Here's a brief summary of the second half of my talk as a guest speaker at the Northern California Publishers and Authors monthly meeting last Thursday, September 13.
HOW TO MAKE A BOOK TRAILER
Why do you want to create a book trailer:
1. It helps you reach your target market.
2. It creates excitement and intrigue for your book.
3. It provides a much better insight into what your book is about.
4. It can be shared as a promotional tool.
5. If you learn to make your own, it can save you a lot of
money.
https://www.bookcandystudios.com/ $399-$999
http://brilliantbooktrailers.com/ $139.85
http://ivideoproductions.com/video-book-preview-4/ $25 and up
Guidelines on how to create your own book trailer:
1. Watch other book trailers - YouTube.
Examples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=nCaAeTRcsZE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKKonm4OytI
2. Write your script – Don’t use the jacket copy. Make sure it is clear and concise. Start with a sentence that pulls in the reader. For example, in the beginning of the book trailer, you can grab the reader’s attention with a question or a quote from the book.
Example: “What happens at Zoobooloo when the gates are closed at
night?”
3. Make it simple – Adding too many elements can be confusing. You want the theme to stand out and that everything included is appropriate to your work.
Example: I just added some illustrations from the book and added some
text and transitions.
4. Don’t just summarize the plot – Make it more exciting by dropping hints about the book. It’s supposed to be like a sneak preview of a movie. You want to pique the interest of your viewers and make them want for more. And how do you hold their interest? Here’s when you think about the photos, videos, and music you want to include in your trailer.
Example: To keep the readers interested I added music that was
appropriate for the zoo setting. I found a music with animal sounds and
rather than telling the whole story, I added this texts - “Discover what
Monkey advises them, and if the grand switch-a-roo is a disaster or a
raging success.”
5. Find your photos – You can use your own or photos online. Just google “royalty free photo.” Royalty Free photo or refers to a type of licensing that allows the purchaser to pay for the photo license only once and to use the photo for as long as desired.
Examples:
iStockphoto (lowest price $12)
Free download:
Flickr - https://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/
Unsplash - https://unsplash.com/
Pixabay - https://pixabay.com/
Gratisography - https://gratisography.com/ (quirkiest collection
of photos)
6. Find your music – Choose carefully. Make sure it matches the theme of
the book.
Examples:
Soundsnap.com ($15 for 3 downloads)
300 Monks ($35 per song for a video)
Free download:
Free StockMusic https://www.freestockmusic.com/
Freepd https://freepd.com/
Purple Planet (Free music )
http://www.purple-planet.com/using-our-fee-music/4583818250
Oleg Gorbunov (Free music) https://soundcloud.com/gorbio
Wil Forbis (Free book trailers)
https://soundcloud.com/wil-forbis/sets/book-trailers
7. Find your video
Examples:
Storyblock http://www.videoblocks.com/ ($8.25/month)
Envato Market https://videohive.net/ ($16.50/month)
Free downloads:
Internet Archive https://archive.org/
*List of sources for images, music, and video clips
http://booktrailer101.info/wiki/index.php/Step_5._Acquire_Media
8. Make it as short as possible – A length of about 1 to 1- ½ minutes is about right. If you make it too long, there is a greater possibility that you would lose the interest of the viewers.
9. End with a bang - whether it’s a call-to-action, an appreciative thank you, or a powerful life lesson, your animation should end with a punch.
10. Don’t forget to add your book in the end and where they can purchase it.
Free software programs
Window Movie Maker
IMovie for Mac
Powtoon – Free then you can upgrade $16/month
Masher - $2.99/month (when you pick a theme, it automatically
does the effects for you)
Prezi.com – $7/month
Animoto - $8/month
*Video on How to Make a Book Trailer Using Windows Movie Maker:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9e-4xumP4A
If you want me to help you make your book trailer, you can email me at chrissivilla@gmail.com
HOW TO MAKE A BOOK TRAILER
Why do you want to create a book trailer:
1. It helps you reach your target market.
2. It creates excitement and intrigue for your book.
3. It provides a much better insight into what your book is about.
4. It can be shared as a promotional tool.
5. If you learn to make your own, it can save you a lot of
money.
https://www.bookcandystudios.com/ $399-$999
http://brilliantbooktrailers.com/ $139.85
http://ivideoproductions.com/video-book-preview-4/ $25 and up
Guidelines on how to create your own book trailer:
1. Watch other book trailers - YouTube.
Examples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=nCaAeTRcsZE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKKonm4OytI
2. Write your script – Don’t use the jacket copy. Make sure it is clear and concise. Start with a sentence that pulls in the reader. For example, in the beginning of the book trailer, you can grab the reader’s attention with a question or a quote from the book.
Example: “What happens at Zoobooloo when the gates are closed at
night?”
3. Make it simple – Adding too many elements can be confusing. You want the theme to stand out and that everything included is appropriate to your work.
Example: I just added some illustrations from the book and added some
text and transitions.
4. Don’t just summarize the plot – Make it more exciting by dropping hints about the book. It’s supposed to be like a sneak preview of a movie. You want to pique the interest of your viewers and make them want for more. And how do you hold their interest? Here’s when you think about the photos, videos, and music you want to include in your trailer.
Example: To keep the readers interested I added music that was
appropriate for the zoo setting. I found a music with animal sounds and
rather than telling the whole story, I added this texts - “Discover what
Monkey advises them, and if the grand switch-a-roo is a disaster or a
raging success.”
5. Find your photos – You can use your own or photos online. Just google “royalty free photo.” Royalty Free photo or refers to a type of licensing that allows the purchaser to pay for the photo license only once and to use the photo for as long as desired.
Examples:
iStockphoto (lowest price $12)
Free download:
Flickr - https://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/
Unsplash - https://unsplash.com/
Pixabay - https://pixabay.com/
Gratisography - https://gratisography.com/ (quirkiest collection
of photos)
6. Find your music – Choose carefully. Make sure it matches the theme of
the book.
Examples:
Soundsnap.com ($15 for 3 downloads)
300 Monks ($35 per song for a video)
Free download:
Free StockMusic https://www.freestockmusic.com/
Freepd https://freepd.com/
Purple Planet (Free music )
http://www.purple-planet.com/using-our-fee-music/4583818250
Oleg Gorbunov (Free music) https://soundcloud.com/gorbio
Wil Forbis (Free book trailers)
https://soundcloud.com/wil-forbis/sets/book-trailers
7. Find your video
Examples:
Storyblock http://www.videoblocks.com/ ($8.25/month)
Envato Market https://videohive.net/ ($16.50/month)
Free downloads:
Internet Archive https://archive.org/
*List of sources for images, music, and video clips
http://booktrailer101.info/wiki/index.php/Step_5._Acquire_Media
8. Make it as short as possible – A length of about 1 to 1- ½ minutes is about right. If you make it too long, there is a greater possibility that you would lose the interest of the viewers.
9. End with a bang - whether it’s a call-to-action, an appreciative thank you, or a powerful life lesson, your animation should end with a punch.
10. Don’t forget to add your book in the end and where they can purchase it.
Free software programs
Window Movie Maker
IMovie for Mac
Powtoon – Free then you can upgrade $16/month
Masher - $2.99/month (when you pick a theme, it automatically
does the effects for you)
Prezi.com – $7/month
Animoto - $8/month
*Video on How to Make a Book Trailer Using Windows Movie Maker:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9e-4xumP4A
If you want me to help you make your book trailer, you can email me at chrissivilla@gmail.com
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