Kate Noble's Blog, page 29

How to Make a Book Trailer for $5.

I've been very gratified that not only has Follow My Lead been garnering good reviews, but so has the book trailer I made for it.  I've been asked many times how I came up with the idea, how I put the trailer together, etc.  Well, kids, I can't tell you how anyone else would make a trailer, but I can certainly recount how I went about putting together mine.  Therefore, I give you:

How to Make a Book Trailer for $5 or Less.  (And I'm not kidding about the $5.)

[image error]Step One:  Doing My Research.

I never made a book trailer before.  I'd been a TV and film major in college, but I hadn't attempted even the simplest video project since I graduated a decade ago.  I didn't even know how to post a video to YouTube (turns out, not that hard).  So the first step of this project is the same as any other: research.

I needed to know two things:  what in book trailers appealed to me and didn't, and how to go about doing it.  For the first part, quite simply, I watched a lot of book trailers.  I looked at those that were done with a lot of money and those that were obviously done with very little.  The most important thing that both did was Tell the Story.  Book trailers, basically, visually tease the plot, in the tone and style of the book's genre.  As I write historical romance, I would not be served by the darker hues and music of most paranormal book trailers.  I needed to aim for a little lighter and fluffier, like the trailers for Sarah MacLean's or Julia Quinn's books.

As for that second thing, I needed to learn how to make a book trailer, from a technical stand point.  For this, I went to my friends for help.  Leanna Renee Hieber has an excellent blog post about how to put together a trailer, within financial constraints, and where to find royalty-free images and music.  (Why do you need royalty-free?  Because people's works and images are copyrighted, and unless it's designated royalty free and/or public domain, you are going to get mega-sued.)  Leanna Renee, danke, you became my guide.

Total cost of this step: $0 – since the internet is free at your local library.

Step Two: Concept is Key.

There are two tenants I learned in film school that I remember keenly to this day.  The first:

You can make a movie quickly, cheaply, and well.  Pick any two.

Since I did not have the budget that the aforementioned New York Times Bestsellers did, 'cheaply' was going to have to be one of my chosen two.  And since I didn't want to make a crappy trailer (really, who does?), I was going to have to let go of the idea of doing this quickly.  And investment of time is the biggest thing I could give my project.  I was going to have to do the filming, I was going to have to be the one to do the editing.  And, since I wasn't going to be able to do any nifty camera moves or flashy photoshopping, I was going to need a concept that would allow for such constraints.

Luckily the second tenant follows nicely on that realization:

KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Which of course is applicable to almost anything, but is key for storytelling in a shortened format.  I was going to have less than two minutes (most book trailers don't go over that) to get your attention, tell you a story, and get you interested before you get bored.

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A Charles Brock illustration from Pride and Prejudice

Really, my concept emerged out of what I liked and what I knew I could manage.  I've always loved the Charles E. Brock illustrations in the Edwardian pocket reprints of Jane Austen novels.  I knew that a very talented friend of mine, Kari Drake, who was a storyboard artist in another life, drew very well in that style.  I knew my brother-in-law would lend me his Flipcam.  I knew that editing software could speed up an image as fast as I wanted it to go.  I knew that if I moved all my floor lamps into my living room and kept the windows wide open I would have enough light to film it properly.

I wrote up a story treatment.  Rule of Thumb: in script writing, a page of script equals about a minute of screen time.  I didn't want my trailer to go over 2 minutes, so if the treatment went over 2 pages, I knew I had to cut.  (It was about one and a half pages, which is just about as long as the trailer.  Huzzah!)

In my mind, Concept is the most important part of the process.  If you don't have a good concept, all the money in the word is not going to make a good book trailer.  (This holds true for any movie or TV show too – Transformers 2, anyone?)

Total Cost: Also $0.  Unless your time is money.

[image error]Step Three:  Some Assembly Required.

Otherwise known as the 'doing the thing' stage.

1.    Borrowed the Flipcam from my brother-in-law.

2.    Strapped it to my old tripod with elastic hair-ties.

3.    Coerced my very talented friend, who has limited time of her own, into being the artist.  I promised her an awesome dinner.

4.    Spent a Sunday filming her hand while she draws what I wrote on the story treatment, careful to upload the video to my computer as I went because the Flipcam only has 30 minutes of available space since bro-in-law never uploads his family videos and therefore you can't delete the really cute video of the nephew's elementary school recital.

Total cost of this step: $0, plus the as yet unconsumed awesome dinner for my friend.

Step Three and a Half:  A side note on music.

One other component you must assemble is music.  Find music through a royalty-free music site that will fit your thematic aspirations, and purchase it.  Again, thank you Leanna Renee for pointing me towards some of the best royalty-free sites.  I happened to get incredibly lucky and find a royalty-free piece of music that I liked called Divertimento on a free/donation based site.  (And I gave the musician credit on the video.)  But if the music you find that works for you happens to cost $50 – buy it.  It's worth it.

Total cost of this step: A guilt induced $5 donation to the royalty free music site. (Which is seriously all he asked for.)

Step Four:  Learning to edit. (In my case, again)

Thankfully editing software is cheap and easy to come by these days.  In fact, my boyfriend's Mac has iMovie already installed on it, and for my purposes, it was all I really needed.  Of course, I had to steal his computer from him after work, which meant that I spent about a week cutting the thing together: 3 days learning the system and remembering how to edit by cutting together a crappy version of the video, and then another 2 days to do it properly.

Total cost of this step: $0, plus a lifetime of being asked by my boyfriend to make him a sandwich, because, "I let you use my computer for that video…"

Step Four and a Half: Beta Testing

Get some of your friends – who hopefully have ties to the book world or the video/editing world – to give the video a look-see and let them tell you what they think.  Chances are, if you're making a book trailer, you've written a book, and therefore have some experience with critiques. With the trailer it's no different.  Take the notes you think are good (whether its to trim a shot, or adjust the text) and know yourself enough to discard the notes that don't work.

Total cost of this step: $0.  But someday, one of your friends may ask you for a favor… and you will not say no to this favor…

Step Five: Launching the video into the world.

Creating a YouTube Channel is free.  Posting a video there is free.  Getting people to see it… takes a little more effort.  Email it to your editor, your agent, your publicist (if you have them).  But more importantly, blast it on Twitter and Facebook.  Email it directly to those places you'll be guest blogging in the near future.  Blog about it.  Blog about it again (like right now!)  You know all those novel-writing friends you asked to beta test?  Ask them to retweet you.  You have a million ways to get the word out, but only a limited amount of time to make an impact.

Total cost of this step: $0.  Other than the nerve-wracking pain of putting the first film work I've made since college online.

Total cost of the entire enterprise: $5.  Plus time.  And one as-of-yet-unpurchased dinner.  And numerous sandwiches for the boyfriend.  And payback for friend's favors.  And a tiny, tiny piece of my soul.

The impact a good book trailer can have? Priceless.

This week is going to be all writing, all the time.  But never fear, I see the light at the end of the tunnel…

Until later, sweeties – Happy Book Trailer Viewing!

 

Pulling into the Station

Oh, so sad.  It's the final stop for the Follow My Lead Blog Tour.  I'm at RomCon Inc today, talking about the difficulties of writing history within history… like I had to do for Follow My Lead.  For those of you that have been riding this train with me, thank you – it has been a lot of fun, a lot to learn and I'm so happy that I got to spend this time with you.  For those of you that only stopped by occasionally, getting on and off the train at random… Well, that was probably smarter.   I'm not gonna lie, I can talk.  A lot.  Better to take a rest here and there.

Stop on by! I'd love to hear what you think about history-in-history – does it work for you?  What do you like about it (or not?)

Regular blogging will resume here shortly, but until that time, sweets… Happy Reading!

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1st Book Bundle Contest Winner!

It's time to draw the first winner of my current website contest!  And the winner (chosen via Random.org) is:

JoAnn Manning!

Congrats JoAnn!  You've won an autographed copy of Revealed, as well as autographed copies of Katharine Ashe's Captured by a Rogue Lord and Sarah MacLean's Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart!

If you didn't win, don't worry!  There are still three prize bundles left to give out!  Now, if this is the first time you're hearing about my contest, here's a quick refresher:

1.     The contest will run for two months.

2.     A winner will be drawn every two weeks.

3.     The winners get a bundle of books by some of historical romance's most exciting talents (as well as a book by me).

4.     The books that are being given away are listed on the contest page.

5.     If you've entered once, you will be entered for the length of the whole contest.  You do not need to enter again.

6.     One entry per person.

Good contest entering and good luck!

As for me, today the Follow My Lead Blog Tour stops by for an interview at the Romantic Crush Junkies.  I'm pretty sure wine was involved when I answered these questions, so you never know what you'll learn!  Plus, they are giving away TWO copies of Follow My Lead!

Until next time, sweets – Happy Reading!

'Tis the Season…

Today in the Follow My Lead Blog Tour, I'm so happy that today I've been invited by the fabulous Beverley Kendall at The Season for Romance, discussing how, even when life doesn't always go as planned, it can turn out pretty marvelously (psst… there's a giveaway too).

Until later, Happy Reading!

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Dishing on Romance

Hi Everyone!  I'm so excited to be stopping by The Romance Dish today – they are such wonderful ladies there, and they know how to ask the hard-hitting questions.  (Oh, and did I mention to the fabulous review they gave Follow My Lead?)

Come on by!  I look forward to seeing you there!

Happy Reading…

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Rolling through the Germanic Countryside…

[image error]Today, we have an international stop on the Follow My Lead Blog Tour, at BookLovers, Inc., where I talk about my deep and abiding love of Bavaria – where, coincidentally, Follow My Lead happens to be set.   (If you're an overseas fan – go visit this one!  This is one of the few giveaways where I'm shipping the prize wherever – no country line restrictions!)

We have entered the last leg here of the Follow My Lead Blog Tour, and it has been a whirlwind of fun.  There are still a couple of giveaways left to be had, a couple more interesting tidbits of info for the avid reader… so if you missed the ones before, no worries!  More to come.

Until next time, kids, Happy Reading!

Excerpts. Why did it have to be excerpts?

Good morning and happy Monday!

Signed copies of "Follow My Lead" at The Grove in Los Angeles. Although with the sticker placed that way, it should be called "Follow My Autographed Copy"

Today in the Follow My Lead Blog Tour, I'm over at the Desert Island Keepers, sharing an excerpt of Follow My Lead (different than the one that is on this site, too!).  I'll be over there on Wednesday as well, with a insightful new blog and giveaway.

In other news, I'm so happy that so many people have been enjoying Follow My Lead!  The lovely ladies at Rakehell.com just gave it a glowing review, as did Katiebabs, and so many others.  If you've read it already, I would love to know what you think.  I encourage you to write a review on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Goodreads, so the world can follow your lead and enjoy Jason and Winn's story!

Also, don't forget about my fabulous new contest!  Every two weeks for the next two months, I'll be giving away a bundle of some fantastic books — the first bundle up includes Sarah MacLean, Katharine Ashe, and of course, me!  Enter once and you'll be entered for the entire length of the contest.

Until later, my sweets, Happy Reading!

 

Borders True Romance

[image error]Follow My Lead Blog Tour Status Update:

The place:  Borders True Romance

The time: Today

The topic: Everything Writing related.

The stakes: giving away a copy of Follow My Lead!

What you should do:  Go there now!

Happy Reading, everyone!

 

 

Internet Tango

My niece is incredibly well read for her age.

Once again, I'm dancing the internet tango, visiting two sites today in my quest to complete the Follow My Lead Blog Tour marathon. (Too many analogies at once?  Eh, maybe but you get the idea.)

Today I'm guest blogging at Fresh Fiction, where we talk about tropes and why we love them, and I'm interviewed at Smexybooks (are you smexy?  You'll have to go over there to find out) as well as a review for Follow My Lead AND a giveaway!  Hurry, hurry, my pretties!

Happy Reading everyone!

Eleven Questions…

The Follow My Lead Blog Tour continues…

Just a quick note to let you know I'm over at Sarah MacLean's blog today, answering her very fun Eleven Questions – and giving away a copy of Follow My Lead in the bargain!  Go there!  Go there now!

I hope you all are sitting at home today, reading Follow My Lead (either in book form or on your favorite eReader) and falling madly for Jason and Winn.  And if you're NOT reading Follow My Lead right now… for heaven's sake, what are you waiting for?!?!

Happy Reading…

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