As high-speed Internet service becomes more common, audio and video content are becoming valuable tools for online book promotion. Multimedia is particularly effective for niche authors and newcomers who haven't attracted mainstream media coverage.
Multimedia grabs the attention of younger people who spend more leisure time online, while consuming less traditional media like newspapers and television. Meanwhile, production and distribution of trailers is getting easier and cheaper by the day, thanks to inexpensive video cameras and free hosting sites like #www.YouTube.com#.
Book trailers, an increasingly popular tool for book publicity, often resemble movie previews, music videos or talk shows. Even though trailers are promotional materials, the people who choose to watch often perceive them as interesting, valuable content.
For authors and publishers, trailers can serve as an infomercial, a message that appears on a cable network of 5 million channels--except you have global reach and very low costs. The videos contain a "buy this book" link to Amazon or the publisher's site, prompting impulse purchases from viewers, which can make an effective trailer instantly profitable.