Promote Your Book With Video

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Video is the best way I have found to promote a book, because people read books by authors they know, like and trust, and video builds that fastest. You do not have to show your face to start. Below I cover why video works, how to start if you hate the camera, and why one niche matters.

Why is video good for promoting books?

Many authors think they wrote the book, so now someone else will put it out there and it will sell millions of copies. People need to know, like and trust you before they read your book. A blog or podcast helps, but video is by far the most effective way to connect with readers at a personal level. When they read the book they feel they know the author. Then they think, I like this person’s books and I connect with them as a person, so I’ll read more. Video is one channel; for the rest, see how to market a self-published book.

When I got started I was afraid of being on video. You worry about negative comments, or that people will show up and contact you. I built my brand around a name first, with audio only. If video is a challenge for you, do it with just a voice. That’s fine.

How can you do video without your face?

You are just talking about your books, the characters, yourself and your journey as an author, and what readers will experience. Is it exciting? Does it pull you into a different world? Think of it as a trailer for your book. You can hire a narrator and give them a script. For a cooking book or puppy training, bring your puppy into the video. You are building a multimedia experience around the book, with no face required.

Why did I put my face on camera?

I saw my traffic jump with the videos I did. More people clicked to check out my books and more bought through my website. I was surprised it was so effective. Then I heard that a face amplifies it, and it does. There is something about a face and a voice that you connect with. So I started using my face and building a brand around that.

I’d say use your face only with one of your book niches. If you have different books in different genres, don’t connect yourself to all of them. Use a pen name for the others (KDP pen names) and keep yourself tied to the niche you’re most excited about, one you can stay in for 10 years. In my experience it takes 3 to 5 years to build traction and about 10 for things to explode. I’ve never known anyone who stayed in a market, kept improving with a coach and moved through the process for 10 years who did not succeed. That is why Self-Publishing Made Easy Now focuses only on self-publishing, even though I have books on survival, history, philosophy and politics, which I put under pen names. I explain how to set that up in self-publishing under a pen name.

What kinds of video can you make?

1. The author talking about the experience of writing the book.
2. A promo or trailer, with illustrations if it helps.
3. For nonfiction, a preview of exactly what you teach in the book.
4. Links to your other videos inside the book, so readers see your face and hear your voice.
5. Live sessions on Zoom or similar tools, where readers ask questions. Many big authors don’t bother to connect with readers unless it is an in-person signing. Why not take questions and go back and forth? If you are thinking about a real signing or a table at a fair, are book fairs worth it covers the costs.

Many viewers who take me up on the free discovery call jump right into their books. That takes away the risk of wondering what if I try coaching and get nothing out of it. You get value straight away. I have put out 230 books and had over 200 million ad views on Amazon, so I can tell you what works from my own results.

I have one book. What do I post, and how often?

This is my advice, not a rule. Pick one platform and one or two kinds of video from the list above, then repeat them. Repeating is what lets people get to know you.

Build each post around what a reader of your genre will feel or learn, not around the fact that your book exists. A thriller reader wants the tension. A cookbook reader wants one recipe that works. The book comes up as the place to find more.

A pace you can keep beats a daily pace you drop after a few weeks. Choose a rhythm that fits your week and stick to it, even if that is one video at a time.

Send people to one place, either your email sign-up or the book page. If every post points somewhere different, nobody follows through.

Can I use music in my book videos?

YouTube says music and sound effects from its Audio Library are copyright-safe, and that they are not claimed through Content ID. Some tracks carry a Creative Commons license, and for those you must credit the artist in your video’s description. You can filter for tracks that need no attribution. The page also says only Audio Library music is known to YouTube to be copyright-safe, so music from anywhere else is your risk to check (YouTube Help: Audio Library).

How do you get over camera fear?

You get over how you look and sound once you start. If you hate how you look, nobody cares as much as you do. People connect with you whoever you are, and readers are out there for any writing of a certain quality. The same goes for videos. I wish I had started making videos regularly 10 years earlier. I’ve made over 750, so start today. Don’t worry about how you look or sound, just make videos and see what they do. I wrote more about building an audience in who else wants more book sales.

Do you promote your book with video? Tell me what you’ve tried in the comments. If you want help planning your first book video, book a free 25-minute discovery call.

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