Before you can create a book trailer, you need to understand what a book trailer is.
Here are the four elements of a book trailer and the order in which they usually appear.
- Lead – Grab the audience – Answer the viewer’s question: Why should I give you 30 seconds of my time?
- Excite – Build interest – Why should I continue to listen/watch?
- Amaze – Hook – Why is this book different?
- Direct – Directive – How do I learn more or buy?
Not all book trailers have this structure, but most effective trailers do.
Length
Book trailers are typically about 1:00 minute in length, but there are successful trailers ranging from seven seconds to over 25 minutes. There is no cost difference in putting a longer trailer on the web; both are free. The challenge is keeping the viewer interested and engaged.
Viewing on the web
Assuming the trailer is hosted on YouTube, a viewer could watch it on the YouTube site or embedded in another website such as the author’s or publisher’s page. When a video is viewed on YouTube, it is surrounded with thumbnails and click bait for other videos, so abandoning your trailer for a video of ‘kittens and puppies’ is just a click away. Your viewers may be scanning the lists of other videos while yours is playing. If you don’t grab and hold their interest, they are gone.
Goal
The goal of a book trailer is to get the viewer to visit the book website for more details or to purchase the book. A book trailer for a popular title may pitch more directly to buy the book.
Tip: As the goal of a book trailer is to have the viewer visit the website, it is important to show the web address in the last part of the trailer, as well as provide a link in the description in YouTube. After viewing the video, if the viewer wants to visit the website, you have a better chance if they only have to click a link versus typing an address into a browser.
A Book Trailer is NOT
A book trailer is not a plot synopsis. It does not go past the first act of the book. A book trailer NEVER has plot spoilers in it.