What else can you do to help potential readers find your book? If you have the time, resources, and skills, you might consider producing a book trailer as did indie author and independent publisher, Paul Amirault.
Paul’s book is “The Man Who Sent the SOS,” and he published it on April 11 to coincide with the publicity around “Titanic 105” — that is, the 105th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. It’s a memoir about Paul’s memories (through past-life regression) of the life of Jack Phillips, the First Marconi Officer aboard the RMS Titanic.
You may or not believe in reincarnation, but if you’re a film buff, you probably have some interest in the Titanic based on James Cameron’s movie, “Titanic,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. In fact, you’ve probably harbored that interest in the Titanic since 1997, when the movie was released, based on the appeal of the costars and the phenomenal production values of the movie.
Speaking of production values — and here’s where things get interesting — author Paul Amirault is based in Hollywood, California, and he is a television producer. So guess what he did with TV production talents?
Yes. He produced a video trailer for “The Man Who Sent the SOS” which is the finest book trailer I’ve ever seen. Check it out here. Paul’s book trailer, which was launched concurrently with the publication of his memoir, has already received more than 1,000 views across his Facebook pages. His web site has led people to the book trailer on YouTube, and that book video has already received more than 100 views. I trust the audience will build organically and become an integral part of the book promotion campaign.
What sets Paul Amirault’s book trailer apart from other video trailers for books that I’ve seen is that it’s not plot driven. Instead, it takes viewers on a journey. They believe they’re watching one thing at the beginning of the video. But, by the end of the production, viewers’ moods will shift, and they will end up feeling different from how they did when the video began. That, in my estimation, is the definition of a successful video production: it moves viewers.
Through word-of-mouth publicity, social networking, and advertising, I know that the video trailer will find an audience and encourage potential readers to visit their bookstore. That’s why I think the creation of the book trailer was a wonderful investment of Paul Amirault’s time, resources, and talents.
As I’ve disclosed, Paul is a professional television producer. That gave him an advantage over most indie authors and independent book publishers when he was producing a book trailer for “The Man Who Sent the SOS.” So, as a book publicist, there’s a part of me that wants to warn authors: don’t try this at home.
However, although Paul’s video trailer sets a new high bar for book trailers, it’s something I think other authors and publishers can aspire to achieve. Perhaps your book trailer will be more home grown, and maybe your book video production company will have more modest resources. But if you have the resources and a creative team that can help you produce a high quality video trailer, then your book trailer can become a key component of your book marketing strategy. Thank you, Paul, for showing us all how a book trailer should look and feel!
Stacey J. Miller is an independent book publicist and the founder of the Massachusetts-based book promotion firm, S. J. Miller Communications. She is also the proud book publicist of Paul Amirault’s memoir, “The Man Who Sent the SOS.” For another example of Paul’s book promotion smarts, click here.