Promoting your book can be a daunting experience. You never know what to expect, and it's an area that authors normally avoid. Some writers find writing easier than marketing.
One of the most amazing things you can do to promote your book is to use videos. Videos are one of the most engaging ways of transmitting information you want to share with the entire world.
Let's dive in and find out some useful tips on promoting your book with video!
Create video teasers
You should promote your book even before it's available on the market. This is one of the best ways for readers to know what you have in mind and get them interested in checking out your book once it comes out.
One way of doing this is by creating video teasers: short videos that promote your work and encourage people to follow you and check out your latest updates. You can promote these video teasers on social networks, and promote them as widely as possible.
Take advantage of YouTube and influencers
YouTube is one of the largest communities where people promote their work and connect with an audience that might be interested in what you have to say. That's why it's very important that you
You can even reach out to your favourite YouTubers and ask them if they would be interested in reading your book. Even better, do a video with one of them!
Record yourself answering audience questions
Tell your audience to email or tweet you the question they would ask if they were given the chance to interview you. Record yourself answering these questions.
This works really well if you already have a loyal following. Alternatively, you can start creating a buzz and generating a good social following. One way you can do that is if you appear on popular podcasts that talk about books from your genre.
Create a video reading one of your chapters
This is one of my favourite techniques for promoting books on YouTube because it's so interesting and easy to do.
Before publishing your book, promote it by recording yourself reading one of its chapters. You don't need too many fancy effects. Just upload the video on YouTube and promote it through social networks. Include a link in the description if you decide to promote it that way.
Share what happens behind the scenes
Show your audience how you created your book cover or where you were when you wrote a certain scene. This kind of video offer a more personal look at the creative process and might be interesting for your audience to see.
You can use these videos to share your writing schedule or talk about your book's inspirations. Regardless of the subject you choose for your behind-the-scene video, make sure it's authentic.
Host a book reading
Invite a friend or partner with a podcaster. Take turns reading pages and then discuss what was just read - discuss the characters, themes, and story. Make sure to do this in front of a webcam so others can see both people.
Book readings promote dialogue between authors and their audience and help them delve even deeper into your book.
Create an "unboxing" video
Record yourself opening your packaged book for the first time and show off what's inside! It's a really fun way to promote your book and showcase the book cover.
Let people know how excited you are for them to read your work, and promote the packaging of your books as well. This type of video is especially great if you have produced special editions with limited availability.
Perform an impressions/impromptu skit
Ask your audience to tweet you with their favourite lines from your book. Perform an impression of these lines or make up a quick skit around them!
This is a great way to promote your book by having fun with the content you created. It shows how much you love what you do and may even help your audience remember some of the lines if they are part of an impression!
Organise a book giveaway
Give your audience a chance to win your book for free! If you have a special edition, or a limited-edition hardback, that would make the giveaway even more valuable.
Film yourself opening up the first box of books and talk about why you decided to give them away. Tweet each other or promote it on Facebook - tag as many friends as possible! This works particularly well if the upcoming book is part of a series.
This is a fantastic way to promote your book because people love free stuff! It can be time-consuming to promote this video on more than one social network, so make sure you promote it well.
Spend time choosing the best way of promoting your book
It's amazing what you can do with videos. You can promote your content by creating video trailers, hosting readings and doing "unboxing". The choice is all yours, but it's important that you pick the option that's most appropriate for your book and how you want it to be presented.
With so many choices, you may have too many options so, spend some time to plan exactly what you want to do and then prioritise.
The 5 best online video editing tools
You don't necessarily need high-end, video editing software. You can achieve a lot with just what Instagram and TikTok already offer. The first tool produces great quality videos and has a wide range of templates to choose from. However, if you want to give your videos that extra oomph, you should check out the following online tools:
- https://www.veed.io/
- https://invideo.io/
- https://www.wevideo.com/
- https://www.fastreel.com/
- https://biteable.com/tools/
Most of these also either have a free version (which is an added bonus) or come with a free trial.
Online video editing tools like these are ideal for busy people who don't want or can't spend time working on their video promotion. You can upload your book cover, photos of you and your book, and let the software do all of the hard work for you. If you follow these tips, you'll be sure to sell more books and seen uplift in earnings!
