Creating a book trailer-- hopefully

 

November sunset from Casa Espiritu

When someone writes a book (I've written 30 with one still on the way), that's half the job, the rest (and maybe more) is marketing it through ads and other ways to get that book seen. That doesn't even mean bought as if it's not seen first, it won't be bought. The ads cost money, require some creativity, and can be fruitful... or not so much. It's also possible to write about it in various social media sites, which may or may not work out for sales.

Are sales that important? They are for those who want to be a full-time author without a second job. But even when writing as someone who loves doing it, there is a satisfaction with a sale. It enables paying for other elements of getting it seen and also just the enjoyment of knowing someone appreciated the writer's work. Writing can be a lonely job and seeing that a reader enjoyed a work through a purchase or review can be a connection that keeps that writer going.

There is another way to get a book seen-- book trailers. It is probably a lot less known or used.There are two kinds. One has the author talking about the book, usually 3 minutes but can vary depending on the money put into it. How long will vary on how interesting a discussion and where it's set.

A second type of book trailer, usually lasting a minute, with images, takes three things. First the images, which are usually purchased for the project or earlier feeling they might be of use someday. Some writers can pay for actors to portray some of their plot. In a subject trailer, there is also music. The creator needs royalty free music and images. My music for videos came mostly from JewelBeat, which is no longer active. What is it about the internet that nothing stays the same.  In my case, the rights were under Properties, royalty free, and found on my desktop. I listened to them and chose one that fit.

This trailer was for a book that had been out for a while, but I'd changed the title because the original one was potentially confusing to readers. The process I used is not the only one,possible. I have not watched a lot of book trailers, but I found a pattern that worked for me, cost very little money (other than that which I'd already put out off and on), and got across the key points I hoped to have in my stories. Without giving away the whole plot.

Creating the trailer itself seemed like it'd be easy as it had been before. I wanted it to depict the characters, their issues, and the overall theme. This book had a supernatural element, which made it fun to work with putting backgrounds to the characters. Usually the backgrounds are my photos and in this case in the area where the book was set-- Arizona. Some had been been purchased earlier.

A major oops came when I read that Picasa3, where I can created all my trailers, had been discontinued years ago. It no longer connected to the Internet as it didn't work with the Cloud... What!!! Dang internet and its constant upgrading. I had never used the Cloud but did need to send trailers to sites from my desktop and memory cards.

I still had Picasa3 on my computer but something was different, and I went looking for other video making sources. Nothing was easy enough for this Luddite. I went back to studying Picasa3 and found certain familiar areas.  Might it still work?

Getting my images in a Picasa folder was my first problem. From a standpoint of not thinking so much about the election, since this trailer problem all began on Tuesday, it had some advantages as a distraction. Staying busy with a creative- if frustrating- process took me away from the country's issues. It also helps that I don't watch any television.

I was still unsure that I could use Picasa3 and then I found more of the tools I used to use. With text on the images, it looked good. It went to YouTube perfectly.

Then came more frustration, a grammar error that I didn't discover until the trailer was out there. I debated leaving it but knew it'd bug me. I finally redid it, frustrated again with how it was to get the trailer into my blogger site for trailers. That problem was the Luddite in action again, and easily fixed.

There was one more discovery to pass on with anyone interested in creating their own trailers. Picasa3 is still available thanks to Google. It cannot directly send a trailer to various sites, but once it's on a desktop, it could be sent to YouTube where it is seemingly instantly ready to share. Best of all for Picasa3 is it's free. I though had my own version, which was still functional for creating.

At YouTube, the trailer is:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Xp39filv44

At my Trailer Blog: http://rainydaytrailers.blogspot.com/2024/11/capturing-wolf.html This channel has many of my trailers-- some older versions not as good. I've learned as I've gone.

 

For a Kindle version of the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KDCI9VG  It also has a paperback with the old title. I might order the new version but for now I've had enough frustration.
 

Marketing...

 After writing about writing, I feel I should cover the other side of it if you want your book to be seen by anybody.  Marketing. There are writers who probably enjoy it, but many do not-- especially those of us who are introverts.

To be an introvert when it comes to writing, it works well. We are not prone to partying, like alone time, enjoy researching (which writing can need a lot of), and like having a few close friends, but don't need a lot. As an introvert, I like studying relationships and how people tick-- again works well with creating characters for plots.

But how does an introvert do when it comes to working with crowds, trying to get people to take their work seriously? That's where extroverts excel,and we introverts prefer to stay in the shadows. Let someone else take glory or fame. We like the work but that next part of it, not so much. Maybe that would work better with split personalities. 

 

This meme showed up recently from several writers, and I so related to it. It's funny, but also true. It's funny because nobody really buys books because of the writer saying, pretty please lol. Readers buy books by finding them in a category they know they enjoy. 

This has been a surprising month for me in book sales. Try zero. Yes, not one single book sold. Last month and the months before, there had been sales. Maybe not a lot by some standards but good enough to feel at least a few people wanted to read my work. This month, start with the first, yep, nada. 

When there is such an abrupt decline, a writer, even one who hates the idea of marketing has to wonder why one month suddenly had such a drop off in numbers-- like into a dark hole. 

We had some ads up, although not a lot as ads have to pay for themselves unless someone is independently wealthy. Mostly I've let ads get paid for by sales... Not going to happen this month.

There are some possible reasons at least for one of the distributors. They changed categories. They also might have changed algorithms, that we never really know about.

If someone came here hoping I had some answers for marketing. Sorry as  got nothing. I believe in my work but marketing-- different thing.

I do though have a brand new picture of me while considering what went wrong. I rarely put up pictures with glasses, as I prefer contacts, but when working on the computer, these are my go-tos *s*

None of this was AI generated-- although I don't know about the meme.

Bonus post and a sale

 Sale on a new book that arrives tomorrow, and today is on preorder. It's part of the series of Arizona romances that was pulled a year ago for editing, new titles, and some extended endings. So, new, only by the rules. But it is kind of new. It came out first as Tucson Moon, then the Marshal's Lady. No tittle really worked for the theme of the book. I believe this one does and it will be permanent. 

Does the flame that beckons to us burn or enlighten our lives?

Because it is new and this is the Christmas season, it's on sale for 6 days or so, depending on when we get around to changing it.

The main characters, romantic protagonists and villain, were in the first book, Beyond the Broken Road. Although it might seem Priscilla and Cord aren't on a broken road as were Sam and Abigail, in a way their roads were equally not right for their eventual goals. Throw in Christmas and an estranged daughter, later a movement of nature, and you have the essence of The Beckoning Flame.

My novels are longer than many, with twists and nuances, but they are what I enjoy writing and hope readers will equally enjoy.

Happy Holidays however you celebrate them, and hope you enjoy this book if you check it out and buy it before its price goes to $4.99. It is also wide and available for other senders, but no paperback yet. That is still to come. It's been a busy season here.

https://www.amazon.com/the%20beckoning%20flame-Winds-Change-ebook/dp/B0CQGR6N3B/

Titles of books

 Some who write books, have titles in mind from the start. I almost never do. I often change my mind on possible titles before the book comes out. Those are the lucky times. For my Oregon historical romances, their first published titles worked and continue to work for me. That happens sometimes but not always.

The Arizona historical romances have been less fortunate. I started out looking for a title for the first one after it was written. Keep in mind that marketing is in the essence of what titles and covers are about. Finding a title and yes cover that work for a trope is what helps to find readers.

What should a title say about the book? Something about the theme, maybe the characters, or the essence of the story. Location works for some books as it might be central to the rest of what happens. What about when it's not?

With the book that had its first title as Arizona Sunset. I thought not only did it give the location but also the possible dire end of a life through the plot. Of course, since it was a romance, not a love story, that dire end wasn't really possible. That book went through assorted other title possibilities and nothing really dealt with the story itself. Nothing worked for readers or even me. When we got to the last one, Impulse, it was the biggest failure. Yes, impulses were important to the impetus behind what happened, but what did that tell a reader?

I've written before about what we went through once we found out that we could not again change titles, due to rule changes. What it led to was pulling the series, and a full year of working on how to bring the books out again, as I still love the stories and their characters. These books were set in Arizona and related to each other, with some characters carrying through them. Sam, hero of the first book, was such a strong character that he ended up in most of them as a secondary character.

For me, as a writer, this year probably didn't look like much was happening, but it was. Not so much the plots or characters but editing to improve the writing (something most authors will have happen if they keep writing).

The question remained, what title would give these two protagonists a fair exposure to what their journey was about. Then we came with the concept, both were on broken roads, going where they did not want to go. What changes that trajectory was bringing their energies together. It's not just a broken road but what can come beyond it. 

This title worked, at least for me. It better, as I will try never to change another title given all we went through with this one. Although, I have learned a lot about those books and what the titles meant for their journey.

Available for Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Broken-Road-Winds-Change-ebook/dp/B0CMZ2F29L ,

Plus universal distribution at  UBL: https://book2read.com/u/4jED5o

If you read the book, consider leaving a review, as it lost them all when being pulled and republished. Reviews mean a lot to other readers to help them decide on what to read next.  They are also good for the writers *s*

newsletters

 

Alongside here is what is supposed to be a signup for my newsletter. There have been some complications in that I hadn't sent one for too long (by Mail Chimp's standards) about which, I can't disagree. Because I hadn't had a new book out, and there were assorted reasons for that, I don't send the newsletter, as its intention is not to spam people but only when a new work is coming or a price change. 

When we went to get Mail Chimp going, we got an out of service notice or something like that. Well, that is now working, but there are some new requirements begun by the EU and spreading here to protect those who might find themselves signed up when they didn't want to be. That meant previous addresses had been lost. Mail Chimp promises they don't sell their list or keep it long. I hope that's true as it is what is best for clients.

If you find it of interest to know more about new, Rain Trueax books, check the link out. It's at the top of the column. I am sometimes reluctant to mention new books here as not all of those who read this blog care about my writing. 

The new books always appear in the links alongside here with their images but only those that go to Amazon. The ones coming next will be historical and they always go wide.

Anyway, the joys of the internet, which we need but can be frustrating at the same time. *s* 

If you have questions regarding this, feel free to email me; and my address is in my profile

words and their meanings... or not

 

Let's start with-- What is a trope?

Next could be-- it's the word I was avoiding last week. I had looked up the dictionary meaning before deciding against using it in the blog. But then, I began to think about the various ways it can be taken. With the expansion, it seemed like a good subject as it's broader in its meaning that I read from the dictionary. 

First, the dictionary meaning that I found: cliched, figure of speech, common or overused term... 

With that, it's easy to see why I backed off in terms of connecting it to my writing.  What writer wants to think their theme is cliched?

That's not how I've heard of it for marketing books. It was used as we'd use keywords. Let the reader know what they'll get. I thought that once they see  your book via a trope, it's up to you to show them why your book is different. Tropes are important as readers do have to find books in searches. 

As I expanded my thinking, I thought of the various ways a trope might be used by a writer. First is when looking for the next topic or theme, what do readers want? It would depend then on whether, as a writer, this pays the bills, or if you can afford to write what your muse is delivering to you via dreams, reading, or what you suddenly think of from seemingly out of nowhere. What fascinates the writer, then how to mix it up with the tropes that are selling best in that specific genre.

For the literary minded, trope is probably a bad word, and it's easy to see that if someone studies the NYTimes best selling list. Does a book about drug dealers have a trope? How about from a child growing up in a horrible home, and now wanting to share what that meant? Maybe it does but some of the bestsellers, thinking Where the Crawdads Sing, and I have no idea what the trope, for it, would even be. Yes, I have read most of that book as I loved that title.

Where it comes to using tropes, it can be a cover or title that the writer has to find after writing the book-- or maybe sometimes, before writing it, as a way to keep on a path.

For me, I come up with titles later. Sometimes it works well for me and to hopefully find readers but other times, not so much.

With bringing out my eight new books, which are rewritten older books, I am thinking of tropes that might work. If the writer uses Amazon to sell books, they have their own set of rules that must be considered-- whether called Tropes or Categories.

BTW, I chose a sunset photo to head this blog because sunsets alone can be seen as tropes. Maybe cliched as in used a lot, but they do speak to us-- one way or the other.

 

Wednesday

 I'm curious. Since I began publishing my books as an indie author, I have never had a month with zero sales. I've had better and less good months but never with nothing. That changed with July. From the first of July, I have had no readers wanting my books, and I can't figure out why. I don't know that I did anything differently but something led to an abrupt change.

I am posting here because I am wondering if anyone knows what might've led to what feels like a total rejection (yes, that's how it feels when you create something and nobody wants it). I admit we have had less marketing time with the arrival at the farm, but it was in June and sales didn't totally disappear in June. Any ideas?

 

We did get one clue. When you go to put up Amazon ads, it's now suggested to get them seen that you pay $1.50 to 1.60 per click-- up considerably from what it was. Now that does not mean sales but just someone clicked on the ad, which could even be an Amazon employee. We also read that a certain multi-billionaire's recent space flight cost $550 million per minute, and he said he thanked Amazon customers for financing it. Makes one wonder not just about the books but the rest of the many things we buy there. Still, without Amazon, how would I get my books out there without going through a corporate publishing house, something I have not wanted to do without losing control over the stories.

Anyway, we did create some new covers for the Arizona historicals (now called Arizona Hearts) but the first three only came out into the month; so not their fault lol 

 

Below is the poster as it now stands and likely will continue unless we decide to pull all the books. Maybe it'll take a reboot like with the computer . I've seen many ups and downs but never a slide like this one.

 

 

Not much going on

by Rain Trueax

Our projects since we got to Casa Espiritu have been small ones, but I think good for the house. One is to begin replacing the windows in the living room with energy efficient ones. We got several bids and opted for less fancy windows than we bought for the Oregon house. Tucson, with its sometimes extreme summer heat, seem like a place to be practical. It'll take a month and a half to get them here with a crew to install them. I am not fond of having work done in the house and one window is right by my desk. But still, just one day and then better for not having the window let in so much cold, heat, and noise.

The travel trailer also needs repairs from damage done a few years back by the ironwood tree when we drove in. Turns out it hadn't been repaired well enough and now involves damage to the wood around the skylight. That one is more complicated because if we took it to a dealer, it could cost $4000 and have it there a month or more. If Ranch Boss does it, it's a lot of work for him but less cost as he replaces the disintegrated particle board with plywood and then seals it. He looked into a mobile repair guy coming here but turns out that they don't do that kind of work.

In the evenings, we watch to see if we are going to get a good sunset. It does not always happen as sometimes there is color but no structure and sometimes not much of either. Still, worth looking for.

To date, it's only had one time warm enough for me to sit on the patio to watch the birds. It's not cold by comparison to the north, but it's also not that warm without wearing a coat. So no photos of birds yet but there are a lot here.

We also saw the javelina with some babies-- but no photos. They are something to watch out for when going outside. Small and not dangerous to the level of feral hogs, their tusks can tear a person's leg open if they get startled and did kill the neighbor's dog some years back. Something that made us sad, as she was a really sweet dog, but she had to protect her property, and they had babies.

One more project that Ranch Boss had someone do was getting the gravel landing pad ready for moving the travel trailer beside the carport. That won't happen until the trailer has been repaired; so currently, it blocks part of our view toward the Tucson Mountains. 

This is all kind of mundane stuff and other than my writing and some ideas for possible trips down here for after Christmas, that's pretty much all there has been as we unwind from the drive and settle in here.

Love is such a medicine

by Rain Trueax

Image from the Ben Kern wagon train, a trip taken by those who want to relive 

what once was done out of necessity.

Once in a while we like to have a book sale. Recently, we've gotten busy and have not done it as often as we would like. We decided now was the right time for the first book I ever wrote-- when I was closer to the age of the heroine-- unlike now when I'd be more like her great grandmother ;). I related to this young woman then and now for her goals and then the interference of life that changes our path sometimes. 

Because Veterans Day is a time we honor heroes, those who have served our country in the military, it seemed an apropos time for a book about heroes. Not just the main protagonist but several others who totally fit the hero profile for bravery and self-sacrifice. The 99¢ price for the eBook will be until midnight November 11th. It is only on Amazon but most eReaders can use Amazon for their books. 

Round the Bend is about two young people, who are traveling to Oregon with one of the last of the big wagon trains. They are coming with their families. One of those families is the best of the best and the other is dangerously dysfunctional. The young people have been friends most of their lives. One of then wants to change things. The other wants to keep it as it's been. 

The book is about the trip West and what it took to make it given the distance, weather and sometimes harassment of those not too thrilled to see their homeland possibly being threatened. When I wrote it, I knew the basic story. Before I published it, I had a much better idea of what it took to make the trek, the risks and the wonders. It's the story of a journey of community, our bodies, and even our souls as it changes things in ways they did not expect. 

My personal story about writing the book began when my cousin and I would go for walks during family gatherings. I liked making up stories. Often, I'd tell part and then she would. With this story, which I originally named Taopi Tawote, she stopped wanting to tell her part and wanted me to finish it. It would be years later before I actually did that. I changed the title because I feared people would think it was about Native Americans. I wrote a poem for the book though and it remains at the beginning.

Wound medicine, the Lakota call it.

    Yarrow, the English call it.

    Strong of scent, herbal healer,

    born of the earth...

taopi tawote.

        Men's souls need wound medicine.

    Some hurts go so deep only the strongest

    of medicines can heal them.

    Love is such a medicine...

     This is the story of such a love  

Maybe you've never actually read a romance. This might be your chance and for 99¢ until November 12th.  https://www.amazon.com/Round-Bend-Oregon-Historicals-Book-ebook/dp/B00UZ59KQA

When I wrote this book, I had no idea that it would lead to a series that takes the family into Oregon and its settling with three more romances. When you start writing about families, it makes a writer curious about the rest of these people like two more sisters and one I never dreamed would end up a romance, which I won't describe here as that's part of reading for the joy of discovery. Following a few years, after the family arrives in Oregon, comes Where Dreams Go. Then there was the question of the oldest sister-- Going Home which is after the Civil War. That left one sister-- Love Waits. 

Fun to write a series and there might be some more as the children grow into adults... 

 

learning as I go

by Rain Trueax

As a writer, every now and then something comes along that makes me rethink what I believed I already knew. I value such times. I've often thought how cool it is to have creative challenges at my age. This week had such a time, and it led to this blog-- and rearranging what I had planned for today.

tips from authors

by Rain Trueax

Promoting books is tough for me. To mention them, as a product, feels like I am pushing something onto someone; and yet if writers don't get their books seen, they cannot get readers. Some pay someone else to promote their books. Sometimes a writer gets lucky and has fans promote the books they liked. I've been lucky that way and even with some who may not read everything I write but like my writing style. I've also had those who email me they loved what I wrote; but they won't tell that to anybody else because after all these are romances-- not well respected by literary types. When someone tells me my writing compares to the best they've read but they won't tell anybody else, I have to respect their choice and don't say--- grrrrr followed by lol.

I have contemporary books that I am convinced (of course, I am) someone somewhere would like if they just saw them. Getting the right person to see them is the problem. I've read some claim marketing is 50% of being an author, and I could believe it. The question is what is the best way to do it.

Inspiration

by Rain Trueax
 

For writers there is the constant consideration of -- write for the market or write from their own heart. Unless it's a hobby, making money at writing has to be a consideration. Sometimes a writer gets lucky and what the market already wants is what they enjoy writing-- definitely fortuitous. A writer might write to their own heart and hit a zeitgeist-- a time when the winds change, and they ride the first wave.  

This is on my mind today because I finished the rough draft for the last book for a series that hasn't found a market. These books are twice as long as some of the best selling books, where novellas are so popular. I could have written two or maybe three books in the same time. So why write longer books? Why not look at what is selling and try to create my own version of it? Why when I see that my historicals sell better, set a series in contemporary times?

There are reasons for all of that. Of course, one is the hope that this story from my heart will find readers who will love it as much as I have loved writing it.  It's kind of a weird thing how I put off writing more than a couple of chapters for over a year from when I had brought out the fourth in that series. I believe this was the right time for writing it. It's a better story than it would have been  if I'd jumped right in after the fourth. I learned things about the characters that I might've missed back then.

However, a delay like this is another of those no-no's if someone wants to sell books-- regular production is important to keep a market waiting for the next one. A year off and who but me cares that I am writing it now. That wasn't a question lol.

Starting Over-- series

by Rain Trueax

Many times, I've mentioned how it's not about simply putting a book out but about launching it-- if someone cares about selling that book. The first part is easy-- follow the dots. The second not so much. It has to be in the right genre, have helpful tags, places to let readers see it, ads, but there is another thing that makes a difference-- having it part of a series.

What a series does is when a reader likes a set of characters, a place, a theme, they often will follow it up. I got one criticism early on that i hadn't made it clear that the book they bought was second in the series. Readers like to read books, especially with connecting characters, in order. When you do an ad, a series makes a reader more likely to also buy the next and the next. I've seen it play out time and again. You pay to advertise one book but reap the benefit for the rest. 

Series can based on a place, characters, or theme. You have seen how that worked with wildly successful books, like the Harry Potter books, Game of Thrones, etc., but it's a plus even for those that are not.

marketing-- like it or not

by Rain Trueax

Here's the thing for anyone selling anything. You have to satisfy the buyer. You have to convince them of their need...  for what you are providing. To do that, your product must be visible to them. The greatest artist in the world will not sell their paintings if they don't get them out of their studio or buyers into it.

While creating a book, painting, beautiful furniture, etc. is a mix of craft and art, marketing is a business. It is what will convince someone to trade their labor for the creator's labor. While art might be pure, once the creator wants to trade the result for money, short of finding a human benefactor, it is a business. Business is something many artists find distasteful-- hence they better find that benefactor.

This is true when selling our skills or selves for a job. I always think about movie stars where it comes to marketing. There are many women as lovely as Marilyn Monroe, what made it her while the others went back to Kansas? Heck, some even sell themselves for sex to get ahead and don't get anything but bad experiences. 

So, why is it that some succeed in the business end, while others must put their wonderful work in closets? Persistence? Talent? Beauty? Luck? Whatever it is, marketing, which is a skill, is behind it all.