What’s the latest thing in book marketing? A book trailer! Yes, just like a movie trailer, a book trailer is a short video promoting your book. It can be posted on your website, linked to your Facebook or LinkedIn page and should definitely be posted to YouTube.com.
Of course, with movies, the producer already has lots of great footage to choose from in putting together a short video. Not so for us authors. We have to convert our words into images that convey a sense of what the book is about. Because this is a very new advertising method there are no set expectations. They can last anywhere from 30 seconds to three minutes and can be as simple as the author reading an excerpt or as complex as the author – and his or her skills and budget would like. Your video can include background music, graphics, or special effects – it’s all up to you.
For a few examples of book trailers, try this site.