If you're publishing your book with a company, run the idea of doing a book trailer by your editor and publicist. Otherwise, you can DIY your book trailer with a video camera, digital camera, or computer. If you have some basic equipment, a solid concept, and the time, you can create something short and appealing to introduce yourself and your book.
To see a range of more highly produced examples, head to the Knopf Doubleday site. Chuck Palahniuk produced a series of videos around the main character from his novel Snuff while Colson Whitehead used a low-key author-interview style, more appropriate for Sag Harbor. For other examples and commentary on what makes each effective, see the Book Trailer Blog, which includes a lovely piece by HarperStudio, "Who Is Mark Twain?," animated by Flash Rosenberg and narrated by John Lithgow, and one by John Wray, in which NYC commuters read from his book Lowboy.
Naturally, the most successful examples have both high production values and a solid concept. Assess what you bring to the project, and what resources you have at your disposal. Is your best friend a film student? Then you may have access to all kinds of great cameras and editing equipment. If not, you're going to have to rely more on your concept to carry the film. If you're comfortable on camera, follow Whitehead's example; otherwise, think about the content of your book and how you might illustrate it. The more creative or humorous the video, the greater the chances of its going viral, of course. If you can't think of a really strong idea, keep it simple. In writing your book, you took some time to think about how best to tell your story. Put that same kind of consideration into the execution of the trailer.
Once you've created the trailer, tie it into everything else: embed it on your website and your Facebook page; post it on vlog sites like YouTube and Vimeo. You'll know you've gone viral when other bloggers start embedding your video, too.
Return to "Book Promotion for Creative Writers."
