Here at Ooligan Press, after our sales call to go over the marketing and promotional material created, such as the cover and reader lines, we begin building what we call the sales video. The sales video is all about promoting an upcoming novel and highlighting the themes of the work to create awareness and set the tone for future sales and promotional materials, such as social media posts that will be created. Therefore, it is important to create a video that offers a sneak peek into the experience of the novel.
It can be a bit overwhelming and stressful, and it can be hard to gauge whether or not the sales video is effective and working well when blending elements of storytelling such as cinematic visuals and audio. Due to that, I have put together a quick guide on how to create an impactful one that works as both a book trailer for a fictional work and an engaging, informative video for a nonfiction piece. Ultimately, the goal is to captivate potential readers and make your book irresistible. So, down below is a quick checklist on how to harness the novel’s themes, immerse viewers in the heart of the story, and compel them to dive into the full narrative once it is published.
1. Discover the Core Theme(s)
Every novel explores themes, whether it’s love and loss, redemption, mystery, or courage in the face of adversity. Even if it is a nonfiction title, there should be a core theme. These themes are emotional touchpoints that resonate with readers, and the sales video should reflect them to create that impact and get them to want to read the novel once published.
Everything that is put together—the video, audio, and photos—will revolve around the core theme of the novel. If there are a few core themes, using more than one is okay, but typically, picking one to lean on will help create a cohesive video.
The primary theme(s) and genre will be what guide the readers and create the impact that gets them to want to purchase the novel. For instance, if the novel deals with personal transformation, this transformation could be visually representative of the protagonist’s journey from struggle to empowerment in a few quick shots. If the theme revolves around mystery or suspense or has darker, emotional themes, focusing on darker images and unsettling music will boost that theme and ultimately create intrigue for the novel.
2. Script the Video like a Short Film
The sales video is not just a promotional ad; it should be a story itself. Therefore, try to use the structure of the novel to frame the video. Begin with a hook—something that raises questions or creates a sense of urgency, mirroring the inciting incident in the plot. Then, introduce key characters or settings that evoke the story world. Use snippets of dialogue or narration to hint at conflicts or dilemmas without revealing too much. What we do in Ooligan is read the novel’s hook and description before going into a Q&A with the author. However, the hook and the book description read more like a script style than an essay, and this is what drives the curiosity of the viewers to keep watching for the Q&A.
3. Getting the Author Q&A
At Ooligan, in our sales videos, we include an author Q&A after the visual and thematic shots have been created. So, at the end of the hook and description of the novel, which are used to create visuals and audio, the author’s Q&A is a nice touch to get readers engaged with the author on a more personal level.
The key here is to inform the author that their visual and audio should be clear and that the questions should be short and sweet. At Ooligan, we give the author their questions ahead of time and give them plenty of time to prepare before filming. The questions that are given to them should be open ended and primarily about the novel rather than the author and hint at important themes and plot points without giving away spoilers.
4. Match Visual Aesthetics to Tone and Genre
The novel’s theme influences the visual style of the sales video, so matching the aesthetics and tones is important. For an epic fantasy, sweeping landscape shots, symbolic imagery, and a powerful score can immerse viewers in the grandeur of the story world. A contemporary romance might call for soft lighting, intimate close-ups, and warm, nostalgic tones. If the novel leans toward suspense, play with shadows, silhouettes, and eerie silence between sound effects to build tension. If it is a nonfiction novel, perhaps the visual aesthetics and tone will be more informative and show real photos of what is being depicted or talked about within the work. This is where you get to have some fun, and the creative side of the sales video gets to shine to create an impactful, promotional video.
5. Engage the Audience Emotionally with Sound and Music
Sound is a powerful tool to connect with your audience. Choose background music that aligns with the tone of your book—romantic piano for a love story, suspenseful strings for a thriller, or ambient sounds for speculative fiction. Consider incorporating sound effects to bring the scenes alive. A creaking door, distant thunder, or even a heartbeat can instantly pull viewers into the world of your novel. However, be careful not to include too much audio between voice-overs, music, and any other sound effects.
6. End with a Clear Mission
After drawing viewers into the emotional heart of the novel and connecting them with the author with the Q&A, the sales video should end with a clear call to action or mission. For example, at Ooligan, we always pop up the novel’s publishing date and recommend the viewers of the video and the readers purchase the novel once preorders are up.
7. Keep it Short but Impactful
At Ooligan, our practice is to keep the video under three minutes, but it is perfectly fine as long as it stays under four. Any longer than four minutes is when the audience’s attention span starts to drift, and with the sales video centered around being promotional and impactful, it is best to keep them in tune the entire time. Keeping it under four minutes will also help avoid cramming too much information into the video.
Final Thoughts
Creating a sales video that uses the novel’s themes to shape the narrative allows you to build a strong emotional connection with viewers of the video that will be impactful and ultimately help the promotion of the novel that is soon to be published. A well-crafted sales video doesn’t just tell potential readers what the story is about, it makes them feel the story before they’ve even turned the first page, and it helps them get established with the author on a personal level. With a compelling hook, evocative visuals, and carefully chosen audio, the sales video can transform curiosity into excitement and excitement into sales.
Written by Julie Holland.