I have to maintain a very aggressive schedule due to other real-life duties, like family and a full-time job. Over the past few weeks, I spent much of my free time self-training in cinematic techniques and amateur/professional filmmaking. I watched more than 200 videos, read countless articles, and perused at least a dozen magazines on the subject.
I am currently working on the trailer's script, which needs to be completed by mid-December. With a working script, I can do a dry run to see how it looks and sounds on video.
Marketing Strategy
It’s not easy being the new kid on the block. Nobody knows you from beans. You have to network: introduce yourself, meet and greet at events and online, or wherever authors gather.
Literary agents have slush piles filled with newbies like me. New authors have about a 1-in-600 chance to be published. An agent will give someone who has "been there, done it" a second look before they even consider a newbie because they are a safer bet.
New authors have about a 1-in-600 chance to be published.
About a year ago, I researched the idea of doing a book trailer, something few authors do. And those who did, I found, put little creative effort into the video. Many of the videos I watched were simply the author, dressed down, in front of fuzzy webcams, discussing their work. You got a sense that they were unscripted, and the authors were just winging it on camera based on the flow.
It made me think long and hard about the project. If I did a book trailer, it had to draw an audience — not make them run away like their hair was on fire. Common sense stuff from those who make a living in marketing: don’t make the customer flee.
When I finished producing my first book trailer, I realized it had cost a pretty penny, but it still did not have that panache I sought. On the plus side, I gained much-desired experience using specialized hardware and software to edit the video.
Unless an author has established a name for themselves, which can take years of dedicated work (and luck), how do those who are unknown make themselves seen or heard? I love visiting Barnes and Noble, where thousands of books are written by dedicated authors. I constantly wonder how many of my favorite authors-to-be are still undiscovered on those shelves. I'm sure other new authors have broached this question a million times. What device can an author use to entice more readers?
Enter the Trailer
All of us have watched movie trailers at one time or another. They draw us into a story in a short time, teasing us with potential entertainment. They give us a taste and leave us wanting more.
New authors, myself included, do not have inexhaustible bank accounts. Trailers are mini movies and can cost hundreds, if not thousands, to produce, but they can be original and worth a watch, which is what we all want in the end. A curious customer.
