Watch other Book Trailers
Watching other book trailers will provide you with insight about how to effectively present a preview of a book when making your own trailer. Think about the types of previews for movies you have seen. Have you ever watched a movie trailer that went on for way too long? By the time the it’s over, it seems as though you’ve seen all the key moments in the film. Effective movie trailers, on the other hand, convey the essence of the movie without giving too much away. The same principle applies to book trailers.

Select only Vital Elements
Most book trailers don't need to be much longer than a minute or two. This may seem like a daunting task at first, especially if the book was filled with intricate storylines, complex characterization and interwoven themes. However, keep in mind that the purpose of a book trailer is simply to capture the attention of the viewer and get them interested in reading the book. Begin by thinking about a few intriguing elements of the book and how you can bring them together into a video.

Hone in on Main Characters
Introduce a few compelling characters at most and leave the minor characters out. Focusing solely on these key characters will help in allowing you to leave out many aspects of the story that are nonessential. Also, book trailers do not need have to show exactly how the characters look. Precise appearances are often left out intentionally because it leaves the reader free to visualize the characters and imagine more on their own.

Stick to Major Plot Points
Stick to shorter statements rather than those that are too wordy when writing a script in order to draw people in to the story. Overloading the trailer with unnecessary details about the plot and settings is not necessary. Give a broad overview of what the book is about in a concise manner. Highlight what makes the story unique or interesting while not giving away the unexpected twists and turns that take place. One useful approach is to mix in memorable or thought-provoking quotes from the book. Many book trailers will end by posing a question or with a suspenseful cliffhanger finish. Such techniques leave the viewer wondering about an uncertain outcome and what direction the story will take.

Let Pictures Tell the Story
Making a storyboard before gathering images is helpful in planning out the entire sequence of images from beginning to end. Estimate how long each image will appear, perhaps about five seconds or more on average, in order to calculate the approximate total time of the video. The amount of time each image appears can vary and depends on what type of pacing you want to set. Remember that even though you are describing a book, you are using a visual medium. Other elements such as the text and music can be arranged to fit within the flow of the video.

Set a Suitable Tone
The mood or emotion expressed in the video will often be a reflection of the genre and basic premise of the book. Some of the factors that influence the tone of a book trailer and can add some feeling to it include the pacing and the music. These aspects influence whether the video is somber, upbeat, frightening, dramatic, etc., and allow the video to build in intensity.