www.AuthorViews.com# takes a leaner approach, simply taping authors talking about their books. The premise is, authors are the best spokespeople for their work, and readers are curious to know what their favorite writers look and sound like. The price is certainly right--free. The company tours major cities and provides free taping, using student film crews and interns to keep costs low. The company takes revenue from donations, sponsorships and advertising.

Do-it-yourself videos are another option, thanks to falling prices of digital camcorders. Video clips are an effective tool for authors unable to finance a bookstore tour, or whose disparate audience makes touring impractical. If you have a PC with Windows XP, you can edit digital video yourself using a free program in your Accessories folder called "Movie Maker." If you're a Mac user, there's iMovie.

Author Chris Epting scored big using YouTube to promote his 2007 book Led Zeppelin Crashed Here, a guide to "rock and roll landmarks." Six months before publication, Epting began posting a series of trailers, featuring photos he shot for the book backed with classic-rock soundtracks. The videos prompted thousands of rock fans to write to Epting with suggestions for the book and requests to buy it. Closer to his publication date, Epting posted interactive videos and a trivia contest. You can view the videos here:

#www.youtube.com/view_play_ list?p=FA5F436AF546723F#