. Remember to save your work! Towards the top left of the pane, click the Office button. A drop-down menu will appear.
If you wish to modify your book, save it as Microsoft Powerpoint and return to it later.
If you’re done with it and need to publish it immediately, pick Save As > PDF or XPS.
Please remember that an Adobe extension must be downloaded to your computer. Because you may swap file formats offline, converting files online will save you time and work.
To avoid losing your progress, save your file now in two forms. First as a Microsoft Powerpoint presentation, then as a PDF.
8. To publish your e-book online, choose a platform to which you want to submit your book and get started!
What are the applications I can use to create a book trailer?
As any author will tell you, advertising your work is difficult. You must develop new and unique methods to interact with your audience in addition to traditional marketing approaches.
Making an animated book trailer is one approach to do this.
Nobody is indeed capable of the book trailer.
However, while developing animation from scratch might be difficult, making a basic book trailer can be relatively easy. And various free and straightforward programs will assist you in doing so.
To begin, you’ll need some photographs for your trailer, including images of you, your book cover, and your inside art.
You don’t need high-resolution images; 72 dpi is sufficient (640 px wide by 480 px high).
Using Windows, you may download Photo Story or Movie Maker from Microsoft. iMovie software is pre-installed on Mac computers.
In addition, you may convert PowerPoint presentations to video by adding soundtracks, slide animations, and transitions.
All these choices generate a video file that must be stored someplace (e.g., your website or YouTube).
Animoto, Prezi, and PhotoShow are three modern applications that combine trailer production with hosting. Here’s how out where they work.
Animoto
A: Animoto is an excellent resource. The site has a free account allowing you to create 30-second movies.
Then, for a very reasonable £5 per month, you can upgrade to have access to lengthier videos, additional themes, and the ability to save them to your computer.
Furthermore, the UI is simple to use (in fact, the iPad app, which is free and with which I made my film, is even more straightforward!)
And my video only took me five minutes to create. Now, I’m not going to go through the procedures in this article – Morgen’s post has enough information on that – but I will offer you a few pointers on how to produce a book trailer:
1. Keep things simple. Thirty seconds (or so) isn’t much time, and if you mix pictures and text, there’s a slider you can use if you want people to pay attention.
2. Select eye-catching photos. Choose a few images that symbolize your book – for me; it was a photo of my kid, a photo of myself, a photo of a crate of books, and the actual cover image.
3. Choose your words with care because Animoto restricts the number of words you may use on each slide, pick ones that provide a little insight into your book without giving too much away. Remember, you want people to purchase your book, so make the trailer appealing!
4. Inform them of their destination. Of course, in the best possible manner! In your video, including information on where they can find your book. My last text screen adds, “Out now – available from Amazon or www.theboyfromhell.co.uk,” so folks can find out more.
5. Experiment with different themes and music. You may utilize various articles and music pieces on Animoto, so experiment to discover the ones that best fit your book. For example, I loved the notion of a fire theme based on the concept of “hell,” but seeing a picture of my slight kid burning didn’t work for me!
6. Do not just abandon your trailer on Animoto! The service allows you to easily post your film to YouTube and quickly distribute it on hundreds of social media networks. You can also obtain a code to incorporate it into your website.
Anyway, I hope you like my little book trailer and are encouraged to make your own.
B: Prezi
Prezi’s public edition is free. It allows you to construct trailer-style presentations with highly animated slide transitions your viewers must actively click through.
Step 1: Create an account on Prezi.com. Although it encourages you to download the desktop version, you may alternatively make your trailer entirely online.
Step 2: Select a template by clicking “New Prezi.” Prezi is comparable to PowerPoint and has several visually appealing animated slide transitions.
Step 3: Add text and other material to your trailer “slides” one at a time. To add photographs, video, and background music, click the Insert button in the upper center of the screen.
Step 4: In the upper left corner of the screen, click the blue “Present” button to view the trailer. To exit the presentation, press “Escape.” Then, in the upper left, click the “Edit Path” button to reorder or delete individual slides.
Step 5: When satisfied with the trailer, click the “Share” icon in the top right corner and choose “Share Prezi.”
Prezi will reserve a web address for you, and when you visit it, click the “Embed” button. Then, select the option “Constrain to basic back and forth steps” to display HTML.
Finally, copy and paste the HTML onto your web page where you want your trailer to appear.
C: PhotoShow
The PhotoShow Free version is simple to use and has a decent set of functions. However, the trailers are only available for 30 days.
Step 1: Select “Create a PhotoShow.”
Step 2: To add photographs to your trailer, click “Add Photos.”
Step 3: Click “Personalize” to input the title and creator of the trailer. Then, using the various options, choose a style and include captions, text bubbles, and other elements.
Step 4: The “Music & Photos” menu allows you to rearrange or remove photographs and manage the sounds. Then, when you’re ready to watch your video, click Done.
Step 5: Select “Post to your website or blog.” Then, copy and paste the HTML code onto your website to embed your trailer.
My trailer for How the Rhino Got His Skin is no longer publicly viewable since I don’t have a PhotoShow membership.
If you like PhotoShow, an annual membership for extra features and continued public access to trailers costs just $39.
A book trailer may be an entertaining method to share your work with your audience. However, remember that it is just a minor component of your larger strategy to create an online platform for your book. Best wishes!
What is the cost of creating a book trailer?
We usually offer a range estimate of $1,000 to $20,000, depending on unique conditions related to the manufacturing style and methods employed.
The quick answer is that it varies.
A basic text-on-screen book trailer will cost considerably less than a highly cinematic book trailer that seems more like a short film.
The good news is that any author has a book trailer option, regardless of budget. Continue reading to see how much a book trailer will cost you based on your budget.
Book trailers may be quite expensive. If you pay a studio to create the movie for you, basic 2-D graphics and text trailers may cost as little as $300, with additional costs for actors, voiceovers, animation, and so on; high-quality book trailers can cost as much as $15,000.
Fortunately, inventiveness and editing abilities may go a long way in developing book trailers. Authors and publishers that establish their trailer movies save money and have total control over the project.
Before this path, ensure you have the necessary equipment to construct a professional trainer.
RATES OF PRODUCTION VARY
Before estimating book trailer production expenses, keep in mind that costs vary drastically from one production team to the next.
Video production rates for any project, including book trailers and other forms of video marketing, typically include costs associated with the crew and equipment needed to complete the production.
THESE ARE THE DAY RATES OR HOURLY ESTIMATES FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL INVOLVED IN PRODUCING A BOOK TRAILER:
Up to $250 per hour for the director
Scriptwriters can earn up to $150 per hour.
Editors may earn up to $175 per hour.
Up to $400 per hour for a camera operator
Equipment costs up to $100 per hour.
Studio shoots may cost up to $400 per hour.
Narrator: up to $400 per hour.
B-Roll: a proportion of overall expenses, generally between 10 and 50%
These are the possible expenses of hiring a production team to assist you in creating a book trailer. Still, apart from crew fees, various other variables may impact the cost of generating a book trailer.
What should a book trailer include?
If you find yourself at a loss as to how to get started with designing your book trailer, here are some ideas for things to include:
1. The issue that your reader is dealing with or their primary interest
People will want to hear from you if you are an expert on a subject.
So, what is your target reader’s most pressing issue?
Are they aiming to pay off their student loan swiftly and effectively while also dealing with other debts?
Make the most of their garden?
A good narrative may help you forget about the stresses of the day.
Determine your target audience’s problem and center your book trailer on it.
2. The answer to the issue or how to capture their interest
If you’re a money-saving expert, utilize your trailer to describe how you’ll assist your viewers in getting out of debt quickly.
If you’re an expert gardener, use your trailer to display before and after pictures of gardens that thrived after following the instructions in your book.
Alternatively, if your book isn’t fixing a problem, tell your readers why they should get their hands on a copy.
For example, perhaps you’ve authored a science fiction tale about aliens. Now is the time to emphasize how incredible those aliens are.
3. The advantages of reading the book and how it helps to solve the issue
Include the benefits to your readers reading your book. What will they learn, and how will their lives be different?
4. A description of the author as well as your expertise in the field
Remember, readers are always interested in the author behind the book! While it’s vital not to make the book trailer totally about you, add a brief bio about yourself and your experience in the subject matter.
5. A rallying cry
Consider incorporating a unique coupon code in your book trailer for those who want to purchase your book through your website, or emphasize that readers are invited to join your Facebook group.
However, avoid being too sales in your call to action; instead, focus on providing value to the reader.