Read the guide below | See a sample poetry reading
Hello, and welome.
If you have signed up for this workshop, read on. If you want to sign up, or find out more about me (Craig Spence) and the Books Unbound Trailer Workshop, watch the video above then go to my Contact Information page.
Below you will find a guide to prepare for the Books Unbound Trailer Workshop. To get the most out of our time together and make it possible for us to create video trailers that zing, we need to gather some materials and ask ourselves a few key questions. Read on and let’s get ready…
Books Unbound Trailer Workshop Guide
Preparation
Before the workshop:
- Gather any images and materials you want to include in your video book trailer and bring them with you. Book covers and a copy of your book if your story is puiblished, settings from your story, images of people you want to include in the telling, a photo of youself, a selection of your favourite (public domain) music, your logo, etc.
- Think about what you want to wear. Your fashion statement can range from casual to black ties & gowns, but make it a deliberate statement about you and your story. DO NOT WEAR ANYTHING GREEN (unless your story happens to be about St. Patrick’s Day!).
- Select your excerpt and practice reading it. Time your selection to about 1.5 minutes. The book trailer will be about 2 minutes, but the intro and extro will take up 15 seconds each. Send your excerpt to me as the body of an email—not an attachment.
Intro (Optional)
Before the workshop, write a brief (15 second) introduction, and send it to me as the body of an email—not an attachment:
- Give your audience an idea of who you are and where you’re coming from with a street corner greeting. Answer questions like:
- Why did you write this story?
- Who did you write it for?
- What’s special about the setting and people in your excerpt?
- Is it based on a real-life experience?
Extro
Before the workshop, write a brief (15 second) ‘call to action’ and ‘Thank you’ sign off, and send it to me as the body of an email—not an attachment:
- Where can your viewers get more information about you?
- Where can they purchase a copy of your book (provide a URL if online)?
- Do you have a logo to display?
- Be sure to include a ‘call to action’ and ‘Thank You’ in your closing sentence.
Reading tips
Engage your audience:
- Know who you are reading to—not as an audience, but as an imagined friend (or enemy!). Choose someone you really want to relate to and speak directly to that person.
- Breath deep and slow down. Enunciate every word.
- Feel and visualize the words as you pronounce them. Be excited and fascinated by your own voice. Make the experience real for you, and it will come across as real to your listeners.
- Know where the eye of the camera is and look toward it (we have techniques to help with that).