Author Publicity - The Book Trailer

I think most authors agree that once the book has been written, there's still a lot of work to be done raising awareness about it and getting people to buy it. Writing for a large publishing house like Harper Collins, definitely helps, because there's always a publicist ready to assist. She writes the press release that goes out to major reviewers, helps set up my blog tour and even brainstorms blog post ideas with me. But there are many other PR things that I do by myself. One tool that I like to use for publicity purposes, is a book trailer. I've made one for most of my books so far, using either stock photos or parts of the book covers that I've cut segments from, pasted into Windows Movie Maker and added text and music to. It wasn't hard, but it was time consuming. However, it still allows for an interesting way in which to pitch your book idea/vibe to readers without spending any money.
Here's an example of a couple I've made:

Starting out as a new author, I wanted to save all of my earnings, which meant that I did everything - and I do mean EVERYTHING - by myself, from my website, to my author pictures, to the book trailers and whatever lies in between. I can't say that I've made it rich since then, but I am at a point where I can afford to outsource a few things in order to make my life easier and allow for more time with my family. When I stumbled across the book trailer for The School For Good And Evil, I fell in love and immediately contacted the creators behind it. Turns out that something like this would cost me as much as a brand new sedan - maybe not a Benz or an Audi, but you get the picture. Yes, it's expensive, but it's also pretty amazing - check it out:

Anyways, it was completely out of the question for me so I decided to look at other options. Turns out there's a really awesome company called Book Candy Studios who makes stunning trailers at really affordable prices. They're extremely professional and lovely to work with. In fact, they're making a trailer for Lady Sarah's Sinful Desires right now & I am so utterly excited about it!!! (Will post as soon as it's ready =D)
For an example of their work, check out the trailer they made for Alexandra Hawkins. In my opinion, it's absolutely perfect and so indicative of her style:

To find out more about Book Candy Studios, check out their website at: http://www.bookcandystudios.com/