It’s safe to say most people are familiar with movie trailers. They used to be shown in theaters before the feature film starts (if you get there soon enough to watch them). Trailers provide 2-3 minutes of some of the best clips from the film with an intriguing voiceover script that leaves you begging for more (or so the producers hope). Even after a film is released, potential viewers watch movie trailers to decide whether or not they think the movie is worth renting or buying. If the trailer is interesting enough, funny enough, or moving enough to have the viewer take action, it did its job. 

According to Forbes, “there are somewhere between 600,000 and 1,000,000 books published every year in the U.S. alone. Many of those – perhaps as many as half or even more – are self-published.”  With Authors and Publishers potentially competing with more than 2,700 other books PER DAY, you need something to make your book stand out. 

Like a movie trailer, you can take a similar approach to launch your book with a book trailer. At first, this may seem like an odd concept because you don’t necessarily have visual clips to string together into a short film. But what you do have is a STORY, and STORIES SELL. 

Here’s why every author should use a book trailer and how to create one that works. 

What is the Purpose of a Book Trailer?

A book trailer is used to help market and promote your book to your target audience. Similar to a movie trailer, book trailers aim to grab the viewer’s attention by using emotionally compelling visuals, scripts, and music to pique the interest of your target readers and encourage engagement. Authors can then distribute their book trailers across multiple platforms including your website, social and video outlets, and advertising. Doing so increases brand awareness and provides the opportunity to reach new and more diverse reader audiences who may not otherwise know the book even exists.

The Author’s Argument Against a Book Trailer

A larger audience for your book? Brand awareness for you as an author? What’s not to love about having a book trailer? Well, for some, it’s the fact that books aren’t supposed to have trailers or, as some might call them, “spoilers.” Some authors argue that a reader should start a new book with a blank slate–not knowing what to expect before diving in. In doing this, readers tend to create images in their minds of the setting and characters on their own. A book trailer may take away this fresh creative canvas for the reader. 

However, an effective book trailer is designed to share just enough information about the book that it doesn’t spoil or taint the reader’s experience. When done well, it enhances the experience of the reader because they go in knowing some of the value they will receive from reading it.  

7 Reasons Authors Should Use a Book Trailer

If you still aren’t convinced you should use a book trailer to promote and sell your latest work, here are seven reasons why using one is a good idea.

1. Video Marketing Works

A book trailer is a video marketing tool to help launch your new book. 86% percent of businesses use video in their marketing strategy because it works. On average, people watch 18 hours of online video each week, and this number has increased year-over-year. Businesses and ministries have proven that videos increase the connection and success with their target audiences. 

2. A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words (or however long your book is)

94% of marketers have found that showing vs. telling about a product enhances a viewer’s understanding of the product. This is especially important for authors whose book might cover a more unique or niche topic. 

3. A Minute of Video is Worth 1.8 Million Words

Yes, you read that right: 1.8 million words. When it comes to the value of video marketing compared to content marketing, it would take 1.8 million words to sway a reader to take action, which a video can do in one minute.

4. Book Trailers are Shareable

People are 2x more likely to share video content with their friends and family than any other type of content (blog posts, social media posts, or product pages). Your book trailer will likely go further and reach more people than any content written about it. 

5. People Prefer to Watch Videos

66% of consumers would rather watch a video about a product than read about it (even if that product is something they would purchase to read, like your book). So even if you spend hours writing detailed, engaging content about your book, chances are fewer people will take the time to see what it’s about than if you were to create a book trailer with all of the same information. 

6. You Will Stand Out Among the Authors 

If a new film didn’t have a movie trailer, that would be odd. People expect to watch a trailer for a movie before and after it is released. However, the use of book trailers is not as standardized or saturated, so having one will make you stand out among other authors. 

7. You Can Reach More People with Your Message (i.e., Sell More Books)

A 2021 survey found that 84% of consumers have been convinced to purchase a product or service by watching a video about it. And 78% of marketers have seen a direct correlation between the use of video and an increase in sales. 

Examples of a Book Trailer 

Now you understand why you should use a book trailer, but you still may be wondering how to put one together or what one even looks like. Because they aren’t as ingrained as movie trailers (yet), it can be hard to conceptualize a high-quality book trailer. Here are three examples of popular book trailers from the FrontGate Moving Pictures portfolio. 

Giving God Ultimate Love Book Trailer

The Shortest Leap Book Trailer 

Hearts Set Free Book Trailer

How Do You Write a Script for a Book Trailer?

While visuals are definitely needed for a successful book trailer, the script and how it is read and recorded are two of the most important elements to consider. Writing such a script is a perfect balance between being interesting and informative without being boring, and being entertaining and engaging without spoiling the book. Even if you’ve found the perfect words to say, it’s important to carefully choose how they are said. One survey found that 75% of consumers have decided not to make a purchase because the voiceover voice on a product video annoyed them. 

All creative elements of a book trailer should be of the highest quality from the sound of the speaker to the flow of the script to the supporting visual elements on the screen. Because of this, authors find the most successful book trailers come from partnering with experienced video marketers who have the tools and equipment needed to produce top-quality video content.

Create a Christian Book Trailer with FrontGate Moving Pictures

At FrontGate Media, we’ve had the opportunity to develop multiple book trailers for first-time and notable Christian authors. Our team has the experience, software, and skills necessary to create an effective trailer to promote your new book to your target audience of readers. Plus, once the book trailer is ready to launch, we also provide book discovery and featured book options reaching the broad audience of Christian readers, placing your it in front of millions of the right people on the right platforms for it to excel. For more examples of our video content, see the FrontGate Moving Pictures Reel below.

If you are ready to engage your Christian audience with a compelling book trailer, we can help! Our Emmy® Award-winning team is ready for you (actually… Emmy®, REMI, ICVM, ICFF, & CIFF Award-winning team). From writing your script to designing your creative elements, we work with you to produce a book trailer that promotes and sells your book without losing sight of the heart and mission behind your work. Contact us today to learn more!