Aloha from Karen,

People can see and preview books through video trailers. These cost money, or time if we develop them ourselves. With MACs it;s pretty easy to create one. And some authors, like Tricia Goyer, even ran a contest to let readers create the best video clip with a lower cost of a prize for the winner.

Let's consider how to use a book trailer as a marketing tool.

First we upload the video to youtube.com, tangle.com and other sites. Then we need to point people there from our website, blog, and social networks. Hopefully word of mouse will take over and get other people watching it. Having a button to play the clip on the frontpage of a website is a great way to engage people who go to an author's website.

Check out a site that lists sites for posting book trailers.

Now there are book trailer parks, such as http://booktrailerpark.blogspot.com/ that use some fun ways to introduce book trailers. And there are book lover sites for posting book trailers.

Authors can put the trailer on a DVD and ask local stores and libraries to play them when the book is released, play them at their speaking events, or put them on an audio digital picture frame or laptop to play at a book table.

The book trailer can be great to let perspective meeting planners view as they contemplate who to bring in for a conference or other event. Then the meeting planner can use the book trailer to advertise the speaker as part of advertising the event.

If your local church is holding an event that's relevant to your book, see if they are willing to run the book trailer at some point during the event It's one way to let people know about a resource to compliment the event.

Book trailers can be part of the hook to get on media. Radio stations can also use trailers on their website to advertise your upcoming appearance. Include the link to view the trailer as part of the press kit.

A tool, such as book trailers, can get more mileage if the author puts it to work.

Yes, I have a book trailer for my book, Secrets of Success for Women: Time. Check it out and consider more ways we can use these short clips.