January 29, 2025
Interested in book trailers? You’re probably used to seeing trailers that sell movies. They give you an idea of what the movie’s about, who the stars are, and what genre it is, without giving away too much. Trailers work great to sell movies and TV shows, but did you know they can also sell books? Here’s a guide to making and using book trailers in your marketing efforts.
A book trailer is like a movie or TV trailer. It is a short (one minute or less) video that tells you about a book. Like a movie trailer, it should create excitement for the plot and a desire to know more.
A good movie trailer sets up a situation, introduces the characters, and lets you know right away whether the movie is scary, funny, romantic, or mysterious. It intrigues the audience and gives enough tantalizing details to make them ask, “What happens next?” A good trailer sets this up without giving away everything—to learn everything, the audience must go see the movie.
In the same way, well-done book trailers will intrigue readers and make them want to buy the book. Book trailers can work for fiction or nonfiction. A fiction trailer will focus on the genre, characters, setting, and central conflict without ruining the ending. A nonfiction trailer would focus on the author’s credibility and expertise with a brief look at the book itself.
Some book trailers resemble movie trailers, with action, a cast, and a soundtrack. Others are more like advertisements. Both styles will work for you, it’s just a matter of choosing your focus and deciding which type of trailer best fits your title.
Book trailers are a recent trend. In an increasingly online and visual world, they’re a way to cut through the noise and get your book title in front of a new audience.
Book trailers allow readers to preview your book and, hopefully, get interested enough to read it. Video production costs can be expensive, so many of these book trailers have been poorly produced. In recent years, however, advances in AI technology have made video production more accessible, and it’s easier than ever to create good book trailers, even on a budget.
You can post these book trailers on Facebook Live, YouTube, TikTok, and other social media sites. You can also put them on your author website and link to them when writing about your book on other platforms.
An outstanding book trailer for a fiction book should have these elements:
For a nonfiction book, include these:
This video trailer opens with mysterious music and the image of a teenage girl in a dreamlike state. The music picks up and becomes dramatic as we follow her entering a house for a party only to find bodies lying on the floor covered in blood.
This trailer for a supernatural mystery story is terrifying, fast-paced, and mysterious, leaving the reader with many questions and a desire to know more. The video is well produced but doesn’t have a high budget. It looks like it was filmed at a friend’s house, using volunteer actors and a standard suburban neighborhood, but it works extremely well. You’re left wondering what happened before and after the party, but you won’t know unless you buy the book.
Riggs began as a director of short films, so it’s only natural that his own book trailer would be imaginative and beautifully produced. The video opens with a grandfather reading a story to a young boy about Miss Peregrine and her island for peculiar children. As the boy asks questions about the story, the room suddenly darkens, and we see frightening images appear in shadowy corners.
When the boy asks his grandfather to tell him more, he replies, “One day,” and the video ends. It’s instantly intriguing: What is it about the story that the grandfather doesn’t want to tell? And is it real, or just a story? The video ends with a link for buyers who can’t wait to find out.
This video is an example of how even a nonfiction book—and a recipe book no less–can inspire great creativity. The highly produced video is a spoof of prescription-drug advertisements, featuring several people explaining how eating the Thug Kitchen plant-based diet helped them become healthier and learn to love cooking.
In a series of vignettes featuring people of various ages, users talk about how it helped them get their act together in the kitchen, all while showing the users making beautiful-looking meals. It ends with a warning that the book is “not for everyone” and can have side effects like looking and feeling great. It’s an excellent video, but be forewarned, the language is very explicit.
We get it. You’re a writer, not a video producer. You’ve spent a lot of time writing, editing, publishing, and promoting your book. Now, you may have to add video production to your to-do list. On the other hand, creating a video can be a fun experience and will definitely open your book up to a world of potential new readers.
Fortunately, modern technology has made it easy for almost anyone to produce a simple video. You may want to read some guides before you decide if this is something you want to do.
On the Kindlepreneur website, writer Jason Hamilton has a step-by-step breakdown of everything you need to know about writing, storyboarding, and directing your trailer, including all the equipment you need.
Author Amy Nielsen has a similar guide on her website that explains why you need a trailer and how to create one, with an emphasis on using low-budget or free materials.
Both these step-by-step guides are useful for knowing what you’ll be getting into before you produce a book trailer.
While making a book trailer isn’t difficult, it can be time-consuming. You’ll need to find actors, a setting, and props. You’ll also have to write it, direct it, and edit it.
Shooting video requires some specialized equipment you may not have, including cameras, sound equipment, and the right software packages. You may want to save time and hassles by hiring an expert to do it for you.
You can find freelance trailer creators online through various freelance sites. There are several benefits to hiring one:
Hiring a video producer will cost more than doing it yourself. While directing your trailer yourself might cost $100 to $200 all told, working with a professional can start at $1,000 and up.
As a self-published writer, you need every edge you can get when it comes to promoting and advertising your book. A book trailer might be a valuable tool to add to your marketing toolkit.
We hope you found this article useful. At Publishing Xpress, we support the efforts of all independent writers. Contact us to learn about our affordable book printing services.
© 2025 Publishing Xpress. All Rights Reserved.
