Book Trailers

[Angela Corbett]

Okay you talented authors with book trailers. Did you make them yourself or did you hire someone to do them? If you made them yourself, what program did you use and where did you find the images and music to use? I'm afraid of infringing on copyrights.

Thanks!
Angela

[Jo Ramsey]

I just finished a trailer for my YA novel Connection. I used Windows Movie Maker and purchased the images from Fotolia.com. Of course... being me, I forgot to put music with it. Youtube lets you add music that they've gotten permission for people to use. I should probably go take care of that now. Uploaded the trailer yesterday.

[Angela Corbett]

Hi Jo!

Did you upload it to YAlitchat? I'd love to see it! I didn't realize YouTube has music you can use, that's great! Thanks!

[Jo Ramsey]

I didn't know we could upload videos here... I'm still learning my way around, despite having joined a while back.
When you upload your video to YouTube, there's a link to click on (Audio... something. I just did it and cant' remember what it said). It'll give you a list of songs that they've cleared for use. It can take a while to find one that you want for your trailer, but it's worth it to avoid potential copyright infringement. The only problem is that the music is only on the trailer on YouTube; if you have it saved on your computer or upload it anywhere else, it still won't have the music.
I'm too techno-challenged to figure out how to add audio in Windows Movie Maker, and since I usually only put my trailers on YouTube, using their music works better for me.

[Peter Taylor]

You can also use zooms, transitions and movements of words etc to make stills (eg portions of cover artwork) come to life with PowerPoint. The result can be shared or used through www.authorshare.com

Type in 'Book Trailer' there to see some examples. I did one for a friend for a surprise gift - but by the time I'd finished it, her publisher had already made one for her - so mine is only on my computer. I can email it to anyone to give some idea of what's easy to do. I think it took me about 2 days to scan the art and mess around, but I was learning at the same time - but check out the site above for how to to use the finished product.

Peter :)

[Angela Corbett]

Thanks Peter! I'd never thought of using PowerPoint. That's great to know!

[Peter Taylor]

There are heaps of things you can do with PowerPoint apart from presentations when speaking to audiences. The files can be stored on CDs, perhaps hard-copies printed, and the results sold as merchandise or distributed as publicity.

YouTube videos generally have to be less than 8 minutes to have a small enough file size to meet the hosting requirements. This can be limiting.

www.authorstream.com will convert your short PowerPoints to video suitable for YouTube, but it will also host copies of these and longer works that will play for up to 45 minutes. This could be of huge benefit. Using this service, PowerPoints of any size can then be shared via the web through URL provision or screen display on sites, or sold as downloadable files; uploaded to iPhones and iPods and distributed as narration podcasts; embedded into blogs and Facebook. They can also be shared live in a ‘virtual conference’ using a VoIP provider like Skype while having all attendees looking at the same page at the same time.

The conversion of 5 minute presentations to video is free, but a $2US charge is incurred for longer products and when it is preferred that the result is free of Authorstream advertising. For those who get really carried away, a monthly fee will provide details of those who download copies (so that you can contact and sell them things), allow you to make money from Google AdSense adverts and take advantage of stored statistics – as well as post a larger quantity of presentations.

Even before writing a book, and certainly before a contract is offered, a following of loyal ‘readers’ can be built by the provision of PowerPoints/videos displaying background pictures, snippets of information gleaned while researching, and for non-fiction perhaps useful techniques, animal facts, etcc.

As ‘book promotion videos’ ('book trailers' is actually a copyrighted name) are usually less than 5 minutes and PowerPoint relatively easily enables images, type and sound to be manipulated with fades, zooms, creative transitions and movement, the program and Authorstream work well together for their production and distribution.

...And no, I’m not an affiliate and have no financial interest in recommending Authorstream!

Have fun creating!

Peter Taylor
www.writing-for-children.com www.myspace.com/writingforchildren

[Jo Ramsey]

I just uploaded my trailer here, and it's also on You Tube. And the music thing is called Audio Swap.

[Georgia McBride]

That's awesome, Jo. Had no idea about this. Learn something everyday. We're launching a new blog team and doing a video. Good advice. Thanks.

[shelli johannes wells]

I did my own (to show how cheap you can do them) and have done some for other authors.

here are mine:

http://faeriality.blogspot.com/2010/01/on-bright-side-trailer.html

http://faeriality.blogspot.com/2010/01/grace-under-fire-book-traile...

[Angela Corbett]

Thanks Shelli! Your trailers are great! Where did you get the images and songs?

[shelli johannes wells]

istock photo sells images for 1$ a picture and i just picked the song i liked.

go to onetruemedia.com - they walk you through it.

[Angela Corbett]

Thanks Jessica! I'll check it out.