Carrie Butler’s STRENGTH Tour — “How I Made My Book Trailer (for Free)”

How I Made My Book Trailer (for Free)

Thanks for having me over, Bailey!

A couple of years ago, book trailers became a “thing”. You can blame the digital revolution for this one. Readers stopped frequenting brick-and-mortar stores, and in turn, stopped getting introduced to new books via events, promotional materials, and employee recommendations. Instead, they relied on introductions from the same place they made the majority of their purchases—the Internet.

So, authors adapted.

Borrowing a page from the film industry’s playbook, they began condensing their blurbs into short, accessible videos. If readers were enticed, they could go to the author’s site for more information. Simple as that.

…

Okay, maybe simple isn’t the best way to describe it. Book trailers are an expected staple in marketing campaigns these days, and let me tell you, those things cost a pretty penny. I looked around, and most start around $350. Start! That’s a little less than my car is worth.

(I wish I were exaggerating.)

Obviously, I couldn’t afford to hire someone to do Strength’s book trailer, so I took on the project myself. We’re talking hours and hours of work here, but you know what? I managed to pull it off for free, and I’m pretty darn proud of myself.

Want to give trailer-making a try? Here’s what you’ll need:

• Some kind of video editing software. I used a combination of Windows Movie Maker (free) and an old, diluted version of Sony Vegas I had from college. I know other people who’ve had luck with programs like iMovie, Animoto, etc. Play around with a few of them, and then use whichever one works best for you.
• (Optional) Royalty-free or public domain video, i.e. Videezy or Neo’s Clip Archive
• (Optional) Royalty-free or public domain images, i.e. Public Domain Pictures or Morgue File
• Royalty-free or public domain music, i.e. Incompetech or SoundCloud
• Patience
• An Internet connection
• A YouTube account

Oh! And before you get started, here are a few quick tips:

• Read license information carefully. Even if you don’t have to, it’s nice to credit those who helped contribute to your project.
• Choose music and visuals that complement your genre, i.e. I write paranormal music, so I went for a mysterious, otherworldly vibe.
• Keep things moving. Ideally, book trailers are between 00:30 and 1:30 long. If you use still images, try playing around with video effects that pan or zoom.
• Avoid bombarding viewers with huge blocks of text.
• Include relevant information, i.e. title, author, publisher, release date, etc.

Beyond that, just try to have fun. Think of your book trailer as another way to express yourself. Good luck!

About the Author:

Carrie daydreamed her way through college—until they thrust a marketing degree into her hands, slapped a summa cum laude seal on the corner, and booted her out into a less-than-stellar job market. Instead of panicking at the prospect of unemployment, she used her Midwestern logic to steer into the skid and point her life in the direction she really wanted to go: writing out those daydreams.

Links

WEBSITE  |  BLOG  |  PUBLISHER  |  TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK  |  GOODREADS  |  GOOGLE+  |  LINKEDIN

About STRENGTH:

Title: STRENGTH
Series: Mark of Nexus – Book 1
Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing
Category: New Adult (NA)
Genre: Paranormal Romance (PNR)
Release Date: March 07, 2013
Formats: E-Book & Paperback
Paperback ISBN: 9781938404351
E-book ISBN: 9781938404368

Short Synopsis:

When college student Rena Collins finds herself nose-to-chest with the campus outcast, she’s stunned. Wallace Blake is everything she’s ever wanted in a man—except he can’t touch her. His uncontrollable strength, a so-called gift from his bloodline, makes every interaction dangerous. And with a secret, supernatural war brewing among his kind, there’s no time to work it out. To keep Wallace in her life, Rena will have to risk a whole lot more than her heart.

Links:

BOOK PAGE  |  GOODREADS  |  PUBLISHER  |  FACEBOOK  |  PINTEREST  |  BOOK TRAILER

Retailers:
AMAZON  |  KINDLE  |  BARNES AND NOBLE  |  NOOK  |  SONY READER STORE  |  KOBO  |  DIESEL  |  BAKER & TAYLOR

Praise:

“Carrie Butler is now on my must read list.” ~Lynn Rush, author of Violet Midnight

“I carried Strength with me everywhere. Grocery shopping, the dinner table, you name it. The storyline was addictive, and the characters were hilarious. I couldn’t put it down.” ~Jessica Therrien, author of Oppression

“…Carrie Butler’s debut novel is brilliant, riveting, imaginative and seamlessly written.” ~Lisa Regan, author of Finding Claire Fletcher

“This is definitely one to buy for the bookshelf.” - All’s Fair with Pen and Paper

“I love that Carrie took so much time in building the relationship between them. Yay for no instalove!” - Read It, Reviewed It

“I freaking loved every last word on every page.” - Scelest’s Journal

“I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who’s interested in reading a bloody good book. ” - The Life of a Total Book Nerd

“I devoured this book in two days – staying up until the early hours because I didn’t want to stop reading!” - Kyra Lennon, author of Game On

so that’s Carrie! i worked with Carrie during my NA Alley days and i am so excited to be hosting her on the blog today for a stop in her STRENGTH blog tour. she’s a wonderful woman & truly inspiring as an author because just look at the things she does for herself! she made her own book trailer (for free!) and now you can, too.

if you have any questions/comments/anything for Carrie, please comment below.

thanks for stopping by, Carrie!

breakfast at tiffany’s

Yesterday it rained from the middle of the night until late in the afternoon, and showered on & off again throughout the night. Being a girl from the desert, and being from the sunniest state in the union, yesterday’s massive downpour & two days of constant cloud-cover had me a little antsy. Today it’s finally sunny again, and even Cat is delighted.

Yesterday I also received a rain-soaked package in the mail from my sister, Kenzie. The book is The Diviners by Libba Bray, which Kenz promised to send for weeks & weeks & weeks, and look, she finally did! Not that I’ll have a chance to read it before May. On top of The Diviners is a Deathly Hallows bracelet she made, and while she thought I wouldn’t wear it ever, of course I am! It has yellow yarn, and yellow is a wonderful color. 

Finally, during all the rain yesterday, I picked up this book – Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote. I’ve seen the movie countless times (though not in a while), but I’ve never read the story, despite having it handed down to me more than a decade ago from my oldest cousin on my mom’s side. It’s kind of epic because my cousin is an artist (and now also an architect), and his doodles throughout the pages are so simple, and yet, such a piece of him.

But Breakfast at Tiffany’s gets me thinking about where my Tiffany’s is — where is that one place I can go and know, no matter what, I’ll feel better. Of course, it isn’t this simple, not in real life, and not in the story/movie, but I still think it’s an interesting question to ponder. I think usually, for me, it’s a particular Barnes & Noble. Growing up, I was allowed to go to the bookstore any night of the week, so it became an escape. In college, I spent so much time at a particular B&N I moved across the street. And now, I don’t visit the one B&N in my town nearly as often as I’ve wanted or needed to in the past, but I do still like to go look at new displays & read a book while drinking a coffee. If I have time to kill, it’s definitely the place I go. And usually, it’s a place everyone knows me. Not so much now, here, but in Albuquerque and Austin, definitely.

Where’s your Tiffany’s?

Interview with Cally Jackson, author of THE BIG SMOKE

Today I am so excited to have Cally Jackson on the blog to talk about her debut novel, The Big Smoke. The Big Smoke is about Caera and Seb, two Australian teens moving to the big city to attend uni. (Uni! I wish we called it that here in America!) Like any book I’m excited to feature on the blog, though, this novel is about so much more than the one sentence plot line. So pick up a copy & read it. The Big Smoke is commercially available right now from several retailers (Amazon for Kindle, Smashwords for all e-editions).

But first, perhaps you should read my interview with Cally Jackson!

First, tell us a little about The Big Smoke in 35 words or fewer.

Ceara’s desperate for love; Seb’s desperate to get laid. Two strangers, both moving from small country towns to Brisbane for uni. Will they survive life in the big smoke or crumble under the pressure?

What’s your weekly writing schedule look like?

Writing schedule, what’s that? I’m very sporadic with my writing, which is probably why it’s taken me ten years to finish this novel! I’m planning to be much more structured with my second novel, but time will tell if I actually follow through with that.

Are you a panster or a plotter? Either way, what was your pre-planning like before you really began drafting The Big Smoke?

I’m a plotter, through and through. Before I started drafting The Big Smoke (initially called Entwined, then later Tangled), I did a great deal of research on several topics that I planned to include in the book but hadn’t had personal experience with (I’d name some of them but that would give too much away!).

I then mapped out all of the major plot points and ‘interviewed’ my characters to get to know them better. Before starting each scene, I’d outline the key actions that needed to happen within it. Then, finally, I’d write the scene.

I wrote almost the entire book in sequence, from ‘once upon a time’ all the way through until ‘The End’. Only rarely did I skip around. I guess my mind works quite linearly!

If you had to pick the best lesson you learned from writing The Big Smoke, what would that lesson be?

Ooh, this is a tough question, mainly because writing The Big Smoke taught me SO MANY lessons. Okay, I think the best lesson was that other people will be able to spot issues with your work that you can’t.

When I finished the first polished version, I thought it was awesome. Award winning, even. Then I got it professionally appraised and was totally shocked by the constructive criticism I received. It took me a while to digest the feedback, but I ended up completely re-writing the book based on the advice, and I’m so glad I did. The feedback I received on the new version proved that it was worth the effort.

You’re indie publishing The Big Smoke, and you’ve talked about that decision here (“Why I’ve Decided To Go Indie”) on your blog. How did that decision to indie publish affect the editing process for your book?

It meant that I was in charge of the editing process, rather than a traditional publishing house. Many self-published books are let down by a lack of editing, and I didn’t want The Big Smoke to fall into the category. To avoid that, I had seven beta readers provide feedback on both macro and micro levels, and made a raft of changes based on their suggestions.

Once I was happy with the novel, I sought out a professional copy editor. I received quotes and sample edits from a few different editors and found one that I was really happy with. His edits helped to tighten the prose and ensured everything was as realistic and plausible as possible at the micro level. Obviously, publishing independently also meant I had bear the cost of editing myself, but there’s no doubt that it was a worthwhile investment.

Answer this question from the perspective of one of your characters: “My most irrational fear is…”

Seb: My most irrational fear is… I’ll never make anything of my life and I’ll end up back in Mildah selling tractors like my dad.

Ceara: My most irrational fear is… no one will ever fall in love with me.

Now, answer the same question from your perspective: “My most irrational fear is…”

Cally: My most irrational fear is… my characters will come to life and make me pay for what I’ve put them through!

So there it is, straight from Cally’s mouth — what it was like to write, edit, and self-publish her debut novel The Big Smoke. This is a remarkable novel, and I purchased my copy today! You should too — remember, you can get it at these online retailers for just $2.99: Amazon for Kindle, Smashwords for all e-editions.

Stay up on all things Cally Jackson and The Big Smoke by reading her blog and by following her on Twitter, finding her on GoodReads, and liking her author page on Facebook.