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Monday, April 2, 2012

Book Trailers



I've been asked about the process of creating a book trailer. It's not as difficult as you may think, but it does take time. Time to find the right pictures. Time to find the right music. And time to add all your special effects. Here's a link to Mine. I really like it, but I've learned that it's too long. Ideally, they should be around 60 to 90 seconds. The following information will guide you through your trailer making experience. You do not have to do this in the order I have listed. Decide what works best for you.
There are several places online that offer free music. One of my favorites is Incompetech. On this site you can narrow down your choices to genre and feel. This really helps. There are other sites that are good too, like Partners in Rhyme and Open Music Archive   This list is by no means all-inclusive. Do a Google search and see what I mean!
Next, step is to select your pictures. Again, there are several places to find pictures, my only warning is: Don't steal! Make sure the pictures you chose are free for the taking. How would you feel if someone stole the novel you worked so hard on? Check the policies of each site. Here are a few I have used. Dreamstime , Fotolia  Photobucket and my favorite: Grabbaggraphics
And don't forget to include the cover of your novel for maximum exposure.
You will also need a software to make your trailer. If you have windows, software should be included on your computer called Windows Movie Maker. Do a search on your computer to find out. I don't know much about Mac except for the fact that I would love to have one! I would do a search on your Mac to find out.
Supeflix and Roxio,to name two, offer software for use in your trailer making adventure also. 
Once you have the pictures uploaded and have selected and uploaded your music, the real fun begins. Choose different animations to change from picture to picture. You want to be creative. Keeping the viewer's attention is the goal here. But be careful. If you go too crazy it will distract from your message, which is READ MY BOOK!
Once you are happy with the results, upload it to Youtube, and your author page on Amazon. Don’t forget about Google video and Yahoo video. Good luck. Drop us an email when you have completed your master piece. I'd love to see it!


1 comment:

  1. I just went and watched your trailer. I really enjoyed it. I love the advice you gave in this post. My co-author and I want to make a trailer- and the information you provided will be a big help. I can imagine it is hard to keep it to 60-90 minutes, but I guess that goes with people's attention spans. :) Thanks so much for sharing. Every time I see the cover of your book I am intrigued!

    ~Jess

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