Happy Friday! My guest today is marketing and advertising expert Jory Rosen. While back cover copy and blurbs are critical tools in an author’s arsenal, Mr. Rosen joins us today to explain why we might want to consider videos in our marketing platform. ~ Donnell
Utilizing Video Marketing to Sell Your Book
By Jory Rosen 
The book is completed and it is published. Congratulations. This is an amazing accomplishment and should be applauded. The question is now what? For the book to have success authors have to make sure it is marketed properly. Many publishers will do some of the marketing, but to truly succeed today authors must take the marketing into their own hands. One way to do this is to take advantage of using videos to promote and market the book.
Utilizing video marketing allows authors of all types to reach a larger audience and brings the book to life for people. It can show the plot, what the characters look like, the locations and so much more.
Video marketing is used across many on-line mediums – social media, Amazon (and other on-line book sellers), You Tube and even email marketing. No matter who the intended audience is utilizing a video will be much more effective.
There are a few types of video marketing to consider:
The Sizzle Reel:
This is a one to two-minute video which shows the
highlights of the book, key plot points and characters. Think of it as bringing the back cover/inside cover to life. Instead of people browsing in a bookstore, they now look for books on-line and having a sizzle reel allows potential readers to know what the book is about. Think of a shopper on Amazon. They are deciding between two books. One has a good description on the Amazon page, the other has a video on the page which brings the book to life. Which book will they buy?
The EPK (Electronic Press Kit):
The EPK takes a deep dive into the book, the subject and the author. Think of it as a special feature that may be found on a DVD. The EPK will most often start with an interview with the author and take an in-depth look at the writing process and excitement for the book. Other features will include the Sizzle Reel, features on what the book is about and (if non-fiction) a five to ten-minute documentary on the subject and what makes it so interesting. The EPK will be all the marketing tools in one and will be used on the website for the book as well as be split into chapters for placement on social media, Amazon and other on-line outlets. The more that is created, the more people will talk about the book and sales will increase. Also, awareness of the author will increase which leads to easier marketing and sales for future books.
The Pitch Deck:
Many authors hope their books will be turned into movies or television projects. If the book is just submitted the chances of having it optioned are very slim. Most often books are given to entry level assistants who may read the book or not. Very rarely will they mention it to the powers that be. These are not good odds. This is where the Pitch Deck Video comes in. A video is created highlighting what the book is about, what the characters looks like and most importantly why it will succeed. To do this the Pitch Deck has to compare the book to other successful properties in the past. For example – This incredible story is part Titanic love and part Death on the Nile Intrigue. It will capture your heart and leave you breathless waiting for the outcome no one saw coming”. It is the visual picture that will capture the attention of studio executives and producers. It is the sell in the video that will have them excited and want to option the book.
These are just three examples of video tools that can be used for successful marketing. There are others. From staged readings and author interviews to animated shorts and catchy sales promos, video marketing offers many ways to be a successful author.
“Jory Rosen has produced beautiful videos for several of my book series. He is excellent, creative and easy to work with. He has always listened to what [I] want.” www.ElizabethCookebooks.com
About the Author: Jory Rosen is the president of J. Rosen Group, a full-service marketing and advertising agency that has been working with authors and publishers for over 35 years. For more information contact him at jory@jrosengroup.com
https://jrosengroup.com/digital-marketing
Jory did a great job of breaking down the different ways to use videos in marketing.
I’ve not done any video for my books and found this very informative. Thanks, vb
Patricia and Vicki, thanks for stopping by. I have to agree with Jory. A well-done video can capture attention.
Rory, I’m curious about You Tube, and Facebook, etc. I’m just learning about Youtube channels etc. How would an author keep the video from getting lost amid all the competition? Thanks again for being my guest today. Compelling information.
Jory, thanks so much for this brief explanation of the different kinds of videos and how they can help with book marketing. Nicely described and very helpful!
Excellent information, Jory. Donnell, I too have wondered about how an author keeps their video from being buried in the pile of other videos.
Margaret and Char, thanks for stopping by! Glad you found the information as useful as I did!
Donnell, the issue with You Tube can be addressed some with frequency of views or updates. One way is to make sure someone, even yourself, watches the video at least once a week. This keeps it higher up in the algorithms. Another method is to have three or four videos made, as simple as a different announcement at the end of the video, so no additional costs (text about where available, appearances, etc). This means you can change out the video periodically and it will again appear higher in the algorithm.
No matter what the competition on You Tube is strong. So it is all about eyeballs. Make sure to post the link in on your social sites and on your web site. Do not embed the video in the site, install a You Tube player. This way every time clicked it will show as a view.
Any other questions, just let me know.
Thank you, Jory. Clearly I have a lot to learn. Lots of interest in your blog, sir.
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