Writers matched by genre
A memoir needs a different writer than a space opera. We assign people who already read and write in your category.
- Home
- Book Cover Design
- Video Book Trailer
Book Trailer Videos That Give Readers a Quick Reason to Click Through
A book trailer is a short video that tells a stranger what your book feels like in under a minute. We write the script, choose licensed visuals, add music and captions, and export versions for your website, social channels and newsletter. A trailer supports a wider campaign, and we say clearly that it cannot guarantee views or sales.
What You Receive
Included In Every Video Book Trailer Project
- Concept and script approved as text before production
- Licensed visuals, motion graphics or your own footage
- Licensed music and optional voice-over
- Captions for silent autoplay and an end card with one call to action
- MP4 exports in 16:9, 9:16 and 1:1, with revisions
01
What a trailer can do for a book, and what it cannot
A book trailer is a short video, typically 30 to 60 seconds, that gives a reader a quick feel for your book. It sits on your author website, your store page where the platform allows, your social channels and in your newsletter. Think of it as a moving version of the cover and the blurb. It can set a mood, pose the central question, and point viewers to a link. It works best as one piece of a wider campaign, placed where your readers already spend time.
We want to be honest about limits. A trailer does not sell a book by itself, and we cannot promise views, clicks or sales. Many viewers will watch the first few seconds and move on. That is why we build the trailer around a strong opening and a single clear next step, rather than trying to summarize the plot. Some books suit video better than others. A thriller with a sharp premise or a children's book with bright pictures usually shows well, while a dense academic text needs a more careful concept.
Length is a choice with trade-offs. Thirty seconds suits social feeds, where attention is short and autoplay is silent. Sixty seconds gives room for a slightly fuller story, and works on your website, where visitors choose to press play. We sometimes make a long cut and a short cut from the same material. Whichever you choose, we cut anything that does not serve the hook. A tight forty seconds beats a loose ninety, and shorter files also load faster for viewers on mobile connections.
02
Script, visuals, music, and voice-over
Every trailer starts with a concept and a short script. We read your book or its synopsis, pick the single hook that will make a stranger curious, and write a script of perhaps seventy to a hundred words, often fewer. You approve it as text before any footage is chosen. The script covers the opening line, the building beats, the title reveal and the closing call to action. Writing it first is far cheaper than changing a finished video, so we encourage careful notes at this stage.
For visuals, we mix what suits the book. Licensed stock footage and photos, motion graphics, animated cover reveals and kinetic type, where words move on screen in time with the voice, are all common. If you have your own material, such as author footage, illustrations or a reading, we can build it in. Everything we source is licensed for commercial promotional use, and we tell you where it came from. We avoid footage that contradicts the story, since a mismatch between mood and genre confuses viewers about what the book is.
Audio needs the same care. Music is licensed for the platforms where you will publish, and we check the terms, since a track licensed for one use may not cover paid promotion. A voice-over can be recorded by a narrator we hire for the project, and the voice license is covered in writing. Not every trailer needs speech, and a text-driven piece with music can work well. We balance levels so the words stay clear on a phone speaker, where bass-heavy tracks often swallow the voice.
03
Formats, captions, and where the video goes
Different platforms want different shapes. Widescreen 16:9 suits websites and YouTube. Vertical 9:16 suits short-form feeds and stories. Square 1:1 is still used in some feeds and email. Instead of stretching one file, we reframe each version, moving titles and key images so nothing important is cropped. Platform guidance on length, size and resolution changes, so we check the current rules for each channel you plan to use at the start of the project, and we export in the formats they accept, usually MP4.
Many people watch with the sound off, so captions are built in. We burn readable text onto the video for silent autoplay and can supply a separate caption file, such as SRT, for platforms that support it. Captions also help viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, and those who watch in noisy places. The first three seconds carry the hook, so we put the most intriguing line or image there, not a logo. A title card or a long fade-in at the start usually costs you viewers.
The end card is where the video earns its keep. It shows the cover, the title, your name and one action, such as a link to your store page or a sign-up page for your newsletter. We keep it to one action, since choices split attention. Revisions are included in the quote and defined before work starts. Typical feedback covers pacing, text, music or color. You receive the final files and a record of the licenses used, and you post the video on your own accounts.
Why Authors Stay
What Authors Value Most About Working With One Team
Confidential by default
An NDA is signed before you share anything, and your name is the only one that appears on the book.
Pricing you can read
You get a written quote that lists what is included. Royalties are never shared with us, now or later.
How We Run A Video Book Trailer Project
Our Process, Step By Step
- 1
Concept and hook
We read your book or synopsis and agree the single idea that will make a stranger curious. We also agree where the trailer will be posted, as that decides length and shape.
- 2
Script and storyboard
We write a short script and a simple frame-by-frame plan. You approve both as text and sketches before any footage is selected, which keeps later changes small.
- 3
Visual and audio sourcing
We select licensed footage and images, or work with your own material, and choose music that fits the genre. We record the license terms for everything used.
- 4
Edit, captions and end card
We cut the video to the beat of the music, add kinetic type and captions, and build an end card with your cover, title and one clear link.
- 5
Review and revisions
You watch a draft and send notes on pacing, wording, music or color. We revise within the rounds in your quote and check the video with sound off and on.
- 6
Export and handover
We export MP4 files in the aspect ratios you need, checked against each platform's current rules, and send them with the caption file and license record.
Complete Your Book With Our Other Services
Five Services, One Team
Who This Service Is For
Authors We Work With Most Often
Authors launching a new book
You want something visual to post on launch day and to place on your site and newsletter. We create a short trailer in the right shapes for each channel, so you can use it across your whole campaign.
Authors with a backlist title
An older book still deserves attention. A fresh trailer gives you a new reason to post, email your list or update a store page, without changing the book itself or its cover, and it can be reused in later campaigns.
Children's and illustrated book authors
Your pictures already tell a story. We animate your artwork gently, add music and simple text, and produce a trailer that suits parents and teachers scrolling through a feed. The tone stays warm and the text stays short, so the pictures do most of the talking.
Book Your Free Consultation
Tell us about your book. A project manager replies within one business day with a clear plan and a written quote.
Video Book Trailer: Your Questions Answered
How long should a book trailer be?
Usually 30 to 60 seconds. Thirty seconds suits social feeds with silent autoplay, and sixty gives a little more room for a website or email. We can supply both lengths from the same material. A short, clear trailer is better than a long one that loses viewers.
Will a book trailer increase my sales?
A trailer supports a campaign, but it cannot guarantee views, clicks or sales. Results depend on your book, your audience and where you post it. We build the trailer to catch attention in the first seconds and point to one link, then you decide how to promote it.
Which video formats and ratios will I receive?
We export MP4 files in 16:9 for websites and YouTube, 9:16 for short-form vertical feeds, and 1:1 where a channel uses squares. Platform rules on length and file size change, so we check the current ones for each channel at the start of your project.
Do you handle music and voice-over licensing?
Yes. We use music licensed for the platforms where you will post, and we check whether the terms cover paid promotion. Voice-over, if used, is covered in writing too, including who recorded it and where it may be used. You receive a record of every license for your files.
Do trailers include captions?
Yes. Many viewers watch without sound, so we add readable on-screen captions and can supply a separate caption file where a platform supports one. Captions also help viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, so we treat them as part of the design.
Can you use my own footage or illustrations?
Yes, if you hold the rights to them. We can mix your author video, readings or artwork with licensed material. Send the highest-quality originals you have. We will tell you honestly if footage is too dark, shaky or low-resolution to use.
Services That Pair Well With Video Book Trailer
Book Marketing
Listing optimization, launch planning, and reader outreach built around your book and your genre.
Read moreDigital Marketing
Author website, email, content, basic ads and analytics, built for steady growth over hype.
Read moreAuthor Website Design
A clean, mobile-friendly site with book pages, buy links, and email signup that you fully own.
Read moreMore in Book Cover Design
Ready to write your book?
Why Authors Choose HivesPublisher
- Free first call: Talk through the idea, the reader and the format before any money changes hands.
- Written, itemised quote: You see what is included and what each stage costs before you commit.
- NDA before you share anything: Your drafts stay private and your name is the only one on the book.
- Rights and royalties stay with you: The copyright is yours in full when the book is finished.
- One named contact: A project manager replies within one business day and owns your timeline.