Tips for making a promo presentation for your book

Everyone likes watching a video or slideshow and they are immensely useful when marketing your book. There are plenty of packages available, some of which are free for the basic version. Even though I work on an iMac which has iVideo, I use Animoto, which has ready-made templates and a large choice of accompanying music. This is how I build the show.

• Make a list of events and crises in your book. This is your "storyboard". 
• Find pictures that suit the event or crisis. N.B. Make sure you have either permission to use the pictures or that you buy them from one of the many online sources, such as Kozzi or Shutterstock. Read the terms and conditions very carefully, otherwise you could find yourself in breach of copyright. In certain circumstances, you cannot use your own photographs, eg. Hampton Court Palace. Check if you are unsure
• Caption each picture you intend to use. Make the captions powerful and dramatic - "Luke is the only man who can stop the killers" - and also make some captions questions - "The enemy is closing in. Can Luke save the day?
• Try rearranging the order of the pictures to see if it gives the presentation more impact.
• Don't make the presentation longer than 1-2 minutes otherwise people will click out of it.
• Find music that fits the content. There are also copyright issues here, so check again that you are permitted to use the music.
• Play the presentation through a few times and do your utmost to pick holes in it. Don't be sentimental about this. It is a marketing tool and, as such, needs to be examined without emotion.
• When you are happy, send it out into the world. FB it, Tweet it and put it on YouTube.

To see two examples, here are the links to the videos I made for the first two books in The Tudor Enigma. 

Court of Conspiracy is here: https://animoto.com/play/Mrw4cjcd670I7xXDv1fglg

Taste of Treason  is here: https://animoto.com/play/xXZayI0J5sNZQN7kdn5HGg

April Taylor COURT OF CONSPIRACY http://amzn.to/1eQ3bFl and  

 http://amzn.to/1hFTxzo

April Taylor TASTE OF TREASON http://amzn.to/10nY5K5 and

 http://amzn.to/1mXWnt0

Find April on Website     Facebook  Twitter

TASTE OF TREASON: Book 2 in The Tudor Enigma

Launch day is Monday 27th October for the second adventure featuring Tudor apothecary, Luke Ballard. 

In the first book of this series, Court of Conspiracy, unassuming apothecary and elemancer, Luke Ballard, came face to face with a powerful sunderer, mortal enemies of elemancers. Sunderers are dark sorcerers who will stop at nothing—including partnering with England's mortal enemies—to destroy the Tudor Dynasty of Henry IX, son of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.

In Taste of Treason, Luke, now a Dominus Elemancer and Henry's Privy Inquirer into Divers Mischiefs and Grievances, has increased his magical powers. But is Luke skilled enough to protect those he loves and once more prevent tragedy from reaching the royal family?

The continuation of Tudor rule and the future of England's true religion rest with King Henry IX's new bride, Queen Madeline of Scotland. Pregnant with a possible heir, she's nearly killed—twice—in incidents that bizarrely mimic the Plagues of Egypt. And she is not alone. All of Hampton Court, it seems, has been surrounded by a dark cloud of otherworldly danger.

Fearful for his wife and unborn child, King Henry can only turn to one man.

The Tudor Enigma published by Carina Press: http://ebooks.carinapress.com/8CA53B75-2018-4F9F-BCF0-2904741C3830/10/134/en/Default.htm

Book 1, Court of Conspiracy, available: http://amzn.to/1eQ3bFl  http://amzn.to/1hFTxzo

Book 2, Taste of Treason available :http://amzn.to/10nY5K5 and here http://amzn.to/1mXWnt0

Links for April Taylor: Website           Blog     Facebook  Twitter