I was fortunate to get to take a wonderful workshop at Savvy Authors from author, Kris Tualla, on How to Create a Book Trailer. This workshop was hugely challenging for me since i’m not very techy and had never even used Powerpoint before. But I DID IT!! The results are shown below in my book trailer for Genetic Attraction which releases Jan 4 from Loose Id.

This trailer isn’t very sophisticated compared to many, but i’ve gotten great comments on it, plus lots of questions on how to do it. I can’t duplicate Kris’s workshop here, so i would advise hopping over to Savvy Authors and seeking her out. However, i will outline the steps, so you have an idea.

  • Tell your story in about 20 punchy, short  lines. This is the critical step. Everything depends on getting this script right, plus it’s great discipline because you should be able to describe your book in an elevator speech. Start with the setting (thank you Kris, for that great tip) and don’t get caught up in the details!
  • Select pictures and or video to go with your script. You MUST own these pictures, so go to a royalty free stock photo house. I got my great pix from 123RF for less that $1.50 each. It’s good to find multiple pictures of one person who looks like your characters. In my trailer, i was lucky to find several photos of the same attractive red-haired woman and the same adorable young man. 
  • Put your script and pictures together in Powerpoint. If you know the application, you can use soem of the tricky fades and wipes for transitions, but don’t get too fancy. the key is the story.
  • Find music that fits your story at one of the free music sites. 
  • Acquire music editing software like Cakewalk or Goldwave. You’ll have to pay for this, but it’s not too expensive. I found the music editing step the hardest. The application was difficult for me to understand, but through lots of trial and error, i finally got it to my satisfaction.
  • Download free conversion (Powerpoint to video) software and put your music and PP slides together. You’ll likely have to adjust timing on your Powerpoint screens to get the music to time just right. Keep at it!
  • When you like it, upload it to YouTube and you’re in the movies!!
As i say, this project was hard for me but completing it was oh so satisfying. I’m happy with the outcome and looking forward to making my next trailer for The Scientist and the Supermodel coming out in the spring from Loose Id. See what you think of my results:
I’d love to hear your reactions and questions about book trailers. Leave me a comment.  :  )